Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe

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These moist Carrot Cake Muffins bake up perfectly every time with plenty of freshly grated carrots, pineapple, and walnuts. They are tall bakery-style muffins packed with flavor and just the right balance of spice from cinnamon and ginger.

A wire rack full of cooling carrot muffins.

This recipe is perfect for breakfast or as a snack and is sure to become a favorite. If you like it, try carrot bread, carrot cupcakes, carrot souffle, and carrot cake.

Are you looking for a delicious and easy carrot muffin recipe? Look no further! This recipe comes together in a little over 30 minutes. Enjoy these warm muffins slathered with butter and a hot cup of coffee. Bake a fresh batch today and freeze half for a quick on-the-go breakfast or snack in the weeks ahead.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

Leaveners: baking powder and baking soda
Spices: ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg. You could also add a couple of pinches of allspice.
Sugars: I like a mix of granulated and brown sugar.
Vegetable oil: You can substitute canola oil.
Nuts: substitute pecans, pumpkin seeds, or pistachio nuts

A close up view of the inside of a carrot mufin on a wire rack.

How to Make Carrot Cake Muffins

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

First, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium bowl. Then, stir the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and crushed pineapple in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Stir in the carrots and walnuts.

Some of the steps to making carrot muffins. First, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a medium bowl. Then, stir the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and crushed pineapple in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Stir in the carrots and walnuts. Fill the muffin cups and bake.

Fill a standard 12-count muffin pan with muffin cups. Then, fill the muffin liners just shy of the top with the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Preparation Tips

Always scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon for accurate measuring. Then, level it off with a table knife, pushing the excess back into the flour canister.
Use paper liners in your muffin tin so you don’t have to grease the pan. With liners, the muffins will never stick, the pan is easier to wash, and the muffins stay somewhat protected in their little package. I like the unbleached chlorine-free baking cups.
Do not overmix the batter for optimal texture, as it can make the muffins tough or gummy. Mix with a spoon just until incorporated.
I shred the carrots using the smaller side of a box grater. Grate the carrot at an angle to get pieces slightly longer than straight on.
Turn these tasty muffins into dessert with my cream cheese frosting.

Sky high Bakery style Carrot Muffins dotted with shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, and walnuts spiced with ground cinnamon and ground ginger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use coconut oil or olive oil?

Yes, but they will impart a little flavor into the muffin. Melt the coconut oil before adding it to the recipe as it solidifies at room temperature.

How do I store carrot muffins?

Store them on the counter in an airtight container for up to 4 days unless you add a cream cheese frosting, and then you will need to refrigerate them in an airtight container.

Can I freeze carrot muffins?

After 5 minutes, remove the muffins from the tin. Thoroughly cool them on a wire rack, but do not wash the muffin tin. When the muffins have thoroughly cooled, place them back in the tin.

Place the tin on a flat-level surface in the freezer. Once fully frozen, place them in a freezer zipper bag or sturdy container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature.

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