Cheesy Carrot and Courgette Muffins

Muffins are so versatile and perfect as a sweet or savoury treat for all ages. They can be ready from scratch in well under 30 minutes, and can be enjoyed pretty much at any time of the day.

They can also make the perfect meal for babies and toddlers who are on a baby-led weaning, as long as they are free of refined sugar and are full of goodness. My Healthy Banana Muffins for Kids (No Sugar) and Baby Led Weaning Muffins with veggies have always been one of my most popular recipes both with my kids and my readers.

These savoury carrot and courgette muffins are jam-packed with all the goodness, and the cheese makes them extra delicious and super moist too. They stay moist even a few days later, and can be served at room temperature, or toasted. They can also be frozen to be served at a later time.

No need to peel the courgettes (zucchini), the skin can be grated too, unlike the carrots which do need to be peeled - at least I prefer them peeled.

Ingredients used

• self-raising flour - it makes the muffins raise nicely and makes them light
• baking powder & bicarb of soda - I used them even if I used self-raising flour, as it helps with the overall texture
• carrots - grated and liquid squeezed well
• courgettes - (zucchini) grated and liquid squeezed well
• cheddar cheese - grated, it adds a nice sharpness to the muffins
• eggs - at room temperature
• milk - full fat milk works best, the skimmed one is not creamy enough
• butter - salted or unsalted, melted

Recipe variations

The beauty of homemade baking is that things can be swapped, and as long as the consistency is not changed, then anything goes, just use whatever you have around.

If you prefer only courgettes for this recipe, you can use them only, just make sure you use the right amount.

Alternatively, just use carrots only, and again, double the amount of grated carrots so the amounts can be the same. Other veggies that would work great are peppers, tomatoes, spinach, kale, spring onions, and so on.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

Once you have all the ingredients ready, it's just a matter of mixing them all together, and that's job easily done.

1. peel and grate the carrots, and squeeze as much liquid as you can, either by hands, or by placing them onto a clean cloth, and squeezing well - if the liquid is not squeezed, the muffins won't have the right consistency
2. grate the courgettes and again, squeeze as much liquid as you can ( see photo 4)
3. in a large bowl, add the sifted flour, baking powder and bicarb of soda
4. in a separate bowl, beat the eggs well, pour in the milk and melted butter, and mix
5. add the wet ingredients to the bowl of flour together with the courgettes, carrots and grated cheese
6. mix to incorporate ( see photo 5)
7. butter and flour a 12-hole muffin tray and divide the mixture evenly
8. bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 20-25 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean

Expert tips

Make sure there is a good balance between the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients. If there isn't enough liquid, the muffins will be dry.

Do not overmix the batter, use a spatula to gently bring all the ingredients together, overmixing causes the muffins to be tough.

If the carrots and courgettes are not squeezed well, the batter will be too watery, and the muffins will be too soggy to raise.

Do give them a go, they are amazing! My little ones loved them too, although I must admit I ended up having most of them, they were so good with a cup of tea!

Recipe FAQs

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