Carrot Cake Cruffins
Looking for a fun twist on your usual breakfast pastry?
These carrot cake cruffins combine the flakiness of a croissant with the portability of a muffin—and they’re packed with the warm, sweet flavors of carrot cake.
The filling features grated carrots cooked with brown sugar and spices, while a tangy cream cheese topping adds the perfect finishing touch.
While they take some time to make, most of it is hands-off as the dough rises.
The end result is worth the wait: fresh-baked cruffins that will make your kitchen smell amazing and give you a delicious start to your day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These carrot cruffins offer the best of both worlds—the buttery, flaky layers of a croissant with the sweet, spiced filling of a carrot cake. The cream cheese topping makes them feel like a special treat, but the carrots and walnuts add nutrition and substance.
While they look impressive enough for a special brunch or holiday breakfast, the recipe is straightforward enough for any home baker to tackle.
The dough is forgiving and the filling comes together quickly on the stovetop. Plus, you can adjust the sweetness and spices to your taste.
Make a batch on Sunday and enjoy them throughout the week … if they last that long!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the dough:
- 3 cups all- purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup milk
- 4tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 package instant yeast
- Pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 2 cups carrots, grated
- 2tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2tbsp raisins
- 2tbsp walnuts chopped
- 1tbsp lemon zest
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 2 cardamom pods crushed
For the topping:
- 1 cup cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice
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How to Make Carrot Cruffins
Make the dough:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, salt, and instant yeast.
- Add the eggs, melted butter, and milk.
- Knead the mixture into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Make the filling:
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter.
- Add the grated carrots and sauté briefly.
- Stir in the brown sugar, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, cardamom, and lemon zest. Cook until the carrots are tender, adding 1 tbsp of water or milk if necessary. Set aside to cool.
Make the topping:
- In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice.
- Mix until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Assemble the muffins:
- Once the dough has doubled, roll it into a rectangle approximately 15 x 8 inches. Trim edges if needed.
- Spread the carrot filling evenly over the dough.
- Roll the dough tightly into a log and cut into 12 pieces, about 2–3 inches thick.
Prepare for Baking
- Grease a cruffins pan and place each piece into a slot.
- Let the cruffins rise in a warm place for 30–40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake the cruffins for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Allow the cruffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Add the Topping:
- Drizzle or spread the cream cheese topping over the cooled cruffins.
- Serve and enjoy!
Carrot Cake Cruffins
These Carrot Cruffins combine the best of flaky pastries and sweet spiced carrot cake. Filled with a warm, cinnamon-spiced carrot mixture and topped with a creamy lemon-infused frosting, they’re the perfect treat for brunch or dessert!
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12 cruffins
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes (including rise time)
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
