Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

Celebrate Springtime at breakfast, snack time, or even during dessert with a yummy batch of Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling!

Sweets for Breakfast

Who doesn’t love baked goods for breakfast? They’re so warm with a balanced sweetness that is perfect first thing in the morning. And in the afternoon. And of course for dessert! My kids love when I get into Spring cooking, it is so much lighter than winter cooking when I’m adding everything but the kitchen sink in hopes of surviving the cold snaps. These Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling are like a beacon that warmer weather is on its way and we should celebrate in our favorite way- with food! We love how simple these are to make and I especially love eating them for breakfast without a shred of guilt!

Other Recipes to Serve with Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

• More breakfasts should have carrot cake, right? Carrot Cake Pancakes are the perfect way to make that happen!
• Are you ready for a giant slice of carrot cake by now? Head over to Classic Carrot Cake for a decadent dessert.

Ingredients

Filling: One package of cream cheese and granulated sugar is all you need.

From the Pantry: You will need flour, both white and brown sugar, vegetable oil, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. The recipe also requires water.

Spices: All you need is cinnamon and ginger.

Vegetables: Purchase two medium-large carrots or enough to have one cup of grated carrot.

How to Make Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

STEP ONE: In a medium bowl, warm the cream cheese in the microwave. Once it is softened, stir in the white sugar until the filling is well mixed. Set the filling aside and begin making the muffins.

STEP TWO: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- the flour, both white and brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices and set that aside for now.

STEP THREE: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients- eggs, water, and vegetable oil. When they are well mixed, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir. Fold in the grated carrots.

STEP FOUR: Grease a muffin tin or place paper liners in each cup. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mix to the bottom of each muffin cup and then add a little more than one tablespoon of filling to each muffin cup. Finish by adding enough mix to the muffin cups to cover the filling. If you’d like, you can add sparkling white sugar to the tops of the muffins.

STEP FIVE: Bake the muffins for 17 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick, inserted into the top (not through the filling) comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack to let the filling firm up before enjoying.

Tips for Success

• Pre-shredded carrots do not have enough moisture for these muffins so save the bagged stuff for a stir fry and shred your carrots for perfectly moistened muffins.
• If you’d like the cream cheese more in the middle of the muffin, spoon less batter in the bottom of the muffin cup and if you’d like the filling more towards the top, add a little more batter to the bottom, it all depends on what you like.

Do I need to refrigerate the Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling?

If you want them to last more than a day or two, refrigerate the muffins in an airtight container. If you’d like to freeze them to enjoy them at a later date, cool the muffins in the refrigerator for about an hour and then place them in an airtight container and freeze. When frozen, the muffins will be good for up to three months and when you’re ready to have one, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Can I add more to the muffins?

If you’d like to add some fruit or nuts to your muffins then go for it! If you’re adding raisins or pecans, add about 1/2 cup. If you’d like to add pineapple, replace an equal amount of carrot with pineapple. Since they both have a lot of moisture you don’t want to add too much and have your muffins fall apart.

For Even More Carrot Cake In Your Life:

• Carrot Cake Cookies
• Carrot Cake Swiss Roll
• Baked Carrot Cake Donuts
• Cream Cheese Stuffed Banana Carrot Cake
• 25 Craveable Carrot Cake Recipes

*This post was originally posted on 03/30/2013.