These Carrot Cake Muffins are soft, moist and filled with warm spices, shredded carrots, and a hint of sweetness, all wrapped up in a fluffy hand held muffin. They’re like your favorite slice of carrot cake in muffin form – perfect for breakfast, snacking, or even dessert!
I love muffins, because it feels like you’re cheating at breakfast, and getting dessert. These carrot cake muffins are no exception, a delicious way to have another version of carrot cake, but now you can eat it for breakfast or a snack.
Easy, moist, flavorful and a delicious grab and go option these muffins are going to be one you don’t want to just make in the spring, but all year long!
Why make this Recipe
- Moist and Flavorful: The oil, shredded carrots, and brown sugar makes these muffins so soft and moist. They’re bursting with cinnamon and nutmeg which add such a nice spice flavor in every bite!
- Easy to Make: A few simple ingredients, and a few steps, toss them in the oven and you’ve got delicious muffins you’ll want to make every week!
- Good for Breakfast or Dessert: These carrot muffins are so good you’ll want to eat them for every meal. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dessert. You can have them as a grab and go option, or pair them with some eggs and bacon for a full meal.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Carrot Cake Muffin Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder – this plus a few tips help these muffins rise so nicely, to get those perfect bakery style muffin tops.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg + Ginger – A warm mix of spices that give these their classic carrot cake flavor.
- Salt – Always a good way to balance and enhance the sweet flavors.
- Brown Sugar + Granulated Sugar – A mix of sugars to add sweetness, and the best moist texture in the muffins.
- Eggs – Provide structure and moisture in the muffin batter.
- Vegetable Oil – This helps keep the muffins extra moist. You can also use canola oil.
- Buttermilk – Keeps the muffins extra moist.
- Vanilla Extract – I love this in all my baked goods for an extra flavor boost.
- Shredded Carrots – Use freshly shredded carrots to get all their nice moisture and flavor into your muffins.
How to make Carrot Cake Muffins
Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt to a large bowl and whisk them together.
Step 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients. Add the oil and sugars to another bowl and mix them together until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.
Step 3: Make the Muffin Batter. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Add in the carrots and gently fold them into the batter. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for about 15 minutes, while you preheat the oven.
Step 4: Bake the Muffins. Scoop the muffin batter into every other spot of two lined muffin tins, filling them almost all the way to the top. Sprinkle the top of the muffins with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake the muffins for a few minutes at the high temperature, then lower the oven, while keeping the muffins inside and bake until done, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Tips and Tricks
- Room Temperature Ingredients – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature to mix the muffin batter easier, and give your pumpkin muffins a better texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter – To avoid muffins that are dense, mix the ingredients at each step until they are just combined.
- How to get bakery style muffins – I used my friend Beth’s tips for how to get tall muffins, by letting the batter rest for 15 minutes, then only filling every other muffin spot, and filling them to the top (not just 3/4 full). Also by starting with a high temperature to help the muffins rise quickly, then lowering it so they don’t over bake. These will get you tall muffins like pictured.
- Add Mix Ins – If desired add in chopped nuts, raisins, golden raisins, coconut, or chocolate chips to give the muffins extra texture and flavor in every bite. Add up to 1 cup of mix ins.
Storage Instructions
Store the muffins in a container at room temperature for up to 3 or 4 days. Line the bottom of the container with a few paper towels to soak up the excess moisture that the muffins let out as they sit.
You can also freeze the muffins by freezing them on a pan for about 1 hour until frozen solid, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and place a few in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before enjoying again, or I like to microwave for a few seconds to enjoy warm!
These Carrot Cake Muffins are one of my favorite things to make in the spring, with their soft and tender texture and sweet flavor. I feel like I get to eat dessert for breakfast. Sometimes I sneak a little cream cheese frosting on top of them too. Shh, I won’t tell if you don’t.
More Muffin Recipes
Carrot Cake Muffins
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (softened)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups freshly grated carrots
Instructions
For the Muffins:
- In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp baking powder1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- In another bowl mix together the oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. 1/2 cup vegetable oil , 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, stirring until combined, then stir in the buttermilk, and vanilla extract. 2 eggs, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tsp vanilla
- Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, until just combined.
- Gently fold in the carrots. 2 cups freshly grated carrots
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two muffin pans with muffin liners in every other spot. While the oven is preheating, let the muffin batter sit aside for 15 minutes.
- Scoop muffin batter into each muffin spot, dividing it evenly between the 12 muffin spots, filling them almost to the top.
- Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sanding sugar if desired.
- Bake the muffins for 7 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for another 13 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center of the muffins and comes out clean, or mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully twist and transfer the muffins to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature to mix the muffin batter easier, and give your pumpkin muffins a better texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter – To avoid muffins that are dense, mix the ingredients at each step until they are just combined.
- How to get bakery style muffins – I used my friend Beth’s tips for how to get tall muffins, by letting the batter rest for 15 minutes, then only filling every other muffin spot, and filling them to the top (not just 3/4 full). Also by starting with a high temperature to help the muffins rise quickly, then lowering it so they don’t over bake. These will get you tall muffins like pictured.
- Add Mix-Ins – Feel free to toss in 1 cup of mix ins like chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried cranberries for extra flavor and texture.
Nutrition
Healthy carrot cake muffins, like eating carrot cake but in a muffin.
Mom writer here. I know you haven’t seen much of me lately. Perhaps I have been too busy, too distracted, too lazy or too uninspired. But today I have a wonderful muffin recipe for you. It took inspiration from Martha Stewart Everyday Food that I borrowed from my friend Shelby. This little booklet had 1 basic muffin recipe with several add in suggestions. They all sounded really, really good and I actually had the ingredients for them and I discovered also that I had the time this last Saturday morning. I hope you have time too because my family loved these and once you prepare and bake them I think you will want to do it all over again.
The recipe says it makes 12 muffins, if I had the space on my muffin tin I could have made 14. It also mentions to fill your cupcake liner to the top, don’t worry it won’t overflow when baking because they do not raise much, if at all. It does take a little bit of time during the preparation with grating the carrots, chopping the pecans and raisins and in my case the pineapple needed to be cut smaller too. If you don’t think you have the time in the morning this all can be completely ahead of time and stored for use when you are ready to bake.
Also Aimee is the photographer here, so my pictures are not pretty like hers but I do have pictures to share with you so you can get a feel for the muffins. So here we go.
Carrot Cake Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all purposed baking mix (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs (slightly beaten)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup grated carrots
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup crushed pineapple
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 standard muffins cups with paper liners.
- Whisk together baking mix and sugar.
- In a large bowl, whisk together applesauce, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
- Fold in dry mixture until just combined.
- Gently add carrots, raisins, pineapple, and pecans.
- Divide batter evenly among cups, filling to the brim.
- Bake until toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Eat.
- If there are any left over, store in an airtight container up to 3 days.
michelle says
why is mixture so watery looking.
aimeeberrett says
Are you making these muffins now or looking at the pixtures, Michelle? Batters for sweet breads like this are usually thin like a cake batter, not like a bread dough. But I’m sorry if it is too thin for you, try adding a little extra bisquick/baking mix… ?
Amber Brady says
Hooray for coming to my party! 🙂 I love carrot cake anything, so these sound fabulous! Thanks for sharing at Sweet & Savory Saturdays #13.
~Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
Love a Carrot Cake Muffin. This one is definitely getting pinned for future reference!
Cathy says
These look good! New follower!
Come party with APIMP!
I would love for you to share and link up at my TGIF Link Party.
Hugs, Cathy