Carrot Cake Muffins
These tender carrot cake muffins bring the warm spices, grated carrots, raisins, and walnuts of classic carrot cake into an easy muffin tin bake. They are sweet enough to feel like a treat, but simple enough for a make-a
- Total time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 12 muffins
- Difficulty
- Easy
Prep 20mCook 20mAmericanBaking
Carrot cake muffins are a friendly bake for mornings, lunch boxes, or afternoon coffee. They have the cozy flavor of carrot cake, without stacking layers or making frosting.
Finely grated carrots keep the crumb moist, while applesauce lightens the batter and adds gentle sweetness. Walnuts give crunch, and raisins add little chewy pockets in every bite.
The key is to mix the batter just until the flour disappears. A few small lumps are fine. Overmixing can make muffins tough instead of soft.
01What you'll need
Ingredients
16 items · 12 muffins
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (110 g)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 g)
- 1/2 cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, lightly packed (about 165 g)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup raisins
02How to make it
Step-by-step
1. Heat the oven
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners, or grease the cups lightly with oil or nonstick spray.
2. Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Whisking spreads the leaveners evenly so the muffins rise well.
3. Mix the wet ingredients
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth and glossy. Make sure any lumps of brown sugar are broken up.
4. Combine the batter
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir with a spatula just until you no longer see dry flour. Do not beat the batter; gentle mixing keeps the muffins tender.
5. Fold in the carrots
Add the grated carrots, walnuts, and raisins. Fold them in gently, which means turning the batter over itself with a spatula until the add-ins are evenly spread.
6. Fill the muffin pan
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Each cup will be about three-quarters full. A cookie scoop makes this neat, but a spoon works too.
7. Bake until set
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
8. Cool before serving
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Cooling on a rack keeps the bottoms from steaming and turning soggy.
03From our kitchen
Cook's tips
- Make-ahead: Grate the carrots up to 1 day ahead. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If they release liquid, stir it back in rather than squeezing them dry.
- Storage: Keep cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Warm refrigerated muffins for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave if you like them soft.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled muffins in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, or microwave one muffin in short bursts until warm.
- Carrot tip: Use the small holes on a box grater for finely grated carrots. Large shreds can stay firm and make the muffins feel stringy.
- Nut-free swap: Leave out the walnuts, or replace them with an equal amount of pumpkin seeds if seeds are okay for your household.
- Raisin swap: Use dried cranberries, chopped dates, or skip the dried fruit. If skipping raisins, the muffins will be a little less sweet but still moist.
Cook's note
These muffins are written as an unfrosted breakfast-style bake. For a more dessert-like version, spread cooled muffins with a little cream cheese frosting, but note that this will change the nutrition.
04Frequently asked
Questions & answers
Can I use pre-shredded carrots from the store?
Freshly grated carrots are better here. Bagged shredded carrots are usually thicker and drier, so they do not soften as well in the short baking time.
Can I make these carrot cake muffins without raisins?
Yes. Simply leave them out, or replace them with chopped dates, dried cranberries, or extra walnuts. The muffins will still bake in the same amount of time.
Why did my muffins turn out dense?
Dense muffins are often caused by overmixing or using too much flour. Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off, or weigh 180 grams for the most accurate result. Stir only until the dry streaks disappear.
Can I make mini carrot cake muffins?
Yes. Grease or line a mini muffin pan and bake at 375°F for about 10 to 13 minutes. Start checking early because mini muffins dry out faster.
Can I add frosting or a glaze?
You can. A simple cream cheese glaze or a light dusting of powdered sugar works well once the muffins are completely cool. Add it just before serving for the neatest finish.
05Per serving
Nutrition facts
Nutrition Facts
12 muffins
Amount per serving
% Daily Value*
- Total Fat13 g
- 17%
- Saturated Fat1 g
- 5%
- Cholesterol31 mg
- 10%
- Sodium215 mg
- 9%
- Total Carbohydrate33 g
- 12%
- Dietary Fiber2 g
- 7%
- Total Sugars19 g
- Protein4 g
- 8%
- Vitamin D0.2 mcg
- 1%
- Calcium47 mg
- 4%
- Iron1.2 mg
- 7%
- Potassium148 mg
- 3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
05Keep cooking
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