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Moist and tender Carrot Cake Muffins have all the flavor of the classic dessert, in a more respectable breakfast form. They’re much easier to make too!
Now, I’ve been known to enjoy a slice of cake for breakfast the day after a holiday or party. No shame in my game. But it’s not an everyday occurrence, because part of being an adult is drawing that line between “a fun once in a while breakfast” and “I no longer fit into my jeans because I’m having cake every morning.” And that’s where these carrot cake muffins come in!
They’re perfectly sweet, moist, and packed with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. And like traditional carrot cake, they’re loaded with shredded carrots, which not only add some natural sweetness but also give you a little boost of nutrients to start your day.
Rather than slathering the tops of these muffins with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting (I’ll save that for the carrot cake cupcakes), I add a crumbly streusel topping that adds more cozy flavor (cinnamon!) and some crunchy and nuttiness thanks to chopped pecans.
Whether you make these for brunch or a weekday grab-and-go breakfast, they will be a HIT!
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Muffins
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this recipe. For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Carrots – Washed, peeled, and finely grated. Can’t make carrot cake muffins without shredding a few carrots!
- All-purpose flour – Lightly spoon this into your measuring cup; don’t scoop it or you’ll use more than you need.
- Sugar – I use a combination of granulated and light brown sugar.
- Baking powder and baking soda – For lift.
- Cozy spices – Ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- Kosher salt – Enhances the overall flavor of the muffins.
- Butter – Melted to add richness and moisture.
- Eggs – Binds the ingredients together and provides structure.
- Greek yogurt – This adds a slight tanginess and keeps the muffins moist. You can substitute with sour cream if preferred.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the flavor with a warm, sweet aroma.
- Almond extract – Adds a delicate, delectable flavor. This is optional, but definitely add it if you have it on hand!
- Half and half – Adds creaminess and richness to the carrot cake muffins.
- Golden raisins – If you’re a raisin hater, you can leave these out.
How to Make Carrot Cake Muffins
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for full printable instructions.
- Prepare. Line your muffin tins with paper liners or coat with them with nonstick spray and dust them with flour. Wash, peel, and finely grate the carrots.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the butter, eggs, yogurt, vanilla, almond extract, carrots, and half and half.
- Finish the batter. Stir the wet mixture with the dry ingredients, then fold in the raisins, cover, and let rest at room temperature for up to 1 hour.
- Make the streusel. Mix the flour, sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt. Add butter and combine until clumpy. Chill until you’re ready to use it.
- Bake. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Fill the muffin pans 1/4 full with batter and bake for 8 minutes.
- Add the streusel. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of streusel over each muffin. Bake 10 minutes more, reduce heat to 350°F, and bake an additional 8–10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Finish. Cool the muffins in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins directly onto the rack to finish cooling.
Tips for Making Carrot Cake Muffins
Here are some tips to ensure your carrot cake muffins turn out perfect!
- Don’t over-mix the muffin batter. Over-mixing the batter will result in tough, dense muffins. We don’t want that! Mix just until all ingredients are combined.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Allow your eggs, half-and-half, and yogurt to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using them in the recipe. This will help them incorporate better into the batter.
- Grate your own carrots. While it may be tempting to buy pre-grated carrots, grating them yourself will give a finer shred which mixes more smoothly into the batter.
Variations and Substitutions
Below are some creative ideas to customize this recipe and make it your own.
- Add a glaze. Drizzle a simple glaze on top of your muffins for an extra touch of sweetness. Try the glaze from my Maple Glazed Pumpkin Bread.
- Soak your raisins in rum. Level up your raisins by soaking them in warm spiced rum for a few hours before making the recipe. They’ll get plump and juicy—and you can still use the rum for a cocktail afterwards. Win!
- Make them gluten-free. You can easily make these muffins with a gluten-free flour blend. Make sure you buy a 1:1 all-purpose flour substitute.
How to Store Leftovers
Let your carrot cake muffins cool completely, then place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, you can freeze the muffins. Simply wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, leave them at room temperature or warm them up in the microwave.
What to Serve With Carrot Cake Muffins
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Carrot Cake Muffin Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer
- muffin pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely grated carrots, washed and peeled
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup greek yogurt, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup half and half, room temperature
- ¾ cup golden raisins
For the Streusel
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- ¾ tsp. cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Instructions
- Line 16 standard sized muffin tins with cupcake liners or coat with cooking spray and dust lightly with flour.
- Wash, peel and grate the carrots using the fine holes on a box grater. Set the grated carrots aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl to combine thoroughly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, almond extract, grated carrots and half and half.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined being careful not to over mix. Add the raisins and fold into the batter. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour.
- While the batter rests, make the streusel. Stir together flour, sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter, and use a fork to mix together butter is evenly incorporated and mixture clumps together into small pieces smaller than a pea. Cover and chill until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 425˚f.
- Fill the muffin tins about 1/4 of the way full with the batter mixture and bake for 8 minutes. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter, about 1 1/2 tablespoons in each cup.
- Transfer the muffins to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the heat to 350˚F and bake for an additional 8-10 or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes then transfer directly to the wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
