Carrot Cake Muffins

Cream cheese? Check.

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The carrot cake of my dreams is three plush layers sandwiched with silky smooth cream cheese frosting. . . but these days I’m often looking for a carrot cake experience that’s a little more weekday friendly and a little less decadent, and that’s where these carrot cake muffins come in. Crowned with a crunchy crumble and cream cheese drizzle, these muffins are packing everything we love about the OG layer cake in a hand-held snack.

Everyone has their own specific preferences when it comes to carrot cake mix-ins. I love mine with toasty chopped pecans and jammy raisins, but if that’s not your vibe, feel free to improvise. As long as you keep the volume of mix-ins the same (¾ cup nuts and ½ cup hydrated dried fruit), you should be just fine!

Possibly controversial: I avoid muffin liners whenever possible. Yes, they allow for easy removal and clean-up, but they also prevent the muffin from actually caramelizing against the pan and creating that gorgeous crisp browned crust on the sides and bottom . . . and they cheat us of precious muffin that inevitably sticks to the liner. Not using liners can make it trickier to remove the muffins from the pan in one piece, but greasing the tins well, letting the muffins cool slightly (but not too much!) before removing, and using an offset will typically do the trick.

Like any great oil-based cake, these carrot cake muffins keep very well. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5. You can also freeze them, without the cream cheese drizzle, in an airtight bag for up to 1 month.

Enjoy!

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Carrot Cake Muffins

(Makes 12)

Prep/MixingTime: 45 minutes

Baking time: 22 minutes

Ingredients

For the Muffins

Nonstick cooking spray

½ cup (70 g.) raisins 

2 cups (240 g.) all-purpose flour, divided

½ plus ⅓ cup (166 g.) light brown sugar, divided

¾ cup plus ⅓ cup (130 g.) pecans, toasted and roughly chopped, divided

¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided (I used Diamond Crystal)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs 

⅔ cup (132 g.) vegetable oil

½ cup (100 g.) granulated sugar  

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups (142 g.) grated carrots

For the Cream Cheese Drizzle

⅓ cup (40 g.) confectioners’ sugar 

4 tablespoons (57 g., ¼ block) cream cheese, softened

¼ teaspoon kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal)

1-2 tablespoons whole milk

Equipment: small bowl, flexible spatula, large bowl, whisk, 12-well muffin pan,

Instructions

For the Muffins

1. Arrange a rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin well with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners.

2. In a small pot, combine raisins and ¼ cup water. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat; cover and let the raisins hydrate in the warm water for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, make the crumb. In a medium bowl, stir together ½ cup (60 g.) flour, ⅓ cup (66 g.) brown sugar, ⅓ cup (40 g.) chopped pecans, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. The crumb mixture should be moist but break apart easily. Set crumbs aside.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, remaining ½ cup (100 g.) brown sugar, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt until completely combined. Whisk in baking powder and baking soda, stirring well for at least 30 seconds.

5. Using a flexible rubber spatula, fold in the flour until mostly combined. Add grated carrots, reserved raisins, and remaining pecans and fold in until evenly distributed.  

6. Divide the muffin batter evenly between the muffin wells (65-70 gram each) and crumble the crumb mixture evenly over top.

7. Bake until risen and a tester comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Let rest in the muffin tin until slightly cool, then use an offset spatula to slide around the edges and gently remove.

8.  Transfer muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.

For the Cream Cheese Drizzle

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, and salt until totally smooth.

2. Add 1 tablespoon milk and stir until combined, then add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until a thick drizzling consistency forms.

3. Drizzle cream cheese glaze over the muffins. (You can also transfer the glaze to a small piping bag and pipe if you prefer.) Let the glaze dry before serving, or serve immediately, if you don’t mind sticky fingers!