Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe

 These Carrot Cake Cupcakes are soft, fluffy and moist. Made from scratch with shredded carrot and spices and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. You won’t be able to stop at just one!

The Best Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe

My Carrot Cake Recipe is an all time favorite of mine and one my most popular recipes so I though it was time to share my Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. They’re simple and easy to make yourself, turn out perfect every single time and are just pain delicious!

 

I like my cupcakes pain but there is options to add raisins, crushed pineapple or nuts to the batter if you prefer a little more texture. They’re best topped with tangy cream cheese frosting but if you don’t have any cream cheese on hand a lemon frosting will also pair really nicely.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe Video Tutorial

Watch the video below for a full tutorial for how to make these Carrot Cake Cupcakes

 

Tips for making Carrot Cake Cupcakes

• Always use freshly shredded carrots. The carrots provide so much of the moisture to these cupcakes and pre shredded carrots tend to be pretty dry and almost rubbery which will lead to a dry cupcake.
• If you have a food processor with a grating or shredding tool it makes quick work of the carrots!
• This recipe works best for cupcakes but if you do want to make a Carrot Cake you can follow my Carrot Cake Recipe here. 

Carrot Cake Cupcakes Variations

Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe

These Carrot Cake Cupcakes don’t contain any dairy in the cupcake batter as they use oil instead of butter. Simply replace the eggs with a chia seed egg or a flaxseed egg and substitute a lemon frosting for the cream cheese frosting. 

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe

To make these Carrot Cake Cupcakes gluten free simply change the standard all purpose flour to a gluten free flour. 

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Pineapple Recipe

Crushed pineapple can be added to cupcake batter along with raisins and nuts. Add 1 cup of crushed pineapple to the wet ingredients.

Carrot Cake Cupcake Ingredients

3 Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature for this recipe. If you keep them in the fridge just remove them about an hour before you start baking. 

2/3 Cup / 150ml Oil – A neutral oil like Canola, Vegetable, Grapeseed or Sunflower works best for this recipe. Try to stay away from Olive Oil as it has a strong flavor which will transfer to the finished cupcakes. 

1 1/2 Cups / 300g White Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 Cups / 190g Flour – Use an all purpose or standard flour, not self raising flour.

1 teaspoon Baking Soda – Baking soda is used as it will react with the acids from the carrot. Do not confuse this with baking powder which contains an acid. 

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt – A small amount of salt helps to round out the flavors. 

2 Cups / 200g Shredded Carrot – Freshly shred or grate your own carrots for this recipe. Pre shredded carrots lack the moisture needed for the cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

7 oz / 200g Cream Cheese – The cream cheese needs to be at room temperature. It’s harder to whip up if its cold and has a tendency to seperate when the other ingredients are added. 

1 Stick / 113g Butter – Same as the cream cheese, make sure it’s room temperature. 

3 Cups / 375g Powdered Sugar – Powdered Sugar, Confectioners Sugar and Icing Sugar are all the same ingredient just different names in different parts of the world. 

How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the eggs, oil and sugar with a whisk. Set the bowl to the side while we work on the dry ingredients. 

In a larger mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon and salt together.

Shred the carrot using a box grater or a shredding tool on a food processor. Add the carrot and the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Using a wooden spoon fold the cupcake batter together just until you no longer see any dry flour. 

Using a Cookie Scoop divide the carrot cake cupcake batter between a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners.

Bake in a 180C / 350F oven for about 25 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed in the center. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.

 

While the cupcakes are cooling make the cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if you are using a hand mixer add in the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the butter and continue beating for a further 2 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar and beat for about 5 minutes until the cream cheese frosting is light and fluffy. Use a piping bag to pipe the cupcakes and top with a few chopped walnuts for some texture.

Common Questions about these Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Can I make this carrot cake recipe into a carrot cake?

This Carrot Cake Cupcake recipe is slightly different to my Carrot Cake Recipe. The texture of the batter is a little thicker but the flavour is just the same. If you would like to make a Carrot Cake I would recommend following my Carrot Cake recipe instead.

How long do these Carrot Cake Cupcakes stay fresh?

They will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for about 3 days.

Can I make these cupcakes into Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes?

Yes you can! The Carrot Cake Cupcake batter doesn’t contain any dairy as it uses oil instead of eggs. Simply replace the eggs with a chia seed egg or a flaxseed egg to make these vegan. Unfortunately the Cream Cheese Frosting isn’t able to be made vegan but you can top these with a lemon frosting instead. 

Equipment to make these Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Digital Scales – Digital scales are the easiest and most accurate way to measure ingredients. I’ve given the recipe amounts in metric and imperial so if you do want to use measuring cups instead you can. 

Mixing Bowl – This is my favorite brand of mixing bowls! The patterns are so lovely and the quality of the bowls are perfect.

Cupcake Pan – Here is the cupcake pan I use, I’ve had it for years and it works perfectly!

Stand Mixer – The Carrot Cake Cupcakes can be made in a bowl but to make the cream cheese frosting or any other type of buttercream I would recommend using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. 

More Cupcake Recipes

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream