These Carrot Cake Cruffins combine the flaky goodness of pastries with the cozy flavors of carrot cake. Filled with a sweet, spiced carrot filling and topped with creamy frosting, they’re a treat everyone will love!
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast in a large bowl.
Add the eggs, melted butter, and milk, mixing until a soft dough forms.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, then cover and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Make the Filling:
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
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 a tablespoon of water or milk if needed. Set aside to cool.
Make the Topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Assemble the Cruffins:
Roll the risen dough into a rectangle about 15 x 8 inches. Trim the edges if necessary.
Spread the carrot filling evenly over the dough.
Roll the dough tightly into a log and cut it into 12 equal pieces, about 2–3 inches thick.
Grease a cruffins pan and place each piece into a slot. Let them rise in a warm place for 30–40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bake the cruffins for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Drizzle or spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cruffins.
Notes
To save time, you can use store-bought crescent dough.If you don't have cardamom, you can omit completely or use nutmeg or all spice in it's place.