Carrot Zucchini Light Cream Cheese (Printable Version)

Moist muffins with fresh grated carrot, zucchini, and a light cream cheese swirl topping.

# 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 light brown sugar, packed
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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease each cup.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth.
04 - Add grated carrot and zucchini to the wet ingredient mixture and stir until combined.
05 - Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
07 - In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
08 - Spoon about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture onto each muffin. Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl gently into the batter.
09 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin body comes out clean.
10 - Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They stay incredibly moist for days, which means you can actually make them ahead without that disappointing dry-muffin situation.
  • The cream cheese swirl tastes indulgent but the whole thing is genuinely good for you, so you don't have to feel guilty about grabbing two.
  • No fancy equipment or skills needed, just a whisk and about 20 minutes of your time.
02 -
  • Squeezing your zucchini is non-negotiable or you'll end up with waterlogged muffins that taste mushy instead of tender.
  • Cream cheese needs to be soft before you beat it, or you'll have little chunks that ruin the swirl—leave it on the counter for 30 minutes if needed.
03 -
  • Let your cream cheese swirl sit in the muffin for a full minute before swirling so it doesn't blend completely into the batter and disappear.
  • A toothpick or thin skewer makes prettier swirls than a knife, which tends to drag through too aggressively and breaks the batter.
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