Best Carrot Cake Muffins
This carrot cake muffins recipe is the perfect recipe for any occasion where you want something a little bit out of the box but it’s incredibly simple to make. The warm spices and sweet creamy icing make these muffins absolutely delicious.
Have you ever been invited to a potluck or hosted a last minute event at your home and wanted to try a new recipe, instead of making the same recipes over and over again?
Having simple recipes like this one really saves a lot of time when you don’t want to spend too many hours in the kitchen, and your whole family will love them!
If you have a carrot cake craving, this carrot cake muffin recipe is a healthier option than a typical dessert and can be made with substitutions that fit your dietary needs.
I hope you love these healthy muffins as much as we do.
If you need some other tried and true muffin recipes, be sure to try my fluffy cinnamon streusel muffins, easy banana pumpkin muffins, or my healthy sourdough cinnamon muffins!
What are Carrot Cake Muffins?
Carrot cake muffins are a simple carrot and spice-filled muffin with a sweet cream cheese icing drizzle.
Warm spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, give these carrot muffins a cozy flavor that will remind you of that carrot cake your grandmother used to make.
Making these muffins creates the perfect dessert or breakfast when you are on the go.
You might just make a double batch and store some in the freezer or share them with someone else!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This is the type of recipe that you can be creative with by adding in other ingredients.
- Carrot cake is the type of recipe that can be served as breakfast, dessert, or even an afternoon snack.
- Simple ingredients, 30 minutes, and minimal preparation makes this recipe a quick and easy favorite to add to your list. I promise the flavors of these muffins will make even the non-carrot cake lover a convert.
- These muffins can be made with ingredients you can find all year, creating the perfect recipe you can enjoy during any season.
Tell Me About Carrot Cake Muffins
- Taste– These muffins have a warm subtle spice flavor paired perfectly with the carrots and cream cheese icing.
- Texture– A soft, moist interior with a slightly crisp exterior allows for the most incredible texture. The combination of shredded and grated carrots also allows a bit of chew to the muffins.
- Ease– This recipe can all be done by hand without the use of any fancy equipment. You can even double the recipe and freeze a batch for a quick and easy breakfast.
- Time– In under 30 minutes you can have a delicious recipe that everyone in your family will love.
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Muffins
- Flour– All purpose flour is the best for this recipe. You can also use whole wheat flour.
- Baking Soda– Using baking soda makes the muffins rise and have a soft interior.
- Sugar– Sugar obviously adds the delicious sweet taste to the recipe.
- Brown sugar– Combining white and brown sugar is a spectacular combination. Brown sugar contains molasses, which gives it the brown color.
- Cinnamon– This is a spice that gives these muffins a warm spicy flavor that is a perfect complement to the carrots.
- Nutmeg– Do not skip this ingredient. Nutmeg is one of those ingredients that really brings out all of the other flavors.
- Oil- Using avocado oil, olive oil, or coconut oil will give the muffins moisture without adding any flavor.
- Salt– Salt adds flavor and brings out the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Eggs– Eggs help the batter to rise, as well as contribute to the texture of the baked product.
- Vanilla– Vanilla is an ingredient that is in almost every single baked good recipe for good reason. Vanilla gives a warm unmistakable sweet flavor.
- Carrots– Use a mixture of shredded and grated fresh carrots for amazing texture. This allows the carrot to have even distribution and a bit of texture.
- Cream Cheese- The combination of cream cheese and carrot cake is absolutely delicious.
- Confectioners Sugar– Sift the powdered sugar to make the icing without any lumps.
- Whole Milk or Heavy Cream– Use whatever milk or cream you have on hand if you don’t have these available, although these would be best.
Make Carrot Cake Muffins in 3 Easy Steps
- Mix All Ingredients– Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together dry ingredients and mix in wet ingredients in a medium or large bowl until just combined to make the muffin batter.
- Bake– Fill the muffin cups ⅔ way full and bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Add Icing– Cool completely. Whisk together icing ingredients and drizzle over the top.
Substitutions for Carrot Cake Muffins
- Plain Greek Yogurt or Applesauce– If you do not have avocado, olive, or coconut oil, you can substitute with either of these ingredients
- Gluten Free Flour– You can substitute gluten free flour for regular flour for those with gluten sensitivities or allergies.
- Coconut Sugar– You can use coconut sugar as an even healthier option for a sweetener.
- Coconut Milk– This can be used if you have dairy restrictions in your family.
Tips for Making Carrot Cake Muffins
- You can drizzle the frosting onto the top of the muffins using a spoon, or you can tip the muffin upside down into the frosting so that the top is fully coated.
- Use a food processor to shred your carrots for a quick and easy shortcut.
- Add some muffin liners to make these muffins even more portable and save on a messy muffin pan. These liners add a fun touch to your party table.
- For perfectly moist muffins make sure you do not over mix your batter. Fold ingredients together just until all ingredients are combined.
- Use a mixture of shredded and grated carrots for the perfect texture in each bite.
- It is best to let your eggs get to room temperature before adding them to the mixture. It allows the muffins to rise better during baking!
Add-Ins for Carrot Cake Muffins
- Regular or Golden Raisins– Make sure you soak them in water that has been boiled for 3-5 minutes. Cool them, then fold them into the batter before baking.
- Chocolate Chips– Everyone loves chocolate, so these would make a delicious addition to your hearty muffins.
- Chopped Walnuts or Pecans– Nuts are a great way to add some healthy ingredients to your muffins and add the best texture!
- Shredded Coconut– Coconut lovers might like this addition to vary the taste a little bit.
- Pineapple– Pineapple would give the muffins a little bit of a tropical flair.
How Do You Store Leftover Carrot Cake Muffins?
You can store your cooled muffins in an airtight container or cake dome on the counter for up to 2 days.
However, if you frost them with cream cheese frosting, you should really refrigerate them in an airtight container.
This recipe can easily be popped into the freezer for a quick breakfast option on a busy morning.
Store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months and let them thaw before warming them up in the oven.
How to Reheat Carrot Cake Muffins?
These muffins are excellent served at room temperature, however, if you prefer to warm your muffins, I would recommend doing so in an oven.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and place the muffins on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
If you need to warm them in the microwave, I would recommend doing so in 15 second increments to avoid the cream cheese drizzle from burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Bake it at 350 degrees in a greased loaf pan for 35-40 minutes. Make sure you check to see if it’s done by inserting a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean!
If you over-mix the ingredients, your muffins (or pancakes) could become too rubbery. For best results, mix the ingredients until just combined. The goal is fluffy muffins!
You can buy pre-shredded carrots at the grocery store, however, they can tend to be dry. You can use a box grater, a potato peeler (use shorter strokes), or a food processor. Watch your fingers when using the box grater!
Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe
Carrot Cake Muffins
Equipment
- 1 muffin tin
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 box grater
- 1 spatula
- 1 small bowl
- 1 electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil
- 2 eggs large
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups carrots grated and chopped
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven ot 350 degrees F. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or line the tin with muffin liners.
- Add flour, baking soda, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together until combined.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil, egg, and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
- Add in the shredded carrots and fold until incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffins. Fill about ⅔ of the way full to keep the muffins from overflowing while baking.
- Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when placed in the center of a muffin.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- While cooling, whisk up the cream cheese icing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until the lumps are gone.
- Drizzle with a cream cheese icing, if desired. You may also turn your muffins upside down and dip them in the glaze. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can drizzle the frosting onto the top of the muffins using a spoon, or you can tip the muffin upside down into the frosting so that the top is fully coated.
- Use a food processor to shred your carrots for a quick and easy shortcut.
- Add some muffin liners to make these muffins even more portable and save on a messy muffin pan. These liners add a fun touch to your party table.
- For perfectly moist muffins make sure you do not over mix your batter. Fold ingredients together just until all ingredients are combined.
- Use a mixture of shredded and grated carrots for the perfect texture in each bite.
- It is best to let your eggs get to room temperature before adding them to the mixture. It allows the muffins to rise better during baking!
