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three carrot cake muffins with cream cheese filling stacked
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5 from 1 vote

Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling. A moist, dense, spiced carrot cake muffin with shredded coconut, pecans, cream cheese filling, and brown sugar pecan crumb topping. Perfect for an easy, spring breakfast or brunch!
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cream cheese filling, easy, moist
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 369kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese softened
  • 1/2  cup  brown sugar packed
  • 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
  • 1  large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb Topping:

  • 1/2  cup  all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4  cup  brown sugar packed
  • 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  cup  unsalted butter  cold and cubed

Carrot Cake Muffin:

  • 6 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1  large egg
  • 2 tablespoons  unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons  vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup  brown sugar packed
  • 1/2  cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon  baking powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
  • 1/4  teaspoon  ground ginger
  • 1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/2  cup  grated carrot not shredded, use a grater to grate whole carrots
  • 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • Add cream cheese, brown sugar, flour, an egg, and vanilla extract to a medium sized bowl.
  • Use your hand mixer to beat together until well combined.
  • Set aside.

Crumb Topping:

  • Add flour, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cubed butter into a medium sized bowl.
  • With your hands, or a fork, mix together and work in butter pieces, until large clumps form.
  • Set aside.

Carrot Cake Muffin:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and grease a standard 12 slot non stick muffin tin with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, an egg, applesauce, vanilla, and brown sugar.
  • Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Don't overmix.
  • Stir in grated carrots, shredded coconut, and chopped pecans.
  • Pour approximately half of the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin slots. Gently shake the pan to smooth batter down.
  • Dollop cream cheese mixture on top of each filled slot. Gently shake the pan to smooth batter down.
  • Top each cream cheese dollop with remaining muffin batter. Gently shake the pan to smooth batter down.
  • Top each muffin evenly with crumb topping.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (leaving pan in oven) and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to insert it all the way into the muffin batter, not the cream cheese filling.
  • Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes in pan before removing from pan and enjoying!
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Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy chilled or warmed up in the microwave. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 2125IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1.4mg