Carrot Cake in Muffin Form
These carrot cake muffins have everything I want in carrot cake, just in a muffin. They’re soft and moist with plenty of shredded carrots, warm spices, chopped walnuts, and a cream cheese filling tucked into the center. A buttery crumble on top gives them a little extra texture.
When I was testing the cream cheese filling, I tried it with an egg yolk but preferred using a whole egg. The filling was a little thicker than I wanted, so I increased the cream cheese slightly to make it softer and creamier once baked.
I love that you get the cream cheese and carrot cake combo without having to frost anything. They’re just as good with a cup of coffee as they are when you want something sweet later in the day.
Recipe Ingredients
- Carrots: Finely grate fresh carrots so they soften into the muffins and distribute evenly throughout the batter.
- Sour cream: Adds moisture and richness without making the batter too thin.
- Walnuts: Add a little crunch throughout the muffins. Chop them fairly small so you don’t get large pieces in the crumb.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat block cream cheese and let it soften before mixing the filling.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the muffins soft and moist even after they’ve cooled.
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give the muffins their carrot cake flavor.
- Brown and granulated sugar: Using both gives you moisture from the brown sugar while keeping the muffins from becoming too heavy.
How to Make Carrot Cake Muffins
Make the crumble.
Stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbs form. Refrigerate the crumble while you make the filling and batter.
Prepare the cream cheese filling.
Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the egg, sugar, and vanilla.
Make the carrot cake batter.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, sour cream, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in the carrots and walnuts, then fold in the dry ingredients just until combined.
⭐Recipe Tip
Use freshly grated carrots instead of pre-shredded carrots. They have more moisture and soften as the muffins bake, helping keep the muffins moist and tender.
Fill the muffins.
Add about half of the carrot cake batter to the muffin cups. Spoon the cream cheese filling into the centers, then cover with the remaining batter. Finish each muffin with the chilled crumble.
Bake the muffins.
Bake until the tops are golden and the muffins are set, then let them cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack.
⭐Recipe Tip
Check the muffin, not the filling: To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the muffin portion rather than the cream cheese center. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
Equipment
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
Ingredients
Crumble topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cream cheese filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 large egg
- 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Carrot cake muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups finely grated carrots
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the crumble. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbs form. Refrigerate while you prepare the muffins.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the egg, sugar, and vanilla and beat until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the carrots and walnuts.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until just combined.
- Divide half of the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Spoon the cream cheese filling into the center of each muffin, then top with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the chilled crumble evenly over the tops.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 18–20 minutes, or until the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Video
Notes
- Carrots: Finely grate the carrots so they soften into the muffins as they bake.
- Don’t overmix: Fold the dry ingredients in just until you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Checking for doneness: Insert the toothpick into the cake portion rather than through the cream cheese center.
- Storage: Because of the cream cheese filling, store the cooled muffins covered in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Best Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once the dry ingredients go in, fold just until combined to keep the muffins tender.
- Let the cream cheese soften. It will blend more smoothly with the egg and give you a more even filling.
- Chill the crumble. Keeping it cold while you make the batter helps the crumbs hold their shape during baking.
Storage
Let the carrot cake muffins cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can enjoy them chilled or let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
