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Carrot Cake Muffin Recipe

Cream cheese topped carrot cake muffins on a small silver cooling rack. Carrots, eggs, a white bowl and blue and white plates are in the background.
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5 from 1 review

Moist carrot cake muffins topped with a sweet streusel and a cream cheese glaze drizzle.

  • Author: Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Total Time: 33 minutes
  • Yield: 9-10 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Streusel topping:

  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp butter, cold

Carrot cake muffins:

  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups carrot, freshly shredded

Cream cheese glaze:

  • 2 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk (any kind)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Streusel:

  1. Combine the ingredients for the streusel in a small bowl. 
  2. Use a pastry cutter or the side of a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
  3. The streusel is ready when all of the dry ingredients are incorporated into the butter and the mixture is chunky.

Carrot cake muffins:

  1. In a bowl, whip the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
  2. Add the vegetable oil and whip on low until combined.
  3. Fold in everything but the carrots until the batter is thick and lump-free.
  4. Add the shredded carrots and fold until evenly distributed.
  5. Generously grease two muffin pans.
  6. Spoon 6 tablespoons of batter into every other cavity.
  7. Top with the streusel.
  8. Bake at 400F for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just cooked crumbs.
  9. Remove the muffins from the oven, gently run a knife around the edge of each, and allow to cool completely before turning them out on a cooling rack.

Cream cheese glaze:

  1. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and continue beating until lump free. It should resemble a thin frosting.
  3. Spoon the glaze into a piping bag, clip a small opening in the end and drizzle over the cooled muffins.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thesimple-sweetlife.com/carrot-cake-muffins/