With this super simple and easy carrot cake mix muffin recipe, you can enjoy tasty and moist muffins for brunch (or a snack) with minimal effort thanks to a box of cake mix!
Save This Recipe to Your Inbox
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you’ll join our email list and can unsubscribe anytime.
These muffins are a delightful twist on classic carrot cake, and they come together quickly with the convenience of cake mix. They offer a harmonious blend of sweet, moist cake and the earthy goodness of carrots, making them a real crowd-pleaser.
Simple fresh carrot muffins are perfect for breakfast on the go, and they make a great lunchbox treat or an afternoon snack. So, if you're craving the warm, comforting flavors of carrot cake without the effort of making a full cake, these muffins are an excellent choice for a quick and satisfying baked treat.
These Cake Mix Carrot Muffins are also perfect for Celebrating Easter On A Budget and using up boxed cake mix in the pantry or fresh-grown carrots too!
Jump to:
💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Convenient and easy. Using boxed cake mix cuts down on prep, dishes, and time while still delivering great results every time. We even use this method for Cake Mix Blueberry Muffins.
- Big flavor with less work. The spice cake mix creates light, fluffy muffins with plenty of flavor. Add raisins or chopped walnuts if you want an extra tasty bite.
- Beginner friendly. Perfect for novice bakers or anyone wanting a simple recipe. With just a few ingredients and easy steps, these muffins are nearly foolproof.
🛒 Ingredients
Spice cake mix. A boxed spice cake mix creates the base and provides warm spices. It's the same flavor we use in our 4 Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies.
Carrots. Freshly shredded carrots add moisture and texture. Use a few large carrots, and a food processor grater makes shredding quick and easy.
Vegetable oil. Adds the fat needed to keep the muffins light, fluffy, and moist.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Buy whole carrots, not pre-shredded. Whole carrots are significantly cheaper per pound and grate easily at home. Extra carrots can be used for soups, stir-fries, or snacking later in the week.
Watch for cake mix sales. Spice cake mix often drops to $1 or less during holiday baking seasons. Stock up when you see a good deal since it has a long shelf life.
Use water if milk prices are high. Milk adds richness, but water works just fine if you need to cut costs. You can also use powdered milk mixed with water.
🥄 Instructions for Cake Mix Carrot Muffins
Step 1: Wash, peel, and grate your large carrots, and set aside.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tray with muffin paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 3: Combine the cake dry mix, milk, eggs, oil, and grated carrots in a large mixing bowl until no dry clumps remain.
Step 4: Spoon the batter into muffin tray cups, filling them about ⅔rds of the way full.
Step 5: Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
Step 6: Let them cool completely on a wire rack and keep them stored in an airtight container for maximum freshness.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Not too difficult. With these cake mix muffins, you'll find the recipe closely mirrors what's on the box. Ingredients and baking time stay consistent.
- Muffins and cupcakes? They're basically twins! The biggest difference is the frosting. Frosting transforms cupcakes. Or as we like to say "muffins are just ugly cupcakes."
- Water vs Milk. Switching water for milk improves the moisture and flavor. You can use dairy free milk alternatives and receive the same tasty results.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve Cake Mix Carrot Muffins with yogurt, fresh fruit, or a cup of coffee or tea. These muffins also pair well with scrambled eggs for a simple breakfast or snack.
- Strawberry Blueberry ParfaitRecipe $2.97 / Serving $1.49
- Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and TomatoesRecipe $2.25 / Serving $1.13
- Strawberry Banana Orange SmoothieRecipe $1.67 / Serving $0.84
- How to Make Frozen HashbrownsRecipe $2.23 / Serving $0.56
❓ Recipe FAQs
You can freeze muffins in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Simply place a muffin on the counter for about 30 minutes to thaw before eating.
These carrot muffins can last about 3 if kept stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
I recommend sticking with flavorless oil when it comes to flavorful muffins like this. These carrot cake muffins will be lighter and fluffier and allow the spiced carrots to really shine as a result.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Bakery Style Strawberry MuffinsRecipe $5.47 / Serving $0.37
- Spiced Pear MuffinsRecipe $5.01 / Serving $0.42
- Easy Vanilla MuffinsRecipe $2.98 / Serving $0.12
- Old Fashioned Blueberry MuffinsRecipe $5.29 / Serving $0.22
🐝 If you tried these Cake Mix Carrot Muffins, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Cake Mix Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
Carrot Muffins
- 2 cups carrots, grated - ($1.08)
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) spice cake mix - ($1.68)
- 1 cup milk - ($0.20)
- 3 large eggs - ($0.45)
- ½ cup vegetable oil - ($0.35)
Optional Add-Ins
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour - ($0.07)
- ¼ cup brown sugar - ($0.11)
- ¼ cup old-fashioned oats - ($0.02)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed - ($0.50)
Instructions
- Prep carrots. Wash, peel, and grate the carrots. Set aside.
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with liners or grease well.
- Make batter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry cake mix, milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and grated carrots until smooth and no dry spots remain. Fold in raisins or walnuts if using.
- Fill muffin pan. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling about ⅔ full.
- Make streusel. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and oats. Cut in the cold butter until coarse crumbs form.
- Top muffins. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the muffin batter.
- Bake. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack before storing.
Notes
- Milk choice. Milk adds moisture and richness compared to water. Dairy-free milk works just as well.
- Storage. Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing. Freeze muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating.
Nutritional Information
Save This Recipe to Your Inbox
Enter your email and we'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you'll join our email list and can unsubscribe anytime.
Comments
No Comments