Carrot Zucchini Light Cream Cheese (Print Version)

Moist muffins with grated carrot, zucchini, and a delicate swirl of lightly sweetened cream cheese.

# What You'll 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 packed light brown sugar
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

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease with oil.
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 bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
04 - Add grated carrot and zucchini to the wet ingredient mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
05 - Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain a tender crumb structure.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
07 - In a small bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
08 - Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of each muffin. Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl the topping into the batter.
09 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin (avoiding the cream cheese layer) comes out clean.
10 - Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They stay impossibly moist even on day three, thanks to the grated vegetables and applesauce working quietly in the background.
  • The cream cheese swirl looks fancy but requires zero baking skills, just a toothpick and thirty seconds of your time.
  • You can eat one guilt-free for breakfast and no one will judge you, because technically there's produce in here.
02 -
  • Squeeze your zucchini dry or your muffins will end up dense and soggy—I once skipped this step thinking I was being efficient and spent the rest of the day disappointed.
  • Don't overmix once you combine wet and dry; fold until just combined, and if a few flour streaks remain that's perfect, because they'll disappear in the oven while overmixing creates tough rubbery muffins.
  • The cream cheese swirl should be thin enough to spread but thick enough to hold its shape; if it's too thin it disappears entirely, and if it's too thick it won't swirl properly.
03 -
  • Use a toothpick to test doneness only in the cake part, never in the cream cheese, because the cheese won't come out clean even when the muffin is fully baked.
  • Room temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable for a smooth swirl; cold cream cheese will be lumpy and impossible to spread evenly into the batter.
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