Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot Cake Muffins are perfect for spring and taste just like the dessert, but are made with healthy ingredients! Enjoy these flavorful spiced muffins topped with cream cheese frosting for a special weekend breakfast or brunch!

It’s April and that means it’s time to start thinking about Easter. Over the next couple weeks I’ll be sharing a few recipes for your Easter celebrations starting with these Carrot Cake Muffins topped with cream cheese frosting! Aside from the cream cheese frosting, these muffins are actually pretty healthy and their flavor is exactly like that of the actual cake.

I’ve always been a lover of carrot cake or anything carrot cake inspired. I have several recipes you should try out if you are too. This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal, clearly a winner for breakfast. For dessert I recommend these Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies, an oldie, but a goodie!

When it comes to carrot cake there are those who want the raisins added in and those that take a hard pass. I love raisins so it’s a requirement in mine. Another touchy subject is nuts. Walnuts are the traditional nut used in carrot cake, but that’s the one nut I’m not a big fan of. They always taste bitter to me. I’d much rather add toasted pecans to mine which is what I used in these carrot cake muffins. 

To keep the muffins on the healthy side, so we can slather them with the cream cheese frosting, I made them with whole wheat flour, replaced some of the oil with Greek yogurt and used maple syrup as the sweetener. Of course not using a refined sugar goes out the window if you choose to eat them with the cream cheese frosting. It’s all about balance, right?

These carrot cake muffins use a generous amount of shredded carrots, two cups to be exact. If we’re making a carrot cake inspired recipe, the carrots better be the star. Plus, you can feel good knowing your having a vegetable included in your breakfast. If you haven’t picked up on some of the sarcasm in the paragraphs above, here’s your hint. 

Sarcasm aside, if you choose to skip the frosting, they are a wholesome, delicious muffin to have for breakfast. Even if you don’t skip the frosting, this isn’t like the half butter, half cream cheese, 10 pounds of sugar frosting that you find on the cake. Go ahead, treat yourself!

More Carrot Cake Inspired Recipes

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Oatmeal Carrot Cake Bread

Carrot Cake Smoothie

Carrot Cake Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

Muffins

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk milk
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup toasted pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces low fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. and line a standard muffin pan with liners.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak while you prepare the muffin batter.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the grated carrots to the mixture and stir together.
4. In a smaller bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and fold together just until combined. Drain the water from the raisins and add them to the batter along with the pecans. Stir until just combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins on a wire rack.
6. While the muffins are cooling, whisk together the ingredients for the cream cheese frosting until smooth. Top the muffins with the frosting or serve it on the side.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 297mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 7g