Carrot cake muffins are light and fluffy muffins filled with fresh grated carrots and sweet warming spices. Top these easy to make carrot muffins with a sweet and tangy cream cheese icing for muffins that taste just like carrot cake.
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Why Make This Recipe
When spring hits, my mind drifts to sweet spring carrot and to carrot cake. My Carrot Bundt Cake, Carrot Loaf Cake, Carrot Cake Cookies and Carrot Bread are all carrot cake recipes I love. I know you’ll love these cozy and flavorful muffins with carrots just as much as my other carrot cake recipes.
- Easy to make, bake and eat. All you need to make these easy and cozy carrot muffins are a few mixing bowls, a whisk and a muffin pan (or tw0).
- Perfect for breakfast and snacking. These carrot muffins are perfect for busy school mornings, meal prep or as a quick, but filling snack. Top them with cream cheese icing for muffins that taste just like carrot cake.
Ingredients
These carrot muffins require only a handful of simple ingredients to make. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, all spice, nutmeg and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather oil or melted butter, light brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk and shredded carrots.
Substitutions
These moist cakey carrot muffins are as easy to make as they are delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these homemade carrot muffins if you need them.
- All purpose flour: Make these gluten free by using a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure based on weight (240 g) rather than cup for cup.
- Baking Powder: Make sure it is fresh and in date.
- Ground Spices: These complement the flavors of carrots and give the muffins a carrot cake like flavor. Feel free to use 2 -3 teaspoons of own preferred spices.
- Grated Carrots: Use whole and peeled carrots you grate yourself instead of already shredded carrots.
- Neutral Baking Oil or Melted Butter: Feel free to use plant based or dairy free butter if you like. Any neutral tasting oil will also work well.
- Light Brown and Granulated Sugar: These cozy and hearty muffins with bananas and carrots call for granulated sugar, but maple sugar or coconut sugar would also work well to make these muffins refined sugar free.
- Eggs: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This adds a lovely background flavor that pairs really well with carrots and ground spices.
- Buttermilk: Feel free to use the same amount of milk, greek yogurt or sour cream.
Variations
- Mini Carrot Cake Muffins: Prepare the muffin batter according to the recipe directions. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Lightly grease a 24 ct. mini muffin pan. Use a tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop the muffin batter into each of the mini muffin wells. Bake the muffins for 12-14 minutes or until the tops bounce back quickly when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted unto the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes. Gently remove them from the pan and enjoy.
- Carrot Muffin Mix-ins: Feel free to add up to ½ cup raisins or chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to the muffin batter at the same time as the carrots.
How To Make
Learn how to make carrot cake muffins in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) for at least 30 minutes before baking. Line (2) 12 ct. muffin pans with cupcake liners. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and salt to a mixing bowl. Shred the carrots using a box grater. Tip: Use the smaller holes.
- In another bowl whisk the oil and sugars until smooth and well combined. Once smooth and well combined whisk in the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, then stir in the grated carrots. Do not overmix. A few flour streaks is fine.
- For more bakery style muffins, alternate filled and unfilled muffin wells. Use a 3 tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop the carrot cake muffin batter into each of the muffin liners, alternating every other cup. Bake the muffins at 425 F (128 C) for 8 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 375 (190 C) and bake for an additional 9 - 11 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes about with a few moist crumbs or when a finger pressed gently into the center of the muffins quickly bounces back. Cool the carrot muffins in the muffin pan for 5 - 10 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins to cool to room temperature.
4. If you would like to top with the cream cheese glaze, mix the cream cheese with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth and well combined. Top each of the cooled muffins with the cream cheese icing and a few chopped nuts and enjoy.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: Place the carrot muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If any muffins are topped with the suggested cream cheese icing, they must be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Make sure the muffins are completely cooled to room temperature. Individually wrap each muffin in plastic wrap, in parchment paper or wax paper. Place each wrapped muffin in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you plan on freezing the muffins I suggest skipping the cream cheese glaze.
- Thaw: Let the muffins sit out at room temperature until thawed. Enjoy at room temperature or microwave the muffin for 20 - 30 seconds for that “fresh from the oven” taste.
M’s Expert Tips
- Grate the carrots using a box grater. To make the best cakey carrot muffins skip the shredded carrots from the store and grate whole carrots instead. Use the smaller holes on the box grater.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature.This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in soft, fluffy and moist muffins.
- Don’t overmix the muffin batter. Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet by hand until just combined.
- Alternate muffin wells in the muffin pan. This allows each muffin to get the maximum of amount of even heat circulating around it. The tops will still pop up, but they won’t be as high if you decide to fill all the muffin liners at once.
- Two baking temperatures for the perfect muffins. Baking at high heat for a short time allows the muffins to set. Lowering the temperature and baking for a longer time allows the muffins to continue to bake without drying out or burning.
- Top with the suggested cream cheese icing. Classic carrot cake is almost always topped with cream cheese frosting. To keep this classic flavor profile, I highly suggest topping the muffins with the suggested cream cheese icing.
FAQs
Can I make these carrot muffins refined sugar free?
Feel free to substitute the light brown and granulated sugar with maple sugar to make them refined sugar free.
Can I make these fluffy carrot cake muffins gluten free?
Yes, swap the all purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten free flour. Measure the flour based on weight.
What is the secret to moist muffins?
A few things go into creating moist muffins. Make sure to use full fat, room temperature ingredients, mixing the dry and wet ingredients until just combined and not over baking the muffins.
Do I have to alternate the muffin cups?
This is an optional step to help the muffin tops dome and puff up a bit higher. Feel free to bake all 12 muffins in one muffin pan or alternate every other cup using two muffin pans.
Other Muffin Recipes To Try
If you try this Carrot Cake Muffins recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe
Soft and fluffy muffins are filled with fresh grated carrots and sweet warming spices. Top these easy to make carrot muffins with a sweet and tangy cream cheese icing for muffins that taste just like carrot cake.
Equipment
- 1 - 2 12 ct muffin pans
- whisk, flexible spatula or spoon for mixing
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Muffins
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground all spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) neutral baking oil or melted butter
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk or milk, room temperature
- 1½ cups shredded carrots
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 tablespoons milk, as needed
- 2 - 3 tablespoons chopped nuts, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) for at least 30 minutes before baking. Line (2) 12 ct. muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and salt to a mixing bowl.2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour , 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon , ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground all spice , ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In another bowl whisk the oil and sugars until smooth and well combined. Once smooth and well combined whisk in the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.½ cup (120 ml) neutral baking oil or melted butter, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar , ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar , 2 large eggs, room temperature, 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract , ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk or milk, room temperature
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, then stir in the grated carrots. Do not overmix. A few flour streaks is fine. For more bakery style muffins, alternate filled and unfilled muffin wells. Use a 3 tablespoon sized cookie scoop to scoop the carrot cake muffin batter into each of the muffin liners, alternating every other cup.1½ cups shredded carrots
- Bake the muffins at 425 F (218 C) for 8 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 375 (190 C) and bake for an additional 9 - 11 minutes. Do not open the oven during this time. Just reduce the oven temperature and check the muffins after baking the muffins for about 9 minutes at the reduced temperature (after about 17 minutes of baking). The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes about with a few moist crumbs or when a finger pressed gently into the center of the muffins quickly bounces back. Cool the carrot muffins in the muffin pan for 5 - 10 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins to cool to room temperature.
- If you would like to top with the cream cheese glaze, mix the cream cheese with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth and well combined. Top each of the cooled muffins with the cream cheese icing and a few chopped nuts and enjoy.4 oz. (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature, 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract , 1 - 2 tablespoons milk, as needed, 2 - 3 tablespoons chopped nuts, optional and to taste
Notes
Store: Place the carrot muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If any muffins are topped with the suggested cream cheese icing, they must be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tip: Grate the carrots using a box grater. To make the best cakey carrot muffins skip the shredded carrots from the store and grate whole carrots instead. Use the smaller holes on the box grater.
did you make this recipe?tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram
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