Description
These hearty carrot muffins are packed with walnuts, coconut, and pineapple, offering a delightful balance of sweetness and spice, topped with a creamy orange zest frosting.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8 oz. (225 g) cream cheese
- 8 oz. (225 g) mascarpone
- 4 tsp. orange zest
- 4 tbsp. (60 ml) honey
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup (240 ml) shredded coconut
- 1 cup (240 ml) raisins (optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup (240 ml) grated carrots
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, ground ginger, and salt.
- Stir in the chopped walnuts and shredded coconut. If using, add the raisins.
- In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the crushed pineapple and grated carrots until evenly distributed.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- While the muffins are baking, prepare the frosting by creaming together the cream cheese, mascarpone, orange zest, and honey until smooth and fluffy.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Once cooled, frost the muffins with the cream cheese mixture and serve.
Notes
- Feel free to omit the raisins or coconut if you prefer.
- The pineapple adds essential moisture and sweetness, so it’s recommended to keep it.
- These muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- They make a great breakfast or dessert option.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 200
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 35