Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe

 

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 23 mins

Total: 38 mins

Servings: 12

Yield: 12 muffins

These delightful carrot cake muffins are both tasty and easy to assemble, made in a single bowl with a whisk and a spatula. All the ingredients you need are likely already in your pantry.

Cream Cheese + Carrot Cake = Heaven

We stuff these muffins with tangy, unsweetened cream cheese because cream cheese and carrot cake are a match made in heaven. The cream cheese provides a nice contrast to the lightly sweet muffin. Think of a slice of carrot loaf cake with a smear of cream cheese and you'll understand what you're getting into here.

Sugar and Spice Swaps

We prefer brown sugar for the molasses-like flavor it imparts, but granulated sugar can be substituted if desired. We kept the spices to a minimum—just some cinnamon—but feel free to add a little ginger or cardamom if that's how you roll.

How to Grate the Carrots

Using oil instead of butter in a muffin recipe makes them easy to mix together and keeps them super moist (oil + carrots = moist muffins for days). The most "difficult" part of this recipe is grating the carrots. We like to use our food processor's grater attachment, but a box grater works as well.

When to Serve These Muffins

These muffins are perfect for breakfast, a late morning snack with a cup of coffee, an after-school snack, or a lovely late-night treat. They are fantastic whenever the craving hits.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (213 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed grated carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• Turbinado sugar, for garnish

Steps to Make It

1. Preheat the Oven:

   • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Position a rack in the center of the oven.

2. Mix Wet Ingredients:

   • In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, and vanilla until combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until smooth.

3. Add Dry Ingredients:

   • Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl one at a time, vigorously whisking after each addition.

4. Combine and Fold:

   • Gently fold in the flour with a silicone spatula just until a few streaks remain. Fold in the grated carrots.

5. Assemble the Muffins:

   • Place 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter in the bottom of each muffin cup. Dollop 2 teaspoons of cream cheese into the center of each cup. Cover with another 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter. Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar.

6. Bake:

   • Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, rotating at the halfway point, until a wooden skewer inserted into the side of one of the muffins comes out with a moist crumb or two attached (avoid the center to miss the cream cheese). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• When finely grating the carrots, use a food processor or a box grater.
• Do not aggressively pack the measuring cups with the grated carrots; they should be loosely packed.
• Add the carrots when you can still see streaks of flour in the mixing bowl to avoid overmixing the batter.
• A small 2-tablespoon portion scoop works great for portioning the batter into the muffin cups, if you have one.
• The tops of the muffins may pucker and dip a little due to the cream cheese filling. If you do not use the cream cheese, they will dome.

Recipe Variations

• Use granulated sugar instead of light brown sugar.
• Add additional spices such as 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom for a more complex flavor.
• Fold teaspoon-size bits of cream cheese into the batter rather than placing two teaspoons in the center of each muffin.
• Omit the cream cheese for straight-up carrot muffins.
• For carrot cake cupcakes, omit the cream cheese centers and dip the cooled muffins into a cream cheese glaze or drizzle it on top.

How to Store

The muffins can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Due to the cream cheese, they cannot be left out on the counter. These muffins do not freeze well because of the cream cheese.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 265
• Fat: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 27g
• Protein: 3g

Enjoy these delightful carrot cake muffins that bring a touch of heaven to every bite!