Moist carrot cake muffins with cream cheese frosting and walnuts. A lightly spiced muffin recipe for breakfast, brunch, or the holidays.
These carrot cake muffins are soft, lightly spiced, and topped with rich cream cheese frosting and crunchy walnuts and make the BEST treat for breakfast or brunch!
I’m starting to enjoy baking more a little more. First, it was that pumpkin bread a couple of weeks ago, then those gooey cinnamon roll muffins I made when our grandson Seth visited. Now, these carrot cake muffins have officially won me over.
Why You’ll Love These Carrot Cake Muffins
If you’ve ever wished you could eat carrot cake for breakfast, this recipe is for you. These muffins are:
- Quick and easy – ready in about 30 minutes.
- Moist and flavorful – thanks to shredded carrots and warm spices.
- Topped with cream cheese frosting – because muffins deserve a little indulgence, too.
- Perfect for holidays or brunch – a festive, crowd-pleasing treat.
I’ll admit, I don’t really enjoy baking that much, but recipes like these make me want to spend more time in the kitchen. They’re simple, cozy, and absolutely irresistible (just ask David who went back for seconds and thirds!).
What I love best is they come together in just minutes, so you can enjoy the taste of carrot cake without the effort of making a whole cake. Honestly, the hardest part was waiting for the muffins to cool before I could frost them!
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Muffins
You probably have most of these pantry staples on hand:
For the Muffins
- Dry ingredients: granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt
- Wet ingredients: canola oil (or oil of choice), eggs
- Warm spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves
- Star ingredient: freshly shredded carrots
For the Frosting & Topping
- Crunch: chopped walnuts (pecans also work great!)
- Creamy base: cream cheese, unsalted butter
- Sweetness & flavor: powdered sugar, vanilla extract, heavy cream
How to Make Carrot Cake Muffins
Preparing the Batter
- Preheat the oven and line a muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease.
- In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined (don’t overmix – check out tips for making the perfect muffins).
- Fold in the shredded carrots (use a box grater) with a spatula or large spoon.
Baking the Muffins
- Fill each muffin cup about ⅔ full with batter.
- Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cooling the Muffins
- Let muffins cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
Frosting and Topping – the best part!
- Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream until smooth and fluffy.
- Spread frosting over cooled muffins.
- Sprinkle with chopped walnuts (or pecans) for crunch.
Tips and Variations
- Soften butter and cream cheese before mixing for smooth frosting.
- Nut-free option: leave off the walnuts or replace with shredded coconut.
- Make ahead: muffins can be baked the night before and frosted the next day.
- Holiday twist: add raisins, or pineapple for extra moisture, or shredded coconut for even more carrot cake flavor.
Serving Ideas
These carrot cake muffins with cream cheese frosting make a cozy fall breakfast, a sweet holiday brunch item, or even a lighter dessert alternative to traditional carrot cake. Pair them with coffee or tea for the ultimate treat.
How to Store Carrot Cake Muffins
- At Room Temperature (Unfrosted): Store plain muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerated (Frosted): Once frosted with cream cheese frosting, keep muffins in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temp for 10-15 minutes before serving for the best texture.
- Freezing Option: Freeze unfrosted muffins in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost before serving.
One of David’s favorite desserts is the Ultimate Carrot Cake I make for him from time to time, so you can imagine how these carrot cake muffins went over with him. He and his sweet teeth enjoyed them greatly!
I hope you and your sweet teeth enjoy these muffins just as much. With the holidays coming up, these carrot cake muffins will be a win for breakfast in your house this holiday season!
Enjoy!
Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting and Walnuts
Useful Equipment:
Ingredients
The Muffins:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- a pinch ground cloves
- 1 cup shredded carrots
The Topping:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (room temperature)
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened (room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
Make the Muffins
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper cups or grease lightly. Set aside.
- Whisk the sugar, oil, and eggs together in a large bowl, mix well to combine. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix until fully combined. It’s important to combine the ingredients well but do not over mix. Fold in carrots with a large spoon to combine.
- Fill each muffin cup about ⅔ of the way full of batter, leaving any remaining cups empty.
- Bake the muffins 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the pan onto a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Make the Topping:
- To make the frosting, add the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and heavy cream in a small bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.
- Top each muffin with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Debbie - Mountain Mama says
Mountain Sister, you’re killing me!! Ok these are HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My sweetie will love to have one of these with coffee in the mornings, and I can bring some to Mom and Dad also which will at least mean I eat LESS of them!! 🙂
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks Debbie! Enjoy them we sure did….all of them! ?
Rachel says
Oh, mama, I NEED these!!!! I am trying to up my baking game this fall/winter. I’m going to need your help!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Haha! I will help you if I can, but I’m not the greatest…lol! ?
Dana @ IveGotCake says
Mmmm I want these muffins!!
Send me some for thanksgiving!!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Will do, girl! Send me you address!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
I was going to say your starting to resemble a baker! I love everything about these delicious muffins and they would be so good with a cup of java!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you Julie! 🙂
Betsy Maness says
I’ve made these as muffins before and they were delicious! I’m wondering what modifications I would need to make to make these in a bread pan?
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Betsy! Hummmm… I have never done the recipe in a loaf pan, but it is a great idea! I guess I would grease the loaf pan and maybe line it with parchment so it pops out easier. I would also think it would need to bake a lot longer. I would say bump the oven temp up to 325 degrees F to offset some of the time. Bake for 30 minutes and then check to see how it is coming along… maybe stab it with a toothpick if needed. If it is still wiggling then do 5 to 10-minute increments checking for doneness at the end of each time. I wish this was my fulltime job because I would love to test this recipe for you. Good luck!