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Carrot Cake Muffins are full of healthy carrots and raisins and baked until moist and tender. Perfect for breakfast or as an after school snack, these delicious muffins are a family favorite.
I am always looking for snacks to have on hand when my kids announce they are hungry. Muffins are great for that moment when hunger strikes! I always have muffins in my freezer, ready to go, like Lemon Blueberry Muffins, Banana Bran Muffins and Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins.
These carrot cake muffins are one of my daughter’s favorites, in fact she is the one who perfected this recipe! She tested it for you three times, so you know it’s going to be good.
We like to spread a little butter on them, or drizzle with a little honey. If you want something sweeter and more dessert-like, you can top them with a simple icing like we did for these Cranberry Muffins, or spread some Cream Cheese Frosting on top and enjoy them more like cupcakes.
How do you shred carrots for muffins?
Pre-shredded carrots are great for adding to salads, but they are not great for baking. I recommend you shred fresh carrots for my carrot cake muffin recipe. Pre-shredded will not have the moisture content necessary and you’ll end up with chunks of carrot in your muffins. Not the most pleasant thing.
There are two methods you can use, and it depends on whether you want to do it super quick, or have less dishes to wash.
- Grate them by hand. This is usually how we do it. Use your regular cheese grater and grate the carrots (you don’t even have to peel them).
- Use a food processor with the grater attachment. This is most useful if you’re shredding a lot of carrots for a double batch or planning to freeze some for later.
How to make Carrot Cake Muffins
Make the batter. Mix together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. In another bowl, mix together shredded carrots, sugar, eggs and oil. Then mix the two together, just until combined. Stop mixing when the last bits of flour disappear.
Gently fold the raisins and pecans into the batter. It will be lumpy and that’s fine.
Prep a 12-count muffin pan (grease the pan or use paper liners) and divide the batter into the cups. I like to use an ice cream scoop to equally divide the batter and fill the cups about 2/3 full. This recipe will make a dozen carrot cake muffins.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed. You can also test with a toothpick that, when inserted, comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Cool carrot cake muffins completely then store in resealable plastic bags or airtight containers at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Freezing: Once muffins are cool, store in plastic freezer bags, squeezing out as much air as possible, or in freezer safe containers for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature and enjoy within 1 day of defrosting.
Carrot Cake Muffins Tips and Tricks
- Mix by hand in order to avoid over-mixing.
- You can omit the raisins and nuts if you prefer, and you can also add chopped walnuts. I used regular raisins but golden would be a sweet addition.
- Serve muffins with a little butter or softened cream cheese spread and a drizzle of honey. Or drizzle the tops with a little bit of icing or cream cheese frosting.
More Muffin Recipes to Try
- Sour Cream Banana Muffins
- Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Muffins
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- French Toast Cinnamon Roll Pull Apart Muffins
- Baked Egg Muffins
Carrot Cake Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded carrots
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ¼ cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, Blend together carrots, sugar, egg and oil. Add to the flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Stir in raisins.
- Spray 12-count muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon batter into muffin pan, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 (12-15) minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve warm, plain or spread with butter and honey.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Just took them out of the oven and they smell amazing! You need to add “ginger” in step 2. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Thank you for pointing that out. So glad you enjoyed the recipe – It’s a family favorite!