Carrot Cake Muffins

Total Time Prep: 35 min. Bake: 18 min. + cooling
Yield 12 muffins
Test Kitchen Approved
These moist and fluffy carrot cake muffins are easy and endlessly adaptable. Customize with a plethora of mix-ins, toppings or a glaze to create the perfect muffin.

Ingredients

  • MUFFINS:
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups finely grated carrot
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • GLAZE:
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners; lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. To make the muffins, in a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg; set aside.
  3. In another large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Fold in shredded carrots, raisins and walnuts until combined.
  4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients; stir until flour is moistened and no dry patches remain (do not overmix).
  5. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin liners, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden on the edges. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. To make the glaze, use a handheld electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, buttermilk and vanilla extract until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar; beat on low until the glaze is smooth and creamy, another 2-3 minutes. If the glaze is too thick, add additional buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Drizzle a generous amount of glaze over each cooled muffin.

Nutrition Facts

1 muffin: 302 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated fat), 41mg cholesterol, 295mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate (29g sugars, 2g fiber), 5g protein.

These loaded carrot cake muffins are just bursting with goodness. Each bite bursts with carrots, sweet raisins and chopped walnuts, and a drizzle of tangy cream cheese glaze tops each muffin decadently! —Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Recipe Creator

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