Carrot Cream Cheese Muffins
September 18, 2012 in breakfast
Y’all remember this time last year when I excitedly bought a can of pumpkin only to realize it had expired 2 years before?
I feel like I never really got over that. Don’t get me wrong, I was definitely beating down Starbucks’ door the day the PSLs were released but I just haven’t been excited to bake with pumpkin this year. But I’m still craving those fall flavors, you know?
So I was catching up on my DVR’d shows this past weekend and saw the Pioneer Woman making a carrot cake and, ding ding ding, immediately knew how to get my fall flavor fix! Carrot cake muffins! With sweetened cream cheese in the center!
You can’t go wrong with a muffin like this. The only way these could be better is if they had a ton of pecans in them! These were very moist and I didn’t even have to adjust them for the altitude! The carrots aren’t super obvious – you could probably get away with adding more than a cup. And like I said, pecans would be an excellent addition! And raisins! Mmm!
One year ago: Cheddar Jalapeno Beer Muffins
Two years ago: Lemon Bars with Strawberry Brulee
from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line or grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- To make the filling, microwave the cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl for about 40 seconds on low. Stir in sugar an vanilla. Set aside.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, water, and vegetable oil until light. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and beat until just moistened. Add carrots and beat just a couple seconds until the carrots are dispersed.
- Put about 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup. Add a heaping tablespoon into the center of each cup. Top with another couple tablespoons of batter, making sure the cream cheese is completely covered.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center (of the actual muffin, not cream cheese) comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Repeat with remaining batter (or use a second muffin tin if you have it.)
Oh, I love that sweetened cream cheese center! Perfect for carrot muffins!
You can never go wrong with a sweetened cream cheese center! I’m still holding out on the pumpkin baking too, at least until it’s actually fall :)
i love the surprise in the center! it’s unexpected but what a great surprise to bite into :)