These Carrot Cake Muffins are the perfect combination of moist, flavorful carrot cake and tangy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or as a sweet treat any time. No fork required!
We love freshly baked muffins around here! More favorites include my Spectacular Blueberry Muffins and Apple Coffee Cake Muffins.
These yummy carrot cake inspired muffins are packed with grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and warm spices to create wonderfully moist muffins with great texture.
The recipe bakes a perfect dozen of these big, beautiful muffins. They are slightly larger than your average muffin and absolutely delicious. Using a little applesauce helps reduce the total amount of oil used and crushed pineapple adds natural sweetness.
A rich cream cheese frosting studded with finely chopped walnuts absolutely nails the carrot cake flavor.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
For the Muffins
- All-purpose flour – Spooned and leveled.
- Sugar – A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Baking soda
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, sand salt.
- Crushed pineapple – A small can of crushed pineapple in 100% juice (not syrup).
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Vegetable oil
- Large eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Carrots – You want to use freshly grated carrots for this recipe. Don’t be tempted to buy bagged, pre-shredded carrots which are too thick and dry to work well.
- Golden raisins – For classic carrot cake flavor.
- Walnuts – I love the texture and flavor from finely chopped walnuts. You can leave them out, if you’d like.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese – I use ⅓ less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel) cream cheese but you can use regular cream cheese for an even richer result.
- Butter – Softened.
- Powdered sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Milk – Just a small amount to thin the frosting a little.
- Walnuts – I like to top the frosting with some finely chopped walnuts.
Pro Tip
To grate your carrots, use the small shredding side of a box grater to produce fine shreds that work perfectly for baking.
How to Make Carrot Cake Muffins
- Dry Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set the bowl aside.
- Wet Ingredients – In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pineapple, applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Combine – Add the pineapple mixture to the dry mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened (don’t overmix) Fold in the carrots, walnuts, and raisins.
- Bake – Divide the batter evenly between lined or greased muffin wells in a 12-cup muffin pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Line your muffin pan with foil or paper liners or coat the wells generously with nonstick cooking spray before adding the muffin batter.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat until well combine. Add the milk and beat again until smooth and creamy.
- Use a spoon or piping bag to swirl a small amount of the frosting on top of each muffin. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate – Since Carrot Cake Muffins have a cream cheese frosting, they should be stored in the refrigerator. A rectangular cake pan with an airtight lid or a cupcake pan is the best way to store frosted muffins and cupcakes without disturbing the frosting. Refrigerated muffins will stay fresh and tasty for up to 4 days.
Freeze – Unfrosted Carrot Cake Muffins can be frozen, for longer storage. To freeze, wrap them individually in plastic wrap then place them in a freezer bag. This way, you can defrost just as many as you’d like and keep the rest frozen. Be sure to label the bag with the date and use the muffins within 3 months.
More Delicious Muffin Recipes
- Raspberry Dark Chocolate Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Oatmeal Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips
- Glazed Strawberry Muffins
- Best Bran Muffins
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Carrot Cake Muffins
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups finely grated carrots
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts, optional
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces ⅓ less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon milk
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts, or as needed
Instructions
Carrot Cake Muffins
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil baking cups or coat the wells of the muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set the bowl aside.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pineapple, applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Add the pineapple mixture to the dry mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened (don't overmix) Fold in the carrots, walnuts, and raisins. Divide the batter between the prepared baking cups (cups will be about ¾ full).
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Walnut Frosting
- Add the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the milk and beat again.
- Use a spoon or piping bag to pipe a small amount of the frosting on top of each muffin. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
