These Banana Carrot Muffins are the perfect accompaniment to a morning cup of coffee and a tasty way to incorporate fruits and vegetables at breakfast. The batter is flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. They also include a delicious cream cheese filling. Perfect for fall!
My husband's favorite kind of cake is carrot cake. I can’t blame him. Who doesn’t love a spiced cake with cream cheese frosting?
One of my favorite sweets in the fall are the pumpkin cream cheese muffins from Starbucks. But I try to not make a habit of grabbing a coffee and pastry out in the morning.
So I combined two of our favorite things to create these spiced banana carrot muffins filled with cream cheese. They are like a banana bread and carrot cake hybrid. Hope you enjoy!! xx
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Highlights
- Loaded with fruits & vegetables
- Moist & fluffy
- Full of fall spices
- Filled with cream cheese
- Toddler/kid friendly
- Breakfast meal prep idea
Ingredient Notes
- Carrot: Be sure to peel the carrots. You can use a grater or a food processor to grate them finely.
- Banana: If you do not have a scale to weigh the mashed banana, spoon the mashed banana into the measuring cup and level the top with the flat side of a butter knife.
- Vegetable Oil: Substitute coconut oil, canola oil, or any other neutral oil. Swap oil for full fat room temperature greek yogurt as well.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
Helpful Tools
- Wilton Non-Stick Muffin Pan & Liners: Great quality & comes with liners.
- KitchenAid 4.5 Quart Stand Mixer: A must have for any baker.
- Kitchen Scale: The best way to easily & accurately measure ingredients.
Instructions
Overview
- Prepare the muffin pan.
- Beat together the wet ingredients.
- Mix in the carrot & banana.
- Fold in the dry ingredients.
- Make the filling.
- Layer the batter, filling, and more batter in the muffin cups.
- Bake & enjoy!
Step by Step
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle/whisk attachment (or large bowl with a hand mixer), add the brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on medium low until combined.
Step 2: On low mix in the carrot and mashed banana until just combined.
NOTE - Liners ensure the muffins do not stick.
Step 3: In this order add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Fold the dry ingredients in with a spatula until just combined.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, using the stand mixer fitted with the paddle/whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium high until completely combined and smooth.
TIP - Do not overmix the batter.
Step 5: Spoon a heaping spoonful (about 1.5 Tablespoons) of batter into the muffin cups. Layer 1 Tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on top of the batter. Fill the cups to the top with the remaining batter.
Step 6: Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
TIP - The banana carrot muffins are best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Refrigerator: Store banana carrot muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or heat from frozen in the microwave. Do not refreeze thawed muffins.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Let the cream cheese sit outside of the refrigerator for 1 hour. Place the eggs in a small bowl of warm (not too hot) water for about 10 minutes.
- Use muffin liners. These make for easy clean up and ensure the muffins do not stick.
- Use a scale to measure ingredients. To ensure the batter is not too wet or too dry, it is best to use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients in grams. If you do not have a scale, spoon & level the flour, banana, and carrot carefully.
- Do not overmix the dry ingredients into the wet. This is why a spatula is used to fold the dry ingredients. Overmixing develops the gluten resulting in a dense & chewy muffin.
- Keep an eye on them as they bake. Every oven is different so bake times will vary. Use an oven safe thermometer to figure out the exact temperature of your oven.
Recipe Notes
- The filling is optional. You can follow the recipe as written and skip it.
Variations
- Make a loaf instead of banana carrot muffins: Grease a 9 x 5 pan. Spoon about half of the batter into the pan. Layer all the cream cheese on top of the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top of the cream cheese. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the batter and cream cheese mixture together. This prevents them from separating. Bake at 350 for about 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Double the recipe to make 24-26 muffins.
- Swap the shredded carrot for an equal amount of shredded zucchini.
- Add about ¾ cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the batter.
FAQs
Yes, it is a 1:1 substitute.
Yes, they are a great way to add some fruits and vegetables to your kid’s breakfast. Skip the filling and swap the oil for yogurt to make these a little lighter & healthier.
The leavening agents (baking soda & baking powder) make the muffins rise. Room temperature ingredients and not overmixing the batter also contribute to a light and fluffy muffin.
The batter was likely overmixed. Overmixing the flour develops the gluten too much giving the muffins more density and chew.
It is likely that too much banana or carrot was used. Be sure to spoon & level or weigh these ingredients carefully.
The flour was probably not measured properly. Weigh or spoon & level the flour carefully. Do not dig your measuring cup in the flour to scoop it out. This packs too much flour into the cup.
Related Recipes
Banana Carrot Muffins
Ingredients:
Batter
- ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup (130 g) finely grated peeled carrot*
- 1 cup (225 g) mashed overripe banana*
- 1 ¾ cups (228 g) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Optional Filling
- 5 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
- 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar or confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions:
- Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a nonstick 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. (If not using liners, grease well instead.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle/whisk attachment (or large bowl with a hand mixer), add the brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on medium low until combined.
- On low mix in the carrot and mashed banana until just combined.
- In this order add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Fold the dry ingredients in with a spatula until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, using the stand mixer fitted with the paddle/whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium high until completely combined and smooth.
- Spoon a heaping spoonful (about 1.5 Tablespoons) of batter into the muffin cups. Layer 1 Tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on top of the batter. Fill the cups to the top with the remaining batter.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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