Vegan Blender Oatmeal Carrot Apple Muffins

Getting kids excited about eating their fruits and veggies at breakfast time can feel like an uphill battle. Between the morning rush and picky eaters, it’s tough to find something nutritious that actually tastes good and doesn’t require you to wake up at the crack of dawn to prepare.

That’s where these blender oatmeal carrot apple muffins come to the rescue: they’re packed with wholesome ingredients your family will actually enjoy, come together in one blender with minimal cleanup, and sneak in a full serving of fruits and vegetables without anyone being the wiser.

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What Kind of Oats Should I Use?

For these muffins, you’ll want to stick with old-fashioned rolled oats rather than quick oats or steel-cut oats. Rolled oats have the right texture and size to blend up nicely in your blender, creating a flour-like consistency that holds the muffins together. Quick oats are too fine and can make your muffins gummy, while steel-cut oats won’t blend properly and will leave you with a chunky, uneven texture. If you only have quick oats on hand, they might work in a pinch, but your muffins won’t be quite as fluffy. Make sure your oats are certified gluten-free if that’s a concern for you, since regular oats can sometimes be processed in facilities that also handle wheat.

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Options for Substitutions

These muffins are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you’re missing an ingredient:

• Ground flax meal: The flax meal acts as an egg replacer here. You can use 2 regular eggs instead, or try chia seeds mixed with water in the same ratio (3 tablespoons chia to 8 tablespoons water).
• Rolled oats: Stick with rolled oats for this recipe since they blend into the right texture. Quick oats might work in a pinch, but steel-cut oats won’t blend properly.
• Maple syrup: Honey works as a direct swap, or you can use agave nectar if you want to keep it vegan. You could also try date syrup for a different flavor.
• Coconut oil: Any neutral oil works here – try vegetable oil, melted butter, or even applesauce if you want to cut back on fat (though the texture will be slightly different).
• Almond milk: Any milk you have on hand will work – regular dairy milk, oat milk, soy milk, or even water if needed.
• Apple and carrot: You can swap the apple for pear or use all carrot (2 cups total). Zucchini also works well if you want to switch things up.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making these muffins is over-blending the batter, which can make your muffins dense and gummy instead of light and fluffy – pulse just until the ingredients come together and you still see some texture.

Don’t skip letting the flax meal mixture sit for the full 5 minutes, as this “flax egg” needs time to thicken and bind properly, or your muffins might crumble apart.

Since these muffins don’t contain traditional flour or eggs, they need the full cooling time to set up correctly, so resist the urge to pull them out of the tin early or they’ll fall apart.

For extra insurance against sticking, lightly spray your muffin liners with oil before adding the batter, and fill each cup only about two-thirds full to prevent overflow during baking.

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What to Serve With Oatmeal Carrot Apple Muffins?

These muffins are perfect for breakfast or as a snack on their own, but they’re even better with a smear of almond butter or cream cheese on top. I love pairing them with a hot cup of coffee or tea in the morning, or packing them alongside some fresh fruit and yogurt for a complete breakfast. They also make a great afternoon snack with a glass of cold milk or your favorite plant-based milk alternative. Since they’re naturally sweet from the apples and maple syrup, you don’t need much else, but a drizzle of honey or a sprinkle of extra cinnamon never hurts if you want to dress them up a bit.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for about a week. I usually grab one for breakfast throughout the week, and they taste great cold or at room temperature.

Freeze: These muffins are perfect for freezing! Once they’re completely cool, wrap them individually in plastic wrap or store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. It’s nice to have a stash ready for busy mornings.

Thaw: Just leave a frozen muffin on the counter for about 30 minutes to thaw, or pop it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. You can also warm it in the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes if you want it fresh-baked warm.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1100-1250
• Protein: 20-24 g
• Fat: 36-42 g
• Carbohydrates: 180-200 g

Ingredients

For the flax egg:

• 4 tbsp flax meal (I use Bob’s Red Mill for a consistent gel)
• 9 tbsp water

For the muffin batter:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (I prefer Grade A Amber for a richer flavor)
• 1 cup apple (peeled and cored, then cut into 1-inch chunks)
• 1 1/4 cup carrot (finely shredded, about 1/8-inch strands)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled to room temperature)
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Step 1: Prepare Oven and Mise en Place

• 1 cup apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 1/4 cup carrot, finely shredded

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

While the oven heats, prepare your ingredients: peel and core the apple, cut it into 1-inch chunks, and shred the carrot into fine 1/8-inch strands (a box grater works perfectly for this).

Measure out all dry ingredients and the flax meal so everything is ready when you need it.

Step 2: Create the Flax Egg

• 4 tbsp flax meal
• 9 tbsp water

Combine the flax meal and water in a small bowl and stir well to combine.

Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes to hydrate and thicken into a gel-like consistency—this creates structure and binding in your muffins, similar to a traditional egg.

While this is setting, you can move on to preparing your dry ingredients.

Step 3: Grind Oats and Mix Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Add the rolled oats to your blender and blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes until they transform into a fine flour consistency.

Pour the ground oats into a small bowl and whisk together with the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Set this dry mixture aside—you’ll fold it in at the end to preserve the leavening power of the baking powder and baking soda.

Step 4: Blend the Wet Ingredients and Fruit

• flax egg from Step 2
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup apple chunks from Step 1
• 1 1/4 cup carrot from Step 1
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Add the flax egg from Step 2, vanilla, maple syrup, apple chunks, shredded carrot, melted and cooled coconut oil, and almond milk to your blender.

Blend on high speed for 60-90 seconds until the mixture is smooth and the fruit is fully incorporated—you want a uniform batter with no large apple chunks remaining.

I like to stop and scrape down the sides halfway through blending to ensure everything combines evenly.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

• blended wet mixture from Step 4
• dry ingredient mixture from Step 3

Pour the blended wet mixture from Step 4 into a large bowl, then add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 3.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold gently until just combined—avoid overmixing, which can result in tough, dense muffins.

A few small streaks of flour are perfectly fine; stop folding as soon as you don’t see dry ingredients.

Step 6: Fill and Bake the Muffins

• batter from Step 5

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.

Bake in your preheated 350°F oven for 24-26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

I prefer to rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even browning across all the muffins.

Step 7: Cool and Serve

Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

This prevents condensation from making them soggy on the bottom.

Once cooled, they can be enjoyed immediately or stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Vegan Blender Oatmeal Carrot Apple Muffins

Delicious Vegan Blender Oatmeal Carrot Apple Muffins recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 1175 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the flax egg::

• 4 tbsp flax meal (I use Bob's Red Mill for a consistent gel)
• 9 tbsp water

For the muffin batter::

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (I prefer Grade A Amber for a richer flavor)
• 1 cup apple (peeled and cored, then cut into 1-inch chunks)
• 1 1/4 cup carrot (finely shredded, about 1/8-inch strands)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled to room temperature)
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. While the oven heats, prepare your ingredients: peel and core the apple, cut it into 1-inch chunks, and shred the carrot into fine 1/8-inch strands (a box grater works perfectly for this). Measure out all dry ingredients and the flax meal so everything is ready when you need it.
• Combine the flax meal and water in a small bowl and stir well to combine. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes to hydrate and thicken into a gel-like consistency—this creates structure and binding in your muffins, similar to a traditional egg. While this is setting, you can move on to preparing your dry ingredients.
• Add the rolled oats to your blender and blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes until they transform into a fine flour consistency. Pour the ground oats into a small bowl and whisk together with the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set this dry mixture aside—you'll fold it in at the end to preserve the leavening power of the baking powder and baking soda.
• Add the flax egg from Step 2, vanilla, maple syrup, apple chunks, shredded carrot, melted and cooled coconut oil, and almond milk to your blender. Blend on high speed for 60-90 seconds until the mixture is smooth and the fruit is fully incorporated—you want a uniform batter with no large apple chunks remaining. I like to stop and scrape down the sides halfway through blending to ensure everything combines evenly.
• Pour the blended wet mixture from Step 4 into a large bowl, then add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 3. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold gently until just combined—avoid overmixing, which can result in tough, dense muffins. A few small streaks of flour are perfectly fine; stop folding as soon as you don't see dry ingredients.
• Divide the batter evenly among the 12 lined muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake in your preheated 350°F oven for 24-26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. I prefer to rotate the pan halfway through baking to ensure even browning across all the muffins.
• Remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents condensation from making them soggy on the bottom. Once cooled, they can be enjoyed immediately or stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.