Sourdough Carrot Coffee Cake Muffins

Carrot cake is one of my favorite spring desserts, and I am also a huge coffee cake lover. So I had the idea to take my Sourdough Brown Butter Carrot Cake batter and combine it with a sweet cinnamon ripple, then top it with a buttery crumble and finish it with a sweet cream cheese glaze. All of that goodness comes together in these Sourdough Carrot Cake Muffins. After a few trials, I was able to improve this recipe to get that perfect muffin top and soft crumb. The results are perfection; soft, warmly spiced muffins with that classic carrot cake flavor with a cozy coffee cake twist. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Note: This recipe has been changed from the original to improve the muffins and prevent sinking.

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Why Use Sourdough Starter in Muffins?

Using sourdough discard in muffins adds a flavor, enhances moisture retention, and makes the crumb softer and more tender. The optional fermentation process also helps break down gluten, making these muffins easier to digest.

Do I have to long-ferment these Sourdough Carrot Coffee Cake Muffins?

No! You can mix up this batter and bake immediately if you want muffins quickly. Just skip the fermentation step!

As an amazon affiliate this post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for qualifying purchases. I will only recommend products that I personally love and use.

Tools You’ll Need:

1. Standard 12-cup muffin tin- for baking muffins. I love these pans from USA Bakeware linked here.
2. Muffin liners- to avoid burned edges. I love these bakery style parchment muffin liners linked here that are non-stick.
3. Digital kitchen scale (optional)– for accurate measuring, especially helpful with sourdough baking. I linked the one I like here.
4. Box grater or food processor– for grating carrots. I like this grater linked here.
5. Measuring cups and spoons- if not using a scale, and for smaller ingredients.
6. 2 Tablespoon scoop – for scooping batter. I love this scoop for muffins linked here.
7. Mixing bowls- for batter, crumble, ripple, and glaze.
8. Microplane or zester– for zesting orange. I love this hand held zester linked here.
9. Hand mixer or sturdy whisk- for mixing batter.
10. Cooling rack– to cool muffins.

Gather Your Ingredients:

1. Sourdough starter- (can use flat or past peak, can be cold or room temperature). Adds depth of flavor and moisture without making these muffins “sour”. Key for fermentation if you’re resting the batter overnight.
2. Avocado Oil- Adds moisture and keeps the muffins soft and tender. You can substitute for any neutral cooking oil.
3. Unsalted Butter- adds richness and moisture to the batter, and creates the right texture for the crumble. You’ll also use butter in the cream cheese glaze.
4. Carrots- I recommend grating fresh carrots very finely for the best texture in these muffins. I don’t recommend buying pre-shredded carrots.
5. Whole milk or buttermilk- used to add moisture and create a soft muffin. I like to use buttermilk, but you can also use whole milk or any dairy substitute if needed.
6. Sour Cream- Adds moisture and softens the muffins.
7. White Sugar- used to sweeten the muffins, crumble, and the ripple.
8. Brown Sugar- added to the batter, crumble, and ripple for a caramelized depth of flavor.
9. Vanilla extract– Enhances the flavor and brings warmth.
10. Maple Flavoring (optional)- something about a kick of maple in these muffins that I absolutely love! This is entirely optional, but I love this maple extract linked here.
11. Orange- the zest of one orange is my secret ingredient that adds a touch of floral citrus to this batter.
12. Egg + egg yolk (room temperature)– provide structure and lift with moisture, works as a binder for ingredients.
13. All-Purpose Flour- Gives the muffins structure while keeping it soft and light. Used to thicken the crumble and the ripple.
14. Baking powder + Baking soda– Ensures the right rise and lift domes for the muffins.
15. Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, and Cardamom- used to perfectly spice the muffins, crumble, and ripple layer.
16. Salt- Balances sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
17. Cream Cheese- needed to make that sweet glaze. Do not substitute with spread, and use a full-fat cream cheese.
18. Powdered Sugar- used to sweeten and thicken the cream cheese glaze.

Instructions

Step 1: Grate the Carrots

Wash and dry the carrots, and trim the ends. Using the fine side of a box grater, grate the carrots until you have very small shreds. I recommend grating them fresh rather than using pre-shredded carrots because the finer texture blends better into the batter and prevents large chunks in the muffins.

Transfer the grated carrots to a clean lint-free kitchen towel or a paper towel, and gently squeeze to soak up excess moisture. This quick step helps keep the muffins light and prevents the centers from becoming too wet or dense. Set aside the carrots while you prepare the batter.

Step 2: Mix the Muffin Batter

In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, avocado oil, egg, egg yolk, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, white sugar, brown sugar, milk, sour cream, maple flavoring (if using) and the zest of an orange.

Whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth and combined.

In a separate mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. Whisk the dry ingredients together until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk the batter until just combined and no streaks remain. It’s important to avoid overmixing the batter at this stage, or you’ll overwork the gluten and have a tough muffin.

Add the shredded carrots to the muffin batter, and gently fold into the muffin dough with a spatula until the carrots are mixed in.

Overnight Ferment Option: At this point you have the choice to ferment the batter overnight. If fermenting the batter overnight, cover the bowl with plastic and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.

Step 3: Prepare the Crumble and Cinnamon Ripple

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter for the crumble for 30 seconds. Whisk to combine.

Add the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt to the butter. Mix together with a fork or spoon until a crumbly mixture forms.

If the mixture looks too wet, add 1-2 Tablespoons of flour and combine until the crumble is clumpy and sandy. Set the crumble aside until you’re ready to assemble the muffins.

In a separate small bowl combine the brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt for the ripple. Set aside for later.

Step 4: Assemble and Bake the Muffins

If you’re batter was fermenting in the refrigerator overnight, allow to rest at room temperature for an hour to warm up. Gently fold the batter after it has warmed up to pop any gas bubbles before scooping. Skip this step if you aren’t fermenting the batter overnight.

Preheat your oven to 425°F (175°C).

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment papers, and lightly spray with oil to avoid muffins sticking to the parchment.

Using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop (or you can measure 1/8 cup), fill the bottom of each lined muffin cup with the carrot cake muffin batter. If needed, smooth out the batter with a spoon to make sure it’s filling the bottom of the muffin pan.

Sprinkle 1 spoonful of the cinnamon sugar ripple on top of the batter.

Scoop another 2 Tablespoons or 1/8th cup of muffin batter on top of the layer of cinnamon sugar. If needed, smooth the batter to reach the edges and cover the ripple.

Continue this step until all of the muffin tins are filled with batter.

Sprinkle the tops of the muffins generously with a spoonful of the crumble topping, and gently tap the tops with your fingers to make sure the crumble sticks to the muffin tops.

Bake for 6 minutes at 425 F, then drop the heat to 350 F and bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely while you prepare the glaze.

Note about baking temperatures: Baking for 5 minutes at a higher heat gives muffins a more domed, bakery-style appearance. If you would like to skip this step, you can bake your muffins at 350 F for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 5: Glaze the Muffins

Make sure your cream cheese and butter are room temperature. Transfer them both to a mixing bowl, and using hand beaters beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.

Add the powdered sugar to the glaze, and mix on low with the hand beaters.

Next, add the vanilla, salt, and milk to the glaze. Whip on low to combine, then increase the speed to high and beat the icing until it’s formed a smooth consistency.

You want a glaze that drizzles off the spoon, if needed microwave the glaze for 30 seconds and beat again to thin the glaze and reach the desired consistency. Repeat this step until the glazed is the consistency you like.

Drizzle the cream cheese glazed over the tops of the cooled muffins, and allow the glaze to setup for 15-20 minutes to harden.

And the last step? Enjoy your muffins! Happy baking!

Yields 12 large muffins

How to Store:

Room Temperature– Store muffins in an airtight container on counter for up to 1 day. The cream cheese icing requires these to be refrigerated after that time.

Refrigerator: Store muffins in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to five days. Gently warm to enjoy.

Freezer– Freeze muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw and gently reheat in oven or microwave to serve.

FAQ’S:

Drop a comment and leave a review if you loved this recipe and don’t forget to try more of my sourdough muffin recipes!

Sourdough Muffins You’ll Love:

1. Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake Muffins
2. Sourdough Blueberry Lemon Crumble Muffins
3. Sourdough Banana Crumble Muffins

Sourdough Carrot Coffee Cake Muffins

Joselyn Buehler

These Sourdough Carrot Coffee Cake Muffins are soft, moist, and warmly spiced with the most delicious brown sugar ripple and buttery crumble to top them off. Finished with a sweet cream cheese glaze, they combine the cozy flavors of carrot cake and coffee cake into one irresistible muffin.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Fermentation time 12 hours hrs

Servings 12

Equipment

• Standard 12-cup muffin tin – for baking muffins. I love these pans from USA Bakeware linked here.
• Muffin liners – to avoid burned edges. I love these bakery style parchment muffin liners linked here that are non-stick.
• Microplane or zester – for zesting orange. I love this hand held zester linked here.
• 2 Tablespoon scoop – for scooping batter. I love this scoop for muffins linked here.
• Measuring cups and spoons – if not using a scale, and for smaller ingredients.
• Cheese grater or food processor – for grating carrots.
• Kitchen scale (optional) – for accurate measuring, especially helpful with sourdough baking. I linked the one like here.
• Mixing bowls – for batter, crumble, ripple, and glaze.
• Hand mixer or sturdy whisk – for mixing batter.
• Cooling rack – to cool muffins.

Ingredients

  

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Wet Ingredients:

• ¼ (57g) cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• ¼ (50g) cup avocado oil
• ¼ (75g) cup sourdough discard
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp maple flavoring optional
• ¼ (60g) cup granulated sugar
• ½ (120g) cup packed brown sugar
• ⅓ (70g) cup whole milk
• ¼ (60g) cup sour cream
• 1½ tsp orange zest
• 1 (110g) cup carrots finely grated

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 (250g) cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp cardamom

Crumble Topping:

• ½ (60g) cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ (50g) cup brown sugar
• ¼ (50g) cup granulated sugar
• ¼ (57g) cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp salt pinch

Cinnamon Sugar Ripple:

• ¼ (50g) cup brown sugar
• ¼ (50g) cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 (16g) tbsp flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cardamom optional

Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 1 (28g) oz full-fat cream cheese softened
• 1 (14g) tbsp unsalted butter softened
• ½ (60g) cup powdered sugar
• 4 (60g) Tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp sea salt a pinch

Instructions

 

Step 1: Grate the Carrots

• Wash and dry the carrots, and trim the ends. Using the fine side of a box grater, grate the carrots until you have very small shreds. I recommend grating them fresh rather than using pre-shredded carrots because the finer texture blends better into the batter and prevents large chunks in the muffins.
  1 (110g) cup carrots
• Transfer the grated carrots to a clean lint-free kitchen towel or a paper towel, and gently squeeze to soak up excess moisture. This quick step helps keep the muffins light and prevents the centers from becoming too wet or dense. Set aside the carrots while you prepare the batter.

Step 2: Mix the Muffin Batter

• In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, avocado oil, egg, egg yolk, sourdough discard, vanilla extract, white sugar, brown sugar, milk, sour cream, maple flavoring (if using) and the zest of an orange.
  ¼ (57g) cup unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, ¼ (50g) cup avocado oil, ¼ (75g) cup sourdough discard, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp maple flavoring, ¼ (60g) cup granulated sugar, ½ (120g) cup packed brown sugar, ⅓ (70g) cup whole milk, ¼ (60g) cup sour cream, 1½ tsp orange zest
• Whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth and combined.
• In a separate mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. Whisk the dry ingredients together until combined.
  2 (250g) cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp salt, 1½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp cardamom
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk the batter until just combined and no streaks remain. It’s important to avoid overmixing the batter at this stage, or you’ll overwork the gluten and have a tough muffin.
• Add the shredded carrots to the muffin batter, and gently fold into the muffin dough with a spatula until the carrots are mixed in.
• Overnight Ferment Option: At this point you have the choice to ferment the batter overnight. If fermenting the batter overnight, cover the bowl with plastic and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.

Step 3: Prepare the Crumble and Cinnamon Ripple

• In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter for the crumble for 30 seconds. Whisk to combine.
  ¼ (57g) cup unsalted butter
• Add the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt to the butter. Mix together with a fork or spoon until a crumbly mixture forms.
  ½ (60g) cup all-purpose flour, ¼ (50g) cup brown sugar, ¼ (50g) cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp salt
• If the mixture looks too wet, add 1-2 Tablespoons of flour and combine until the crumble is clumpy and sandy. Set the crumble aside until you’re ready to assemble the muffins.
• In a separate small bowl combine the brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt for the ripple. Set aside for later.
  ¼ (50g) cup brown sugar, ¼ (50g) cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 2 (16g) tbsp flour, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cardamom

Step 4: Assemble and Bake the Muffins

• If you’re batter was fermenting in the refrigerator overnight, allow to rest at room temperature for an hour to warm up. Gently fold the batter after it has warmed up to pop any gas bubbles before scooping. Skip this step if you aren’t fermenting the batter overnight.
• Preheat your oven to 425°F (175°C).
• Line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment papers, and lightly spray with oil to avoid muffins sticking to the parchment.
• Using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop (or you can measure 1/8 cup), fill the bottom of each lined muffin cup with the carrot cake muffin batter. If needed, smooth out the batter with a spoon to make sure it’s filling the bottom of the muffin pan.
• Sprinkle 1 spoonful of the cinnamon sugar ripple on top of the batter.
• Scoop another 2 Tablespoons or 1/8th cup of muffin batter on top of the layer of cinnamon sugar. If needed, smooth the batter to reach the edges and cover the ripple.
• Continue this step until all of the muffin tins are filled with batter.
• Sprinkle the tops of the muffins generously with a spoonful of the crumble topping, and gently tap the tops with your fingers to make sure the crumble sticks to the muffin tops.
• Bake for 6 minutes at 425 F, then drop the heat to 350 F and bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely while you prepare the glaze.
• Note about baking temperatures: Baking for 5 minutes at a higher heat gives muffins a more domed, bakery-style appearance. If you would like to skip this step, you can bake your muffins at 350 F for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 5: Glaze the Muffins

• Make sure your cream cheese and butter are room temperature. Transfer them both to a mixing bowl, and using hand beaters beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.
  1 (28g) oz full-fat cream cheese, 1 (14g) tbsp unsalted butter
• Add the powdered sugar to the glaze, and mix on low with the hand beaters.
  ½ (60g) cup powdered sugar
• Next, add the vanilla, salt, and milk to the glaze. Whip on low to combine, then increase the speed to high and beat the icing until it’s formed a smooth consistency.
  1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp sea salt, 4 (60g) Tbsp whole milk
• You want a glaze that drizzles off the spoon, if needed microwave the glaze for 30 seconds and beat again to thin the glaze and reach the desired consistency. Repeat this step until the glazed is the consistency you like.
• Drizzle the cream cheese glazed over the tops of the cooled muffins, and allow the glaze to setup for 15-20 minutes to harden.
• Yields 12 large muffins

Notes

How to Store:

Room Temperature- Store muffins in an airtight container on counter for up to 1 day. The cream cheese icing requires these to be refrigerated after that time.

Refrigerator: Store muffins in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to five days. Gently warm to enjoy.

Freezer- Freeze muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw and gently reheat in oven or microwave to serve.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!