Carrot Cake Cupcakes

July 2024 · 5 minute read

Moist, fluffy, and warmly spiced, these carrot cake cupcakes are an easy, delicious treat! Tangy cream cheese frosting takes them over the top.

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Carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

These carrot cake cupcakes are the fun-size version of my favorite spring dessert: carrot cake! I love to bring them to parties and gatherings because they’re

  • easy to make,
  • perfect for sharing, and
  • sooo delicious.
  • Just like a great slice of carrot cake, these carrot cupcakes are soft, moist, warmly spiced, and packed with fresh carrots. Rich, tangy cream cheese frosting takes them over the top.

    Carrot Cake Cupcakes Ingredients

    Here’s what you’ll need to make this carrot cake cupcake recipe:

    If you want to decorate the cupcakes, you’ll need cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and more vanilla extract. Use these simple ingredients to make my cream cheese frosting recipe!

    If you’d like the frosting to be dairy-free, make this vegan frosting recipe instead.

    Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

    Shredding The Carrots

    Before you start mixing up the cupcake batter, you’ll need to shred the carrots.

    You have a few options for how to do this:

    I personally like to use a box grater because I like not having to haul out my food processor to make this recipe!

    How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    I love how simple this carrot cake cupcake recipe is to make. No mixer required! Here’s how it goes:

    First, prepare your pan. Lightly spray or oil a 12-cup muffin pan, or line it with paper liners. While you’re working, preheat the oven to 400°F.

    Next, whisk together the wet ingredients in one mixing bowl and the dry ingredients in another. Fold the grated carrots into the wet ingredients.

    Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Careful not to overmix! If you do, the cupcakes will be dense.

    Finally, bake! Divide the batter among the muffin cups and transfer to the hot oven. Bake until the tops spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Top with cream cheese frosting, and enjoy!

    Carrot Cake Cupcakes Tips

    Recipe Variations

    Do you love your carrot cake with raisins or nuts? Feel free to add them to the cupcakes! Fold 1/2 cup raisins and/or chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter before you divide it among the muffin cups.

    I also like to sprinkle the frosted cupcakes with chopped pecans for crunch.

    More Carrot Dessert Recipes

    If you love these carrot cake cupcakes, try one of these easy carrot dessert recipes next:

    Carrot Cake Cupcakes

    rate this recipe:5 from 16 votesPrep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Serves 12Save Recipe Print RecipePacked with warm spices and fresh carrots, these carrot cake cupcakes have a delicious flavor and moist crumb. We love them plain, but they're also fantastic with cream cheese frosting on top!

    Ingredients

    Instructions

    Notes

    We updated this recipe on 2/20/24 after requests for a nut-free version. It previously called for 1/2 cup almond flour. If you'd like to make the original recipe, add 1/2 cup almond flour to the dry ingredients. Mix an additional 1/3 cup milk into the wet ingredients.

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