My secret ingredient to make the Best Carrot Cake is adding a can of crushed pineapple, which makes it SO moist with less added sugar. c Best Carrot Cake Recipe I was recently asked if carrots are really in carrot cake – The answer is yes! Hence, the n…
My secret ingredient to make the Best Carrot Cake is adding a can of crushed pineapple, which makes it SO moist with less added sugar. c Best Carrot Cake Recipe I was recently asked if carrots are really in carrot cake – The answer is yes! Hence, the name! This cake also has coconut flakes
This carrot cake muffins recipe is a showstopper! The muffins are moist and spiced, topped with a tangy cream cheese drizzle.
Here’s a muffin recipe you need in your arsenal: carrot cake muffins! These are beautifully moist and spiced, with cozy spices interspersed with pecans and bright strands of carrots. Add a tangy cream cheese glaze to decorate the tops, and it takes them into rockstar territory! This recipe is perfect in the spring, but we like it anytime of year: it’s a hit with friends and family alike!
Ingredients in this carrot cake muffins recipe
This carrot cake muffins recipe takes everything you like about the popular cake and boils it down into muffins. They’re lightly sweet so they’re not too heavy, and drizzled with just a bit of cream cheese icing (instead of the usual generous layers). There’s nothing better than a great muffin, and this one satisfies every bit of a muffin craving. Here’s what you’ll need:
All purpose flour
Brown sugar and granulated sugar
Cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg
Baking powder
Salt
Pecans (or raisins)
Eggs
Applesauce
Vegetable oil
Vanilla extract
Carrots
A few ingredient notes: the applesauce in the muffins keeps them beautifully moist without using more oil. If you love nuts, pecans are the perfect mix-in! You can swap them out for raisins, or you can do both (if you’re a fan of raisins in carrot cake).
For the cream cheese glaze
The best part of these carrot cake muffins? The cream cheese glaze! This glaze is a play on our powdered sugar icing, but using cream cheese instead. Turns out, softened and warmed cream cheese makes an excellent glaze. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Heat the cream cheese. Here you’ll want to heat it so that it becomes very soft and easy to stir. We did it in the microwave, but you can also use a small saucepan and use medium low heat on the stovetop.
Adjust the powdered sugar and/or milk in very small quantities. The goal is a drizzle-able glaze. Powdered sugar can have some variability when you measure it, so you can add a little more if the icing is too thin. Add a bit more milk if the icing is too thick.
Use a fork for drizzling. The best way to drizzle icing on muffins? Use a fork, not a spoon! It makes the best lines as it drizzles off of the tines of the fork.
Mix-ins and variations
Love a great carrot cake? There are loads of variations on carrot cake, and you can work them into these muffins easily. Here are a few more ideas:
Raisins: use ½ cup as noted above
Walnuts: use chopped walnuts instead of pecans
Coconut: add ¼ to ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
Pineapple: add ½ cup chopped canned pineapple in place of ½ cup of the shredded carrots
White chocolate chips: Add another sweet layer with chips
Carrot cake muffins storage
These carrot cake muffins are so delicious, you’ll want to eat them all the day of baking! But this makes a batch of 12, which is probably more than you’ll need. Here are a few notes on storing leftovers:
The muffins last best uniced. If making the muffins in advance, store them un-iced and refrigerated; add the drizzle directly before serving.
Store with a paper towel in the container. The muffins last at room temperature in a sealed container lined with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture, about 2 days if iced or 4 days if un-iced. The glaze becomes soft during storage, but it holds its shape.
Store refrigerated for up to 1 week or more. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Again, the glaze becomes softer during storage but holds up.
You can also freeze the muffins without the glaze. They last up to 3 months frozen.
More carrot recipes
This carrot cake muffins recipe is perfect for spring, Easter, or Mother’s Day brunch, but it also works any time of year. Love making recipes with this orange vegetable? Here are some ideas for carrot recipes:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or add muffin cup papers.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, and kosher salt. Stir in the chopped pecans.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the apple sauce, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in the carrots with a spatula. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until a thick, smooth batter forms.
Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin cups: the cups will be full to the top.
Bake the muffins for 23 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool fully, about 1 hour.
To make the glaze, place the cream cheese in a glass measuring cup or bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds until warm (alternatively, warm it in a small saucepan over medium low heat on the stovetop). Stir in the powdered sugar and milk and mix until a drizzlable glaze forms. Use a fork to drizzle it over the muffins. (If making the muffins in advance, store them un-iced and refrigerated; add the drizzle directly before serving.)
Eat the muffins immediately. Or, store at room temperature in a sealed container lined with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture, about 2 days if iced or 4 days if un-iced. Store refrigerated for up to 1 week or more (allow to come to room temperature before serving). The glaze becomes soft during storage, but it holds its shape. You can also store frozen without glaze for up to 3 months.
Notes
*If you love raisins in a carrot cake, you can use them instead of pecans: or use ½ cup of both!
This carrot cake cupcakes recipe is a smash hit! The moist, spiced cakes are topped with mounds of tangy cream cheese frosting.
Here’s a festive recipe that’s a simpler form of the popular classic cake: Carrot Cake Cupcakes! These little cakes are fun, easy to put together, and overwhelmingly satisfying. The moist, carrot-studded cakes have just the right warm spiced interior. Piled high with tangy cream cheese frosting, the flavor combination is out of this world good. We tested these out on a few friends and neighbors and they all came back with 5 star reviews! They’re ideal for spring, Easter, or anytime you’re craving an impressive treat.
Ingredients in carrot cake cupcakes
Carrot cake cupcakes are much simpler than making a big layered cake. No need to make several round pans, worry about a toppling cake or best practices for icing. Just throw the batter in a muffin tin, and you’re done! Icing is quick and simple with a pastry bag. Here’s what you’ll need for the cake portion of these carrot cake cupcakes:
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Spices: cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
Baking soda
Salt
Eggs
Neutral oil
Unsweetened applesauce: applesauce is the secret ingredient that makes these cupcakes extremely moist!
Carrots: we like to use the large grater holes for substantial chunks of carrots
Tips the cream cheese frosting
The most challenging part of these carrot cake cupcakes? Icing them! There are just a few tips we’ve learned for making the best cream cheese frosting that holds up on a cupcake. Here’s what to know:
Let the butter and cream cheese come to room temperature (1 hour). Sure, it’s annoying to remember. But it’s absolutely crucial for the right texture, here. We’ve messed it up with butter that’s too cold. Place them on the counter and it should take 1 hour for both to come to room temperature.
Sift the powdered sugar. To ensure the best icing quality, sift the powdered sugar through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl before using it. This removes any lumps.
Pipe with a pastry bag. Pastry bags may seem daunting at first, but they’re very easy to use. Choose a fun icing tip and apply the icing in a circular pattern across the top of the cakes.
Presentation ideas for carrot cake cupcakes
These carrot cake cupcakes look lovely with a sprinkle of finely chopped pistachios on top. But you can step them up in a few ways! Here are some ideas:
Top with any chopped nuts like pistachios, pecans, or walnuts
Add a sprinkle of shredded coconut
Add carrot candies to the tops, or make a decorative carrot using icing
Storage and make-ahead info
What are best ways to store carrot cake cupcakes? Can you make them ahead? Here are a few tips:
Cupcakes are best fresh. But you can make them ahead! See below.
Un-iced cupcakes store at room temperature in a sealed container for 2 days, or up to 5 days refrigerated.
Leftover iced cupcakes store for up to 4 days refrigerated.
If making in advance, store the cupcakes without frosting. Refrigerate up to 2 days. Add icing as close to serving as possible.
Or, freeze un-frosted cupcakes for up to 2 months before serving. Again, we recommend making them closer to serving for best results. You can also freeze leftover cream cheese frosting for up to 1 month. Make sure to bring it to room temperature and stir it before using.
More carrot recipes
Carrots are always in season (though of course we love to celebrate them in the spring!). Here are a few more carrot recipes you’ll love:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
For the garnish: finely chopped pistachios, pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place muffin liners into a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and kosher salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil and applesauce. Stir in the grated carrots.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring only until just combined (but making sure no pockets of dry ingredients remain).
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups (about ¼ cup in each).
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to fully cool, at least 1 hour. (Set out the butter and cream cheese at room temperature for 1 hour while the cupcakes cool.)
When the cupcakes are cool, make the cream cheese frosting: Make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. Use a fine mesh sieve to sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Beat the butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until completely smooth, scraping once. Reduce the speed to low, then add the vanilla. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it comes together into a thick icing.
Use a pastry bag to pipe the icing onto the cupcakes, or refrigerate the icing up to 1 week until frosting. (You can use the entire quantity of frosting or less if desired for a lighter cupcake.) Top with finely chopped pistachios.
Storage info: Leftover cupcakes can be stored refrigerated for up to 4 days, but are best served as fresh as possible (bring to room temperature before serving). If making in advance, store the cupcakes refrigerated without frosting; add icing as close to serving as possible. Freeze the un-frosted cupcakes for up to 2 months, but again: we recommend making them closer to serving for best results. You can also freeze cream cheese frosting for up to 1 month. Make sure to bring it to room temperature and stir it before using.
After a satisfying Easter brunch or dinner packed with lamb and ham (and all your favorite sides), the kids will likely steal away to a corner of the house, peeling open piece after piece of candy. But what about the adults? As with any good holiday me…
After a satisfying Easter brunch or dinner packed with lamb and ham (and all your favorite sides), the kids will likely steal away to a corner of the house, peeling open piece after piece of candy. But what about the adults? As with any good holiday meal, it’s important to end Easter on a sweet, special note. Our 41 favorite Easter cake recipes featuring beautiful pastels and family-favorite springtime flavors will draw everyone back to the table.
Carrot cake is a popular choice for Easter thanks to the Easter bunny connection, but it’s also a flat-out delicious dessert that should be served year-round. This multi-layer version is everything a cake should be without too much fuss.
Our latest recipe contest, Your Best Snacking Cake, invited a huge wave of absolutely delicious-looking recipes from our community of talented cake bakers. With so many delicious entries, we really had our work cut out for us. We tested, tasted, tasted…
Our latest recipe contest, Your Best Snacking Cake, invited a huge wave of absolutely delicious-looking recipes from our community of talented cake bakers. With so many delicious entries, we really had our work cut out for us. We tested, tasted, tasted a little more (it's cake!) whittled it down, and finally decided on two finalists: Clintonhillbilly's Cinnamon-Anise Snack Cake and Jessie Sheehan's Chocolate-Carrot Snacking Cake.
How did we pick a winner? Staring down these two outstanding confections was no solution at all, but thankfully we received an huge volume of votes. It was a very close race, but a winner has been chosen. Cue the drumroll...
One thing I’ve been working on this year, which may be remembered in the future as “the year we all stayed home,” is updating blog posts. Quite a few of them that were written, say ten…or fifteen years ago, benefitted from being reformatted and tightened up. Blogging was a lot more casual way back when, and as I make (and remake) recipes, I often tweak…
One thing I’ve been working on this year, which may be remembered in the future as “the year we all stayed home,” is updating blog posts. Quite a few of them that were written, say ten…or fifteen years ago, benefitted from being reformatted and tightened up. Blogging was a lot more casual way back when, and as I make (and remake) recipes, I often tweak and refine them. So I used my time during confinement to go through some classics and give them a fresher look.
It’s been a tough year and with Thanksgiving not necessarily happening, it’s good to have memories of friends. When my first book, Room for Dessert came out (which morphed into Ready for Dessert), a lot of people said, “I’ll bet everyone is going to make you a Coconut Cake for your birthday now?” That was because one of the first recipes in the book was for a Coconut Cake I made for Alice Waters’ father for his birthday, and I mentioned before the recipe that I wish someone would make me a Coconut Cake for my birthday. It took a long, long time for me to get that Coconut Cake, but it finally happened in, of all places, Paris.
These carrot cake pancakes are moist and spiced, a healthy spin that’s just sweet enough! The maple Greek yogurt topping takes them over the top. Looking for tasty pancakes that won’t leave you with a sugar crash? Try these Carrot Cake Pancakes! Most carrot cake pancakes make you feel like you just ate dessert. But these are perfect: sweet enough with a healthy spin! They’re lightly sweetened with maple syrup, tender and moist from the carrots, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Even better, top them with maple Greek yogurt and the sweet tang is magic. It’s like eating a piece of carrot cake…that’s suitable for breakfast. What’s in these carrot cake pancakes? These carrot cake pancakes are full of ingredients that were already in Alex and my pantry and fridge: we didn’t have to make a special trip to make them! We hope the same will be true for you, assuming you stock carrots, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup like we do. This recipe is a spin on our Greek Yogurt Pancakes recipe: the perfect spring breakfast or Easter brunch (we created these for our son Larson for Easter!). Here’s what you’ll need: Flour: you can use […]
These carrot cake pancakes are moist and spiced, a healthy spin that’s just sweet enough! The maple Greek yogurt topping takes them over the top.
Looking for tasty pancakes that won’t leave you with a sugar crash? Try these Carrot Cake Pancakes! Most carrot cake pancakes make you feel like you just ate dessert. But these are perfect: sweet enough with a healthy spin! They’re lightly sweetened with maple syrup, tender and moist from the carrots, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Even better, top them with maple Greek yogurt and the sweet tang is magic. It’s like eating a piece of carrot cake…that’s suitable for breakfast.
What’s in these carrot cake pancakes?
These carrot cake pancakes are full of ingredients that were already in Alex and my pantry and fridge: we didn’t have to make a special trip to make them! We hope the same will be true for you, assuming you stock carrots, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup like we do. This recipe is a spin on our Greek Yogurt Pancakes recipe: the perfect spring breakfast or Easter brunch (we created these for our son Larson for Easter!). Here’s what you’ll need:
Flour: you can use 100% all purpose, or a mix of all purpose and whole wheat or oat flour
Spices: you’ll use cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg for that carrot cake vibe
Greek yogurt: we like using yogurt in our pancakes to make them perfectly moist
Maple syrup: for a subtle sweetness: no refined sugar!
Milk, egg, baking powder, and oil: to round out the standard pancake ingredients
Carrots: finely grated with a shredder — this is what takes the most time!
Maple Greek yogurt: a healthy spin on cream cheese frosting!
The maple Greek yogurt topping is what puts these carrot cake pancakes over the top! Alex and I don’t usually buy cream cheese, and it can make a rich-tasting topping. For a healthy spin, we used Greek yogurt to create a sort of cream cheese frosting! The tang of the yogurt is exactly what you need to accessorize the spice of the pancakes. Here’s what you’ll do:
Let the Greek yogurt sit in a strainer to thicken while you make the pancakes. This gets it to more of a cream cheese consistency. You can skip this step if you’d like, but the topping will be a little more runny, because you’ll be adding…
Add maple syrup & vanilla. Once the Greek yogurt is thickened a little, add the maple syrup and vanilla. Taste, and you’ve got instant healthy cream cheese “frosting”!
Flour types to use in carrot cake pancakes
Alex and I love pancakes that are a little heartier than the typical all purpose flour pancake. We like to use a 50/50 ratio of all purpose flour with oat flour or whole wheat flour (like our sour cream pancakes). The oat flour in particular makes it heartier and more filling than a traditional pancake would be. It also gives you the nutrients of oats, like fiber and vitamins. (Want a 100% oat pancake? Head to Banana Oatmeal Pancakes.)
Either way, the mix of flours also adds complexity in flavor and helps the texture a bit. But if all you have is all purpose flour, that’s ok too! It’s a customizable recipe and works with what you have on hand.
How to make oat flour
Did you know you can make your own oat flour? If you’ve got rolled oats, you can make oat flour at home! Simply whiz rolled oats in a blender or food processor until they are ground as fine as possible, taking on the consistency of flour. Alex and I do this all the time. Go to our Oat Flour Recipes for more.
More carrot cake recipes!
Are you a carrot cake flavor fan? Here are a few more recipes that play on the magic of carrot cake:
Carrot Cake Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal There’s nothing cozier than baked oatmeal! This baked steel cut oatmeal is carrot cake flavored, with cozy spices and pecans.
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies These carrot cake breakfast cookies are a portable breakfast or snack similar to a Cliff bar! They’re plant-based and perfect for mornings on the go.
This carrot cake pancakes recipe is…
Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use 50% oat flour and 50% 1-for-1 gluten-free flour. For vegan, use a flax egg and a non-dairy milk.
1 1/4 cups finely shredded carrots (about 5 large carrots)
Maple yogurt topping*: 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Optional: If making the maple yogurt topping: place 1 cup Greek yogurt in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and let it drain while making the pancakes (this makes it thicker, getting it to a cream cheese consistency).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and kosher salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, then whisk in the milk, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and oil. Then whisk in the grated carrot.
Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined. If the batter is too thick, stir in a small splash of milk (the consistency of each yogurt brand varies).
Lightly butter a skillet and wipe off extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet to medium low heat. If the batter has gotten thicker after sitting, add a splash of milk (don’t add too much or the pancakes will get too flat). Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour the batter into small circles and use the bottom to flatten out the shape if necessary (the carrots can make it harder to spread). Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden. Then flip them and cook until done. Repeat with the remaining batter.
If making the maple yogurt topping, mix together the thickened Greek yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Serve the pancakes topped with maple yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup. (If you’d like, add chopped pecans.)
Notes
*The maple yogurt topping is reminiscent of cream cheese toppings but a little less rich. The tang with the carrot cake pancake is totally worth making!
Prep Time:
Yield:
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe