Tender and moist Carrot Muffins are the perfect way to start the day. They are filled with grated carrots, applesauce, and cinnamon, and they can be topped with a smear of cream cheese frosting or served plain – either way, they’re delicious!
Our carrot cake obsession continues. We’ve shared Carrot Cake Cookies, Pumpkin Carrot Cake, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, and Healthy Carrot Cake. But, it’s time we have carrot cake for breakfast. Don’t you agree? Carrot Muffins it is!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ease: The muffin batter comes together in under 20 minutes without an electric mixer.
Flavor: The classic flavors of carrot cake! Sweet muffins with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Options to add walnuts or orange zest.
Texture: Grated carrots and applesauce help to make these muffins soft and moist.
Versatility: Looking for a slightly healthier muffin? Try the ingredient swaps mentioned below. Want them a bit more indulgent? Top wit our small batch of cream cheese frosting.
Recipe overview
Muffins:
Combine the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, leavening, and salt.
Whisk the wet ingredients: oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and applesauce.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Add grated carrots and stir until combined.
Scoop the batter into muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Cream cheese frosting (optional):
This small batch of frosting makes just enough for a smear of frosting on top of each muffin. If you’d prefer a more generous amount of frosting, feel free to double the frosting portion of the recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Flavorings: vanilla, cinnamon, or orange zest
Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and the flavoring of your choice and beat until smooth and combined. Spread the frosting onto the tops of each muffin using a butter knife or small offset spatula.
Recipe tips
- Grate the carrots using the small holes of a box grater. Grating the carrots fine allows them to soften and almost melt into the cake while it’s baking.
- To properly measure flour: Fluff the flour with your measuring cup, scoop a heaping portion, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- For a more prominent cinnamon flavor, add extra cinnamon (up to 2 teaspoons total) or use cinnamon flavored applesauce in the muffin batter.
- Flavor your cream cheese frosting with either vanilla, cinnamon, or orange zest. All three flavors pair great with the muffins.
Healthier options
If you’d like to make a few ingredient swaps to make these muffins “healthier” you can do any of the following:
- Reduce the sugar to ½ cup
- Use a heart healthy oil (like olive oil)
- Swap half of the all purpose flour for white whole wheat flour
- Omit the frosting
- Add ¼ cup chopped walnuts into the muffin batter
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Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour , see note*
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon , increase to 2 teaspoons, if desired
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-½ cups FINELY grated carrots, loosely measured, not packed (about 2 medium-large carrots)
Frosting:
- 2 ounces cream cheese , softened to cool room temp
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened to cool room temp
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more, if needed
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or finely grated zest of ½ a small orange
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts, optional garnish
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 10-12 paper liners or grease the muffin cups. Set aside.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk oil, applesauce, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Add dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until almost fully combined. Stir in carrots.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ full (depending on how large your muffin cups are you will fill between 10 and 12 muffin cups). Bake for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt until combined. Add powdered sugar and flavoring of choice and beat until well combined (starting the mixer slow then increasing the speed). Add a bit more powdered sugar to thicken, if necessary. This frosting can also be placed in the fridge for 15 minutes or so to thicken up. Use a butter knife or small offset spatula to frost the top of each muffin. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Carol
This recipe is the bomb, first time I made them they were fantastic! I am making them right now as I’m typing this…love them! Thank you!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Farrah
Love these, they turned out super yummy. My whole life i wasnt much of a cream cheese frosting person, but last couple of months ive been eating it. And now i made this frosting. Im happy with outcome. I used grated orange zest,so good. Thank you for the recipe. I love it❤️
Allison
Great idea to add orange zest! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂
Jan
Have tried this recipe three times and each has turned out nice and moist and light. I get eleven largish muffins out of this recipe. The last batch I added a half tspn of ginger and a quater tspn nutmeg and a handful of chopped walnuts. These haven’t cooled enought to try yet but they feel nice and light .
Allison
Thanks for the kind review. Enjoy!
Cara Lisica
Made the carrot muffins for my family. What a hit! Moist and tasty. Delicious!
Allison
Thanks for the kind review. I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Joanne Morrison
These are excellent moist muffins. I made mini muffins and they were a great hit with the grandkids. Recipe makes 30 minis. Very good!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Erin
These were moist and delicious! Will definitely be making again.
Natalie
It’s carrot season, and I can’t wait to make these carrot muffins. They look fantastic. Love added applesauce for moist texture. Thanks. I will bake them tomorrow.
Wendy
Just made these muffins with the grandkids and the smell delectable and look very fluffy! Kids said thumbs up!!! That means they are delicious! 😊
Allison
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by!
Audrey-Anne E
Delicious!! Instead of the frosting, I add almonds on top.
Allison
Yum! Glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Jenny
Absolutely love these muffins, I have been making these muffins for the past few months using fresh carrots from my garden. They are SO GOOD 😊
Barbara
Love the recipe for carrot cake muffins especially the batter.
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them!