Soft, fluffy, and moist carrot cake cupcakes! Made completely from scratch with real grated carrots and the option to add nuts or raisins, these cupcakes are always a hit! Make sure to top them off with the absolute best cream cheese frosting.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes will forever be my favorite way to get my daily serving of vegetables. Give me a cupcake and a zucchini muffin for each hand and I’ve got the bottom of the food pyramid covered.
Alright, maybe carrot cake cupcakes aren’t the best way to get your daily vegetables, but it’s definitely the tastiest, especially when topped off with a very generous swirl of cream cheese frosting. They’re soft, moist, and cheerfully fluffy, these cupcakes taste like springtime and sunny weather (which I could really, really use right now!).
These carrot cake cupcakes are a modified version of my favorite carrot cake. The recipe is almost identical to the cake portion except for a bit more liquid in the batter — the original is perfect for cake but I found it to be too dense in the small space of a cupcake liner and added some milk for a bit of levity.
I use all oil in this recipe (no butter) for the moistest (sorry if you hate that word, if you have a better substitute I’m happy to hear it!) cupcakes, and thanks to the spices you’re not missing anything in terms of flavor, I promise! I found that butter just didn’t give these cupcakes the texture that they really needed.
I have a few tips on how to make your own carrot cake cupcakes turn out perfectly, so let’s get into that!
Tips for Making Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- I recommend using the grate setting on your food processor to prepare your carrots, and then briefly pulsing them in your food processor for fine shreds of carrot. I feel like just grating them leaves carrot pieces that are too big, but don’t overdo it when you pulse or you’ll have carrot juice and it will impart way too much carrot flavor into your cupcakes!
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a hand grater to grate your carrots.
- While I didn’t use them for my carrot cake cupcakes, you can add walnuts, pecans, or raisins (why, though!) to this recipe, if you’d like. This batter can hold about ½-1 cup of add-ins.
- This recipe can be doubled to make 24 cupcakes.
Enjoy! The full printable recipe is just below the video, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you enjoy watching these videos!!
How Do You Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (157 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar packed
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ cups (180 ml) avocado, vegetable, or canola oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) grated carrots
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
- 1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-count muffin pans with paper liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer), whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.1 ¼ cups (157 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar packed, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Stir in oil. Add eggs, one at a time, pausing to scrape down sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat until well-combined.¾ cups (180 ml) avocado, vegetable, or canola oil, 2 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract and milk.1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 Tablespoons milk
- Add carrots and nuts (if using). and stir until combined.1 ½ cups (170 g) grated carrots, ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
- Evenly divide batter into cupcake liners, filling each ⅔-¾ of the way full. Transfer to oven and bake on 350F (175C) for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Allow to cool in the baking tin for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating with cream cheese frosting*.1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Deepthi
Tried these today, they came out fabulous! So delicious, perfect texture and spongy soft. Everyone in my family loved it. The recipie was easy to follow because of the weight in grams mentioned for each ingredient. Thankyou, this recipe is a keeper.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Deepthi! Thank you so much for letting me know how they turned out for you, I appreciate it! 🙂
Rachel Harrison
Fantastic recipe. 10 outta 10!
Kat
Sam,
These are what I call delicious!!Made them yesterday and they were a huge hit! I didn’t add any nuts because some where for my nephew who doesn’t like them and they are delicious without as well.
I will be making more of your recipes. I have been looking around at your recipes and see quite a few I want to try out.
Thanks for a great super moist great tasting carrot 🥕 cake 🎂 muffin!! Its a keeper!
Kat
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Kat! 🙂
Yana
Can I use any other oil besides canola oil?
Sam
Hi Yana! Any neutral oil will work here. 🙂
Sue
Can I use unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil??
Sam
Hi Sue! I know others have with success but they report a more dense cupcake. 🙂
Ann
How long do you leave carrot cake cup cakes I. The cup cake pan
Sam
Hi Ann! You can let them cool in the pan. I will usually move them to a cooling rack when they are cool enough to handle. 🙂
Anna
Can these be made a day in advance? Will the cream cheese frosting hold up overnight on the counter top?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Anna! Yes that will be fine. I’m personally comfortable keeping the cream cheese frosting at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 48 hours (assuming your house is not over 75 degrees).
Taylor Allen
Sorry if this was asked before— do you know if this recipes works the same if I double everything?
Sam
Hi Taylor! Yes it does, it doubles well Enjoy! 🙂
Teri
What are your recommendations for adjusting for altitude. I live at ~6500ft. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Teri! Unfortunately I am not familiar with high altitude baking, but I’m hoping that maybe someone who is can chime in!
Teri
I ended up making them. They turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Desiree Trostel
Hi Teri – For high altitude recipes, slightly decrease your leavening agent and increase your flour and milk by about 2 table spoons each. Hope this helps!
Bunn kiwi
I made these and they were such a hit that I made them again. I made mini muffins and added your cheesecake recipe from your black bottom cupcakes they were again a hit. Any time I bring a dessert or make a dessert for a party I come to your website for my dessert and it’s always a hit!
Sam
I am so happy to hear this, Bunn! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how well the recipes have turned out for you, I really appreciate you trusting my recipes! 🙂
Jeanne
I am not rating this recipe because I have not made it yet. I’m commenting on the nutritional info. I don’t think it is correct. You have listed the total carbs for a frosted cupcake as 19gms. However, if you look up the nutritional info for the frosting alone for one cupcake, the carbs are 20gms per cupcake. A similar recipe on the internet has the carb count as 44gms for 1 frosted cupcake. This sounds a lot more likely. For anyone with prediabetes or diabetes, the difference is very important.
Reenu
Hi, could I use cake flour in place of all purpose flour? I don’t get AP flour where I live.
Sam
Hi Reenu! I think the cake flour should work here. 🙂
Dee
Hello, I was wondering if I could use all white sugar instead of brown, since I don’t have any? And, also, would I be able to use 2/3 a cup of white sugar instead of a whole cup?
Thanks in Advance!
Sam
Hi Dee! The brown sugar adds moisture and flavor. You could omit it but the cupcakes won’t be quite as moist. Reducing the sugar could work, but again that’s a taste preference.
Stephanie
Hello, I want to try baking these tomorrow! Can I substitute the canola oil for vegetable oil instead? Or will that have an impact on the cupcakes?
Sam
Hi Stephanie! Any neutral oil will work here. 🙂
Amy Wonder
Can I use something other cream cheese frosting for the cupcakes and your cake recipe? My mom’s allergic.
Sam
Hi Amy! You can use my ermine frosting recipe. 🙂
Michelle
This made it into my very special recipe box which means it is an absolute winner. Everyone loved them so much. I will add raisins, more walnuts and carrots, and a little less sugar in the batter and frosting next time. Thanks so much!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Michelle! I’m honored to have made it into your recipe box. 🙂
Michele
Can you use the pulp from juicing carrots?
Sam
Hi Michele! I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure.