These Carrot Cake Muffins with California Raisins have all the flavors of carrot cake that you love, but in muffin size — Sweet, ultra-moist, and perfectly fluffy texture. To spice things up, we added a drizzle of Salted Tahini Caramel!
Pin these Carrot Cake Muffins with Raisin & Salted Tahini Caramel for later.
This article is in partnership with California Raisins, however, all opinions are mine.
Carrot Cake is one of my all-time favorite desserts. I could eat it season round and never tire of the flavors. Whether it’s topped with a cream cheese frosting or a caramel drizzle, or maybe both?! Your girl is ALL IN! These carrot cake muffins are filled with one of my favorite ingredients, raisins. From sweet to savory, breakfast to dinner, California Raisins are a perfect addition to any dish! When baked, the raisins have a soft texture and add a natural sweetness to the recipe, which means we can cut back on the added sugar!
We have to talk about the Salted Tahini Caramel…Now, you can totally make the muffins as is, without the added sweet & salty drizzle. The recipe is great for breakfast, snack time or as a grab-and-go meal on the fly, BUT if you’re like me and always favor frosting, sauce or anything to zhuzh up a classic recipe then you’re going to want to make this dreamy caramel. The result is a tahini flavored nutty caramel sauce that is smooth and decadent. Done in under 10 minutes and perfect to drizzle on anything your heart desires. Don’t just stop at these muffins. Like, seriously. Brownies, ice cream, pancakes, waffles, etc…
Tips for Carrot Cake Muffins
Applesauce: An absolute must for keeping these muffins moist. If you can’t have applesauce, sub it for crushed pineapple but drain the juice not to make the recipe too sweet.
Carrots: Store-bought pre-shredded or freshly grated. Freshly grated are much more flavorful and moist than store-bought. For the sake of saving time, it definitely won’t hurt the recipe if you choose to go the pre-shredded route. It just won’t have as much carrot flavor.
Raisins: I used a mix of California raisins – 1/4 cup golden & 1/4 cup natural. You truly can’t go wrong with any type of California raisin!
Sweetener: I opted for brown sugar as it perfectly pairs with the warming flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger. It adds more complex sweetness, as well as more moisture to the muffins. With the addition of naturally sweet California raisins, we were able to cut back on the amount of added sugar. Only 1 cup and no white sugar!
Carrot Cake Muffins with Salted Tahini Caramel
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup California raisins (I used a mix of natural & golden raisins)
- 1/4 cup & 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, divided
For the Salted Tahini Caramel
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
For the muffins:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
For the salted tahini caramel:
In a small saucepan heat tahini, maple syrup and coconut oil over low heat. Add salt and stir until combined.
Drizzle onto muffins and top with finely chopped walnuts for serving.
Notes
In an air tight container, store Salted Tahini Caramel in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Keywords: Carrot Cake Muffins, Tahini Caramel,
Bon Appétit!
Please let me know how the Carrot Cake Muffins turn out in the comments! I can’t wait to hear from you.
Visit californiaraisins.ca for more information!
Looking for more raisin-filled recipes? Check out my Spiced Pumpkin-Raisin Granola Bars.
