Carrot Cake Muffins
These Carrot Cake Muffins are filled with a delicious cream cheese filling, then topped with a brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping and drizzle of vanilla icing. The muffins are soft and moist and can be made with pecans and raisins, or without.
When you’re craving carrot cake, but don’t feel like spending as much time making a cake, these carrot cake muffins are the perfect fix for your craving. Plus, you can enjoy them as a delicious breakfast or brunch treat.
I love making these carrot cake muffins around Easter. They are the perfect addition to the Easter brunch table, or really any spring brunch. The muffins are made with freshly grated carrots and yogurt, which makes them incredibly moist. I added raisins and pecans into the muffins, but certainly you can leave these out if you prefer.
Here’s what you will love about these muffins
- these carrot cake muffins are quick and easy to make
- these are way easier to make than carrot cake, yet satisfy your carrot cake craving with all the delicious flavors of carrot cake packed into the muffins
- the cream cheese center makes the carrot cake muffins really delicious!
- the carrot cake muffins take roughly 20 minutes to bake and freeze well
Here’s how to make these carrot cake muffins
I love the ease and simplicity of muffin recipes and these carrot cake muffins are no different. They come together in just a few minutes.
MAKE THE CRUMB TOPPING
In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine then drizzle in the melted butter. Use a fork to claw together the ingredients.
MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING
In a medium size bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside until ready to use.
MAKE THE MUFFIN BATTER
Before you make the muffin batter, grate your carrots. Store bought grated carrots are dry and don’t provide the same moisture that freshly grated carrots provide. If you have a good heavy duty food processor, you can use that to finely chop your carrots, but it doesn’t always finely chop your carrots consistently. If nothing else, it gives you a little bit of an arm workout for the day :).
In your mixing bowl, mix together the sugars, butter, eggs, vanilla and yogurt until combined. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix JUST until combined. It’s okay if the batter is a little lumpy.
Add in the freshly grated carrots, raisins and pecans, if desired. Mix just until combined. The muffin batter will be thick.
FILL THE MUFFIN LINERS
Fill the muffin liners halfway full with muffin batter. Use a spoon to spread the muffin batter up the sides of the muffin liner and make a hole in the center of the muffin batter. This will be for the cream cheese filling.
Evenly divide the cream cheese filling amongst the 12 muffins. Scoop the remaining muffin batter over top of the cream cheese filling.
Sprinkle the crumb topping over the muffins.
TIME TO BAKE!
Bake the muffins for 18-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
THE FINISHING TOUCH
Eat the muffins as is, or drizzle with vanilla icing for a delicious finishing touch.
Storage
Store these carrot cake muffins covered in an airtight container for a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1 week in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze these for up to 3 months.
Here are a few other muffin recipes you may enjoy
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Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Muffins
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
These Carrot Cake Muffins are filled with a delicious cream cheese filling, then topped with a brown sugar cinnamon crumb topping and drizzle of vanilla icing. The muffins are soft and moist and can be made with pecans and raisins, or without.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (4 ounces)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (52 grams)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (52 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (112 grams)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (3 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (7.5 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams)
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (2 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup finely grated carrots (130 grams)
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional) (63 grams)
- 1/2 cup pecans (optional) (56 grams)
Cream Cheese Filling
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (24 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Icing
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 – 3/4 tablespoon milk
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Make the crumb topping. In a medium bowl, add all ingredients for streusel topping. Use a fork to claw/mix the ingredients together. Set aside.
3. Make the muffin batter. In a large bowl, add melted butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract and yogurt. Whisk to combine. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk just until combined. Add in the grated carrots, and pecans and raisins, if desired. Fold into the batter with a wooden spoon or spatula, just until combined.
4. Fill the prepared muffin cups halfway full. The batter will be thick. This is how you want it, to be able to add the cream cheese dollop to the center.
5. Make the cream cheese filling. In a medium bowl, add cream cheese and powdered sugar. Beat with a handheld mixer until smooth and combined.
6. Using a spoon, spread the muffin batter up the sides of the muffin liners, creating a small pocket/hole in the center. Evenly divide cream cheese filling amongst the 12 muffins. Scoop remaining batter on top of the 12 muffins. Crumble the crumb topping on top of the muffins.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 18-23 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and center is set. Allow muffins to cool in muffin tin 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
8. Make the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for icing. Drizzle over muffins. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you’d like to make your own muffin liners, here’s how to do it. Cut 12 pieces of parchment paper that measures 5×5 inches. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of a glass, then use your hands to press the parchment paper along the sides of the glass. This will create the shape of the liner. Place the liners in the muffin tin. It’s okay if they don’t fit perfectly. The muffin batter will hold the muffin batter in the muffin tin, once added.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 22
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
What is the recipe for the Streusel Topping on the Cream Cheese Carrot Cake Muffins?
Angela,
Oh my goodness, sorry about that! I don’t know what happened to the ingredient amounts for the streusel topping and cream cheese filling, but I added them to the recipe list now. Thanks for letting me know! Hope you enjoy!
-Jolene