Perfect Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These carrot cake cupcakes are super easy to make and taste great! They are topped with my decadently rich cream cheese frosting!
How It’s Made
If you’ve never made cupcakes before, start with my post on how to make cupcakes before moving on.
Start by mixing the dry ingredients – sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. The cardamom is totally optional, but if you like that flavor, you’ll love it here.
Add carrots. You want very finely chopped carrots (about the size of a grain of rice). The easiest way to chop carrots is by using a food processor. If you don’t have one, use a box grater to make grated carrots instead.
Next, add drained crushed pineapple and mix to combine. The pineapple helps to make the cupcakes super moist!
Add shredded coconut and mix on medium-high speed to combine. (You can leave the coconut off if you don’t like the taste of it.)
After those ingredients are mixed together, add the oil and butter. I use unrefined coconut oil, as I like the mild coconut flavor. However, you can substitute any mild tasting oil of your choice. Avocado oil and vegetable oil are both good choices.
Lastly, mix in eggs and all-purpose flour.
Divide the batter evenly between twelve cupcake liners. You want to fill each one about 3/4 full.
Now, it’s time to bake! Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 F. You’ll know they are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Expert Tips and FAQs
Frosting Options
While cream cheese frosting is the obvious, classic choice for carrot cake cupcakes, I encourage you to try cinnamon cream cheese frosting or perhaps a caramel buttercream.
After the frosting is on, sprinkle some chopped pecans on top – or top with candied carrot curls.
You can also break up the curls to make little carrot sprinkles – super cute!
For a more traditional option, top your carrot cake cupcakes with a sugar carrot decoration like Handle the Heat does.
These ingredients are all optional, but I think they really enhance the texture and flavor of the cupcakes.
You can use any oil that you like in these cupcakes. If you don’t want to use coconut oil, I recommend you go with something neutral like vegetable oil.
Leave at room temperature for up to three days or refrigerate for up to one week. If you’re concerned about leaving cream cheese out at all, put the cupcakes in the refrigerator and set out prior to eating so they come to room temperature. You can also freeze unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for months.
Related Recipes
- Carrot cake
- Healthy carrot cake (This one is gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo diet friendly.)
- Carrot curd
- Carrot cake whoopie pies from The Novice Chef (They are adorable!)
- Chocolate carrot cake
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Carrot Cupcakes Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots about 2 large carrots, food processed until the size of couscous
- 1 cup drained crushed pineapple
- 1 cup shredded coconut optional
- 1/2 cup raisins optional
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans optional
- 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cupcake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, combine everything but oil, butter, eggs, and flour.
- Add oil and butter and stir vigorously to combine.
- Add eggs one at a time, combining well after each addition.
- Add flour in 2 batches, mixing until just combined.
- Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners and divide batter evenly between them. It should come almost all of the way to the top.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.
- Remove cupcakes from tin immediately and set on a cooling rack to cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions
- Use an electric mixer to mix cream cheese and butter until creamy and light, about three minutes on high speed.
- Mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time. You can add more or less to get your desired consistency.
- Mix in vanilla until fully integrated.
- Spread or pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
- Leave at room temperature for up to three days or refrigerate for up to one week.
Notes
- Leave off any of the optional ingredients.
- Swap out a different kind of oil if you don’t like coconut oil.
- Make sure that the cream cheese is at room temperature when making the cream cheese frosting.
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