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Moist Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

Close-up of a carrot cake muffin with a bite taken out, showing shredded carrots and thick cream cheese frosting.
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A recipe for easy, moist carrot cake muffins featuring classic spices and topped with a simple cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

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  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
  • For Frosting: 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • For Frosting: 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • For Frosting: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • For Frosting: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing only until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  5. Fold in the grated carrots and nuts, if using.
  6. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
  7. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. To make the frosting: Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until the frosting is light and fluffy.
  9. Once the muffins are completely cool, spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting onto the tops of the muffins.

Notes

  • For a quicker preparation, you can use pre-shredded carrots, but freshly grated carrots yield a moister muffin.
  • If you prefer a crumb topping instead of frosting, mix 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons cold butter until crumbly, then sprinkle over the batter before baking.
  • These carrot cake muffins freeze well. Store cooled, unfrosted muffins in an airtight container for up to three months.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://hungryhearld.com/carrot-cake-muffins-recipe/