Carrot Zucchini Muffins Light (Printable Version)

Moist spiced muffins with fresh carrot and zucchini and a light cream cheese swirl topping.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 cup grated carrot, about 2 medium carrots
02 - 1 cup grated zucchini, about 1 medium zucchini, squeezed dry

→ Dry Ingredients

03 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
05 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Wet Ingredients

11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1/3 cup light olive oil or vegetable oil
13 - 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
14 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Cream Cheese Swirl

15 - 4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
16 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
17 - 1 tablespoon milk
18 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
04 - Add grated carrot and grated zucchini to the wet ingredient mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
05 - Gently fold the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients using a spatula or wooden spoon, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain a tender crumb structure.
06 - Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
07 - In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract using an electric mixer or sturdy spoon until smooth and creamy.
08 - Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture onto each muffin. Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese into the batter in a decorative pattern.
09 - Place in preheated oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin cake portion comes out clean or with minimal crumbs. Avoid testing through the cream cheese swirl.
10 - Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They stay impossibly moist for days, so you can actually make them ahead without them turning into hockey pucks.
  • The cream cheese swirl feels fancy but takes about thirty seconds per muffin, making you look far more organized than you actually are.
  • You can sneak actual vegetables into something that tastes like dessert for breakfast, and nobody will suspect a thing.
02 -
  • Squeezing the zucchini dry is the difference between moist muffins and ones that taste like damp sponges—I learned this the hard way when my first batch fell apart.
  • Don't mix the batter until it's perfectly smooth; lumpy batter actually becomes tender muffins, while overmixed batter becomes rubbery disappointment.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly and create a lighter, more tender crumb than cold ones straight from the fridge.
  • If your muffins brown too quickly on top, tent them loosely with foil for the last five minutes of baking.
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