Halloween muffins recipe

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These halloween muffins are made with grated carrot and topped with gruesome sweets so they appeal to mums and kids alike.

Halloween muffins
  • healthy
Makes12
SkillEasy
Preparation Time20 mins
Cooking Time25 mins (plus 5 mins cooling time)
Total Time1 hours (including decorating time)
Cost RangeCheap
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories417 Kcal21%
Sugar37.7 g42%
Fat22.5 g32%
Saturated Fat4.3 g22%
Salt0.11 gRow 4 - Cell 2
Protein3.8 g8%
Carbohydrates49.8 g19%
Salt0.11 gRow 7 - Cell 2

Make these delicious Halloween muffins with grated carrot, cinnamon, and walnuts. Top with a vibrant orange cream cheese frosting.

While you've undoubtedly heard of pumpkin muffins for Halloween, carrot muffins bring a different orangey flair into your baking and they're packed with nutrients too. Which is why this is one of our favourite Halloween food ideas. Once baked, leave these Halloween muffins to cool, before adding your favourite icing and spooky shapes. We've decorated our muffins with sprinkles and jelly sweets, which make them completely irresistible to children. You could also use chocolates and other gruesome Halloween treats to top these muffins.

Ingredients

  • 200g / 7oz soft light brown sugar
  • 200ml / 7floz sunflower oil
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 200g / 7oz plain flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 200g / 7oz carrots, peeled and grated
  • 50g / 2oz walnut pieces, chopped
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

To decorate:

  • 225g / 8oz icing sugar, sifted
  • 25g / 1oz unsalted butter
  • 75g / 3oz chilled full fat cream cheese
  • Food colouring
  • Colour sprinkles and jelly sweets

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3. Line a deep 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
  2. Place the sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl, then beat together with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Sift over the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon then fold in until well mixed. Fold in the carrots, walnuts and vanilla essence.
  3. Divide the mixture between the paper cake cases. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 mins or until golden, risen and the middle bounces back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. For the icing: Use an electric whisk to beat the icing sugar and butter together in a large bowl until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and briefly beat together again until just combined. Don't overbeat or it will become runny. Spread the icing over the muffins, then let the kids go mad icing the cakes with spooky jelly sweets and sprinkles.

Top tips for making Halloween muffins:

How can I get my Halloween muffins to rise better?

Try this trick - preheat your oven to a slightly higher temperature: 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. Put your muffins in for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to the one indicated above. This activates the rising ingredients more effectively and should give you a great, bouncy texture without burning the tops of the muffins.

Why is oil better than butter in muffins?

Because oil is liquid at room temperature, it adds a lovely light moistness to the sponge. This is especially important in muffins where the sponge can be denser than in a fairy cake.

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Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies