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    Home » Breakfast

    Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Muffins

    Published: Apr 13, 2023 by Kristin Leave a Comment

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    If you love carrot cake, you will LOVE these Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Muffins! Stuffed with a creamy cheesecake center, these muffins are delicious! A moist, perfectly spiced muffin with a sweetened cream cheese center, what’s not to love?! Melt in your mouth and the perfect choice for breakfast, snacks, desserts, and gatherings!

    perfectly spiced carrot cake muffins with a sweet filling

    Carrot Cake Muffins

    Are you a fan of Carrot Cake? Well, if so, this is the recipe for you! Since technically you shouldn’t have a slice of carrot cake for breakfast (I won’t judge if you do), now you get to enjoy these muffins in the morning and have the cake for dessert that evening. I call that a win!

    Over the years I have made several cream-cheese filled muffins from banana, to blueberry, and even pumpkin! These may just go down as my favorite though because they are perfectly spiced thanks to the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves! The sweetened cream cheese filling is similar to a cheesecake and add just the perfect amount of sweet to accompany the spice. Whether served as a breakfast treat, served at a potluck, or brunch, these Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling are bound to be a favorite with everyone!

    tender muffins perfectly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and added carrots

    Ingredients Needed for Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Muffins

    See printable recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions.

    Muffins

    • Flour- all purpose
    • Sugar
    • Cinnamon
    • Baking Powder/Soda- ensure these are fresh for the best results
    • Salt
    • Ginger/Nutmeg/Cloves
    • Vegetable Oil- you may also use coconut oil if desired
    • Brown Sugar
    • Buttermilk- see substitution trick below
    • Eggs- large, at room temperature
    • Vanilla- pure is best
    • Carrots- grated, grate your own for best flavors rather than buying the pre-shredded 

    Cream Cheese Filling

    • Cream Cheese- room temperature
    • Sugar
    • Vanilla- pure is best

    How to make Carrot Cake Muffins

    1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, white sugar, cinnamon, baking powder/soda, salt, and spices.
    2. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, brown sugar, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
    3. Combine flour mixture with the liquid mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the grated carrots.
    4. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
    5. Prepare a muffin pan with liners and fill each muffin cup about 1/2 full.
    6. Add a scoop of the cream cheese mixture and top with more batter to cover.
    7. Place muffin pan into preheated oven, 400 degrees, and bake until golden! Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before enjoying!

    carrot cake muffins with a scoop of cream cheese in the center

    FAQ’s

    Do these muffins need to be refrigerated? Due to the cream cheese mixture, I recommend refrigerating these and popping them into the microwave when ready to enjoy. However, you technically CAN keep these at room temperature for up to 2 days.

    Can I add in raisins? Absolutely! In fact, if you love raisins, they make the perfect addition to these flavorful muffins! Simply add them to the batter when you fold in the grated carrots.

    Can I use gluten-free flour? Yep! Simply omit all-purpose flour and use gluten-free in place! Same ratio and works great!

    Will these muffins freeze well? Definitely! Allow to fully cool and place them in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw before ready to eat.

    Buttermilk Substitution

    To make 1 cup of buttermilk substitute, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then, add milk to the 1-cup line and stir. Allow the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes. In this recipe, you will use 1/3 cup of this mixture.

    How to store

    • Room Temperature- you can keep these in an airtight container or bag and store up to 2 days at room temperature.
    • Refrigerator- place cooled muffins in an airtight container/bag and store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
    • Freezer- allow them to fully cool before placing them in a freezer safe container/bag for up to 3 months in the freezer.

    a fluffy, moist muffin filled with a cheesecake filling

    Tips for the BEST Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Muffins

    • Don’t buy the pre-shredded carrots from the store. Grate your own as the pre-shredded ones don’t have the same amount of moisture in them and won’t make the muffins as fluffy and delicious.
    • Adjust the amount of cream cheese mixture to fit desired tastes. Want more? Add less muffin batter and scoop more cream cheese filling. Want less? Add more muffin batter and use less of the filling.
    • Sprinkle a bit of Turbinado sugar on top of the unbaked muffins before putting them into the oven for an added sweetness.
    • Be sure not to over-mix the batter as the texture will become dense and not as fluffy.
    • Feel free to add a streusel or sprinkle of brown sugar/cinnamon to the top of the muffins before baking.
    • Raisins and chopped nuts are both great options to add to the muffins.

    an up close look at carrots cake muffins with cream cheese filling

    More Muffin Recipes to try

    Blueberry Muffins

    Pecan Pie Mini Muffins

    Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Apple Snickerdoodle Muffins

    Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

    Banana Pecan Muffins

    tender muffins perfectly spiced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and added carrots
    Print Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

    Love Carrot Cake? Then you'll love these Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Muffins! Soft, fluffy, moist muffins that are perfectly spiced and include a sweet cheesecake filling in the center.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: carrot cake, carrot cake cheesecake muffins, carrot cake cream cheese muffins, carrot cake muffins
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 221kcal
    Author: The Cookin' Chicks

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowls
    • muffin tray
    • Muffin Liners
    • Grater

    Ingredients

    Muffins

    • 1 1/2 cup flour all purpose
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
    • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1/3 cup buttermilk
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups carrots grated, fresh

    Cream Cheese Filling

    • 8 oz cream cheese
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    Muffins

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a muffin pan with liners (or grease).
    • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, white sugar, cinnamon, baking powder/soda, salt, and spices.
    • In a separate bowl, combine the oil, brown sugar, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until just combined.
    • Combine the flour mixture with the wet mixture and stir. Fold in the carrots.

    Cream Cheese Filling

    • Combine all ingredients using a hand mixer until smooth.

    Assemble

    • Pour muffin batter into each prepared muffin tin about 1/2 filled.
    • Add a scoop of cream cheese mixture followed by additional batter to fill the cup.
    • Continue until all 12 muffins are filled.
    • Place pan into oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly before eating!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 2978IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @TheCookinChicks or tag #TheCookinChicks!

     

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    Welcome to The Cookin' Chicks…I am so glad you've stopped by! I am Kristin, a busy mom of 3, a wife, and a family chef! There are three things that motivate me each day - Family, Faith, and FOOD! I, along with the occasional help of friends and family, want to share my food creations with you! So, I invite you to join me around my dinner table through the recipes that I will share with you here. I hope you will enjoy the journey as much as I do!

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