March 25, 2015

Carrot Cake Muffins

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Soft, fluffy and moist, these carrot cake muffins are the perfect springtime treat! Packed with whole grains, warm spices and carrots, they’re finished off with a dreamy mascarpone glaze. Dairy free option also included.

Several Carrot Cake Muffins on a wire rack with a bowl to the side filled with glaze.

These muffins. These easter-y, brunch-y, spring-y, dessert-y, yet totally acceptable for breakfast-y (that’s not a word but go with me here) carrot cake muffins are the things of my dreams.

And trust me, once you’ve had one, you’ll be right there with me.

And let me let you in on a little secret – the muffin base is totally healthy. 

We’re talking whole grains, coconut oil, sweetened only with honey and pure maple syrup, lots and lots of raw carrots.

The base is nice and light and almost fluffy – not at all dense and most certainly not at all dry.

Several Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins on a wire rack set instead a baking pan.

It’s just that creamy, dreamy, thick glaze that takes these a little bit over the top.

Now, you can 100% use cream cheese in place of the mascarpone (cream cheese is a bit sturdier though so you may need to add more milk to get it to the right consistency).

But! I really happen to love the sort of milder taste of the mascarpone and would encourage you to give it a try here.

We finish these muffins off with a nice sprinkle of chopped pecans (you can omit this if you like) for a bit of crunch and of course just to make them even more pretty.

All leading to muffins that I looked forward to every single day until we ate every last one.

Several Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins set on a wire rack.

Additional Muffin Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Carrot Cake Muffins with Mascarpone Glaze | Soft, tender muffins filled with carrots and finished with a creamy mascarpone topping! Perfect for Spring!

Carrot Cake Muffins

Yield: about 14 muffins
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Soft, fluffy and moist, these carrot cake muffins are the perfect springtime treat! Packed with whole grains, warm spices and carrots, they’re finished off with a dreamy mascarpone glaze. Dairy free option also included.

Ingredients

For the muffins:

  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup oat bran
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil*
  • ⅔ cup milk**
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups grated carrot (about 4 large carrots)

For the glaze:***

  • 4 ounces mascarpone, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar

For garnish:

  • chopped pecans

Instructions

To make the muffins:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a muffin pan with liners and set aside.
  2. Whisk together the white whole wheat flour, oat bran, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a medium bowl.
  3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg, coconut oil, milk, honey, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Add to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the carrots.
  4. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin tins, filling each about ⅔ to ¾ of the way full.
  5. Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze:

  1. Once the muffins have cooled, add the mascarpone, milk, vanilla, salt and confectioners’ sugar to a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth (you want the glaze to be thick, but not so thick that you can't drizzle it on the muffins - you can add more sugar or milk to get it to the right consistency if needed).

To assemble:

  1. Drizzle some of the glaze on top of each muffin, then garnish with some pecans. The glaze will set as it sits.

Notes

*Be sure to melt the coconut oil first and then measure out the correct amount (otherwise you may use too much).

**To keep these dairy free - use a non dairy milk of choice.

***To keep these dairy free - use your favorite glaze or a dairy free cream cheese frosting (such as in this recipe!).

I grate the carrots in my food processor - makes it nice and quick!

Once glazed, you’ll want to store these in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I like to let them come back to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 221Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 222mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 19gProtein: 3g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert
Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes, Dairy Free, Dessert, Easter, Muffins, Recipes (ALL), Seasonal, Soy Free, Vegetarian
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