Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling
Moist carrot cake muffins filled with a creamy baked cheesecake center, topped with a buttery crumble and finished with a light cream cheese glaze. These can be made as jumbo bakery-style muffins or standard size, and they stay soft for days thanks to the oil-based batter.
Servings 6 jumbo muffins
Calories 580kcal
Ingredients
Crumble Topping
- ¼ cup light brown sugar 60g
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 75g
- ⅕ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter 56g
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese softened (226g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
- ⅓ cup sour cream 80g
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- piinch of salt
Carrot Cake Muffin Batter
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour 300g
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅜ tsp nutmeg
- ⅜ tsp ginger
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- ¾ cup neutral oil (or melted coconut oil) 180 ml
- ¾ cup brown sugar 150g
- ⅜ cup granulated sugar (6 tbsp) 75g
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt 180g
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups fnely grated carrots (lightly packed) 150g
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 3 tbsp cream cheese at room temperature (42g)
- ½ tbsp unsalted butter 7g
- 3-4 tbsp powdered sugar 31
- 1-3 tbsp milk
Instructions
- This recipe yields 6 jumbo muffins, or 12-14 regular size ones. Line the pan of your choice with muffin liners and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Crumble Topping
- Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and cinnamon for the topping in a small bowl. Add the softened butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a fork until the mixture forms small, sandy clumps. Set it aside. I like to keep it in the fridge while I make the muffin batter.
Cheesecake Batter
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese for 1 minute until smooth. Add the sugar and sour cream and beat until creamy.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Set aside.
Muffin Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sugars, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients, followed by the carrots.
- Fold to combine. If using nuts, add now.
Assemble & Bake
- Spoon a portion of carrot cake batter into each lined cavity, filling about halfway. Place a dollop of cheesecake batter in the center of each cupcake, then top with another spoonful of carrot cake batter until the liners are about ⅔ full.
- Sprinkle the crumble evenly on top of the muffins.
- Bake the muffins for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean. Jumbo muffins will take about 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the glaze.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- To make the glaze, beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and 1 tbsp of milk using a hand mixer. You can also use a whisk as long as you can vigorously whisk the mixture.
- Once the glaze is smooth, it’s ready. If you notice the glaze is too thick, add the remaining milk, so you are able to drizzle.
- Pour the glaze over each cooled down muffin.
Notes
Nuts: If desired, you can add ½ cup (50 g) chopped walnuts or pecans to the carrot cake batter.
Cream cheese: Use block cream cheese, not the spreadable kind.
Sour cream: Can be replaced with Greek yogurt.
Baking: If your oven is convection, bake at 350°F.
Pan: I use a pan called Monfish on Amazon. Search for monfish jumbo pan with straight sides and you’ll find it. I use Caperci liners.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 580kcal