These high altitude carrot cake muffins are flavorful and moist, dense and not too sweet. They taste just like carrot cake, but without the cream cheese frosting.
You might also love these high altitude recipes for frosted carrot cake cookies, carrot cake walnut scones, and carrot coconut bundt cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Less Sweet than a Cupcake. If you love a carrot cupcake without the frosting, these carrot cupcakes are a little more dense and hearty than cupcakes, with a bit less sugar. And without the frosting, they seem much more acceptable as a breakfast food.
Quick and Easy. You won’t need a mixer, just a bowl and whisk (and a box grater, to grate all the carrots!).
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda.
- Spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt.
- Granulated Sugar + Brown Sugar.
- Sour Cream + Milk.
- Butter + Vegetable Oil.
- Eggs.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Carrots.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line standard-sized muffin pans with 16 paper liners. Spray the liners with non-stick baking spray, or the muffins will stick to the papers.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar (3/4 cup), brown sugar, sour cream, milk, melted butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the liquid ingredients and the grated carrots to the bowl of dry ingredients, and stir until combined.
- Divide the batter between 16 muffin cups, filling them nearly full. Sprinkle the top of the batter with the remaining two teaspoons of granulated sugar.
- After placing the muffins in the oven, turn the temperature from 425 to 375 F. Bake the muffins for about 22-25 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently touched.
- Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm with softened butter.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Rewarm muffins in the microwave for 30 seconds at 50% power for a soft, just-baked texture.
You can add chopped walnuts/pecans or raisins, with no other changes needed. If you choose to add something like pineapple, the additional moisture will alter the texture of the muffins if you don’t remove another liquid ingredient to compensate. You may be able to add a small amount of wheat germ or wheat bran for a heartier texture. It would likely work to replace 1/3 – 1/2 of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. Note that I have not tested any of these additions or changes.
You Might Also Like
Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Carrot Cake Muffins
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 2 ¼ tsp baking powder
- â…› tsp baking soda
- 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¾ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¾ cup + 2 tsp granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (packed) peeled and finely grated carrots (11.5 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line standard-sized muffin pans with 16 paper liners. Spray the liners with non-stick baking spray, or the muffins will stick to the papers.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar (3/4 cup), brown sugar, sour cream, milk, melted butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the liquid ingredients and the grated carrots to the bowl of dry ingredients, and stir until combined.
- Divide the batter between 16 muffin cups, filling them nearly full. Sprinkle the top of the batter with the remaining two teaspoons of granulated sugar.
- After placing the muffins in the oven, turn the temperature from 425 to 375 F. Bake the muffins for about 22-25 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently touched.
- Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes, then serve warm with softened butter.
Notes
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/
Leave a Reply