Banana Carrot Muffins

5 from 11 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: muffins

Calories: 268kcal

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

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.

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.

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 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.

Refrigerator: Store 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.

Make a loaf instead of 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.

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