Today I’m going to share my carrot cake recipe with you. Made into muffins they are addictive, delicious, and just sweet enough. A long time ago, when I was living in Korea, my friends and I often baked together, things like carrot cake, but also roll ppang, vegetable bread, sausage bread, and even pineapple upside-down cake. I really enjoyed learning from my friends and trying recipes that my children would love. I remember how happy I was to see my children enjoyed what I baked.
After I left Korea and my children grew up, I almost forgot about carrot cake. But recently, I found carrot muffins at a farmers market here in New York City. I bought one for small lunch and ate it at a nearby park. Unfortunately, it was too sweet for me, and the oil had soaked into the liner. But the purple liner was so pretty! I found the similar liners online and baked my own muffins that were less sweet. They turned out so good, and I thought they’d be perfect for gifts too.
I used the same carrot cake batter I used when making carror cake for my family, but these days I bake it in muffin tins and make muffins. They look prettier, they’re a smaller snack, and they’re easy to freeze and store.
This recipe is both old and new and has been with me for quite a while in a different form! I’m so happy to share it with you, and I hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients
Makes 12 muffins
- 8 ounces peeled carrots
- ½ cup walnuts (or pecans)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil (or any cooking oil)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup pine nuts, tips removed
Here is the muffin pan I used, on Amazon and the purple liners.
Directions
Prepare carrots & walnuts
- Cut the carrots into small pieces and put them in a food processor. Pulse for about 12 seconds, until they are finely chopped but not pureed. Set aside. You can also use a grater if you prefer.
- Rinse the walnuts in cold water, changing the water a couple of times until it runs clear. Drain well and transfer them to a pan.
- Toast over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes until fragrant and slightly crispy.
- Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop.
Mix batter & add to pan
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, eggs, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon powder. Whisk for about 2 minutes until well blended. Add the grated carrots, chopped nuts, flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Gently mix just until the ingredients come together.
- Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners and fill each cup about two-thirds full with batter. (Each cup of my pan measures 2.75 x 2.13 x 1.38 inches.)
Bake muffins & serve
- Top each muffin with a few pine nuts and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- After about 20 minutes, insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the center of one muffin. If it comes out clean, they’re done. If some batter sticks to the skewer, put the muffins back in the oven and bake for about a few more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with tea, coffee, or milk.
Leftovers freeze well. To serve frozen muffins, thaw out at room temperature or microwave each muffin for about 30 seconds.
Buy this recipe's ingredients online
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Nice recipe. These carrot cake muffins with cream cheese icing are incredibly moist, fluffy treats filled with the deliciously natural sweetness of freshly grated carrots and a hint of warm cinnamon. Ideal for breakfast, snacking, or on-the-go treats, these muffins have all of the cozy taste of traditional carrot cake in a handy, portioned size. Whether it’s the cream cheese glaze or crumb topping, they are a delicious combination of texture and flavor that you will reach for again and again.