Whole Wheat Browned Butter Carrot Bread

This Healthy Carrot Bread recipe will blow you away. It’s made with 100% whole-wheat flour, is naturally sweetened with honey, and is full of nutrient-packed carrots. Tender, moist and incredibly flavorful, you’d never know this carrot bread was good for you! 

I recommend enjoying a slice (or two) slightly warmed. Warming the bread just a bit brings out the flavors of the brown butter and spices. And if you want to take it to heaven-on-earth status, a slather of butter does the trick nicely.

I also like to enjoy this healthy carrot bread with a cup of coffee (I love Chemex) or my creamy Pistachio Coffee. 

How to make carrot bread

This healthy carrot bread recipe is a categorized as a quick bread recipe. Think banana bread—it’s that easy. 

Step 1

Whisk together dry ingredients (whole wheat pastry flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg)

Step 2:

Brown butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour into a large bowl and cool slightly. 

Step 3:

Add wet ingredients (honey, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla) to browned butter and whisk to combine. 

Step 4:

Stir carrots and pecans into butter mixture. 

Step 5:

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined. 

Step 6:

Transfer batter to a loaf pan lined with parchment; lightly smooth top and sprinkle with turbinado sugar and chopped pecans (optional)

Step 7:

Bake carrot bread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; let cool in pan 10 minutes. 

How to Make Carrot Muffins

You can easily bake this carrot bread into muffins, here’s all you need to do:

1. Heat oven to 400°F and line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Divide batter between muffin cups, sprinkle turbinado sugar and chopped pecans over batter.
3. Bake muffins until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean; 12–15 minutes.
4. Let muffins cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Variations

• Olive Oil Carrot Bread: Swap the browned butter for olive oil (use ½ cup) 
• Carrot Cake Bread: Add some golden raisins (about a ¼ cup) to the batter, skip the pecans and sugar on top and instead opt for a cream cheese glaze. 
• Carrot Apple Bread: Replace half of the shredded carrots with shredded apple. 
• Carrot Zucchini Bread: Replace half of the shredded carrots with shredded zucchini. 

MAKE THIS HEALTHY CARROT BREAD VEGAN!

Use Olive Oil

• Use ½ cup olive oil instead of butter. 

Use vegan buttermilk

1. Combine ⅓ cup unsweetened almond or soy milk with 1 teaspoon white vinegar.
2. Let the mixture rest for 5–10 minutes until curdled.
3. Use as directed in the recipe.

Use a flax or chia egg

1. Grind 2 tablespoons flax or chia seeds in a spice grinder.
2. Combine ground flax or chia with ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons water and let rest 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
3. Use as directed in the recipe.

Use brown sugar

• Use ½ cup packed brown sugar in place of the honey.
• If you want to keep it naturally sweetened you can also use coconut sugar (increase to ¾ cup) or pure maple syrup instead. 

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