Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Swirl

5 from 2 votes

Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Swirl

Everything you love about carrot cake in muffin form. Tender, sweet, spiced & packed with carrots these muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch and any spring holiday.

Prep Time20

Cook Time18

Total Time40

Servings: muffins

Author: Sam Maccini

Equipment

muffin tin

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour 275g
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup sugar 157g
½ cup brown sugar 91g
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs room temperature
½ cup melted coconut oil 100g
2 cups grated/shredded fresh carrot* 203g

Cream Cheese Swirl

4 oz cream cheese
1 tablespoon maple syrup, honey or brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners & set aside.
Whisk the dry ingredients: in a small bowl whisk together the flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda until well combined.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine both sugars and mix until no brown sugar clumps remain. Break any big clumps up with your hands! Add vanilla, eggs and coconut oil. Whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until ALMOST combined. We don't wan to over mix. Fold in the grated carrots to finish the batter. It is a nice, thick batter! Make your cream cheese swirl in a separate small bowl.
Microwave cream cheese in a separate, microwave safe bowl 20-30 seconds and add sweetener of choice (I love maple here, but equally love honey or brown sugar with these flavors). Mix until combined. It will be soft and melty.
Fill the muffin tin: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Add only half of the batter if using cream cheese. Dollop some cream cheese in each muffin tin and then top with the other half of the batter. I like to use a 2tbs cookie scoop as my scooper. It will take 4 tbs or so to fill the tin.
Bake at 350°F for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may also top with some coarse sugar for texture before baking.
Let muffins cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

How to Store:

In the fridge: store these carrot cake muffins on the counter in an airtight container for a day, then transfer them to the fridge for up to 4-5 days. If using coarse sugar, often it will soften a little bit after 24 hours in a ziploc or air tight container. Make sure the muffins are completely cooled before containing them.

Freezer: Allow them to cool completely after baking, then place them in an airtight container or reusable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, you can microwave them for 45 seconds-1 minute or until warm or baking them at 325 until heated through.

Nutrition