Description

These moist and flavorful Carrot Cake Muffins are the perfect sweet treat for breakfast or snack time. Packed with shredded carrots and warm cinnamon spice, they offer a delightful twist on classic carrot cake in convenient, individual-sized portions. Easy to make with simple pantry staples, these muffins are tender, lightly sweetened with applesauce and sugar, and feature a soft crumb that will keep you coming back for more.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons applesauce (or more as needed)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Dry Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
⅔ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded carrots

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat and prepare muffin cups: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper muffin liners to prevent sticking.
Mix wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, beat together the milk, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth.
Combine dry ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening and spices.
Add carrots and combine mixtures: Stir the shredded carrots into the bowl with dry ingredients. Then gently fold in the wet mixture and the cooled melted butter. Mix just until everything is combined; do not overmix to ensure tender muffins.
Fill muffin cups: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
Bake the muffins: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, indicating they are fully cooked.
Cool muffins: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes to set before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, ensuring they don’t become soggy.

Notes

You can substitute applesauce with mashed banana or yogurt for a different flavor and moisture profile.
Make sure not to overmix the batter to keep the muffins light and fluffy.
For added texture, consider folding in chopped nuts or raisins.
Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
If you prefer a sweeter muffin, you can increase the sugar slightly or add a dusting of powdered sugar before serving.