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.
Wendy Cubic
I made this recipe and they are perfect . I also used your cream cheese buttercream recipe! They were a huge hit ! Thank you .
You have gained a new follower !
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Wendy! 🙂
Alison
I’m making these the night before Easter. Should I store them in the fridge until then?
Sam
Hi Alison! Without any frosting on them they will be fine at room temperature. 🙂
Rhiannon
Hi, can I use avocado oil instead of canola?
Sam
It may impart a slightly different flavor, but yes it will work. 🙂
YuMi
Greetings from Germany! Thank you for all your time and effort in perfecting all these yummy recipes! Unfortunately, I tend to avoid those requiring cream cheese. Here in Germany, what is available is similar to the soft, spreadable options in the States. Any tips for possible substitutions or adjustments to recipes? I really miss cream cheese frosting!!
Sam
I haven’t personally tried it, but neuftachel cheese could potentially work. It has less fat so the frosting may be a bit thinner.
Che
Hi, what type of milk should I use for this recipe? Thank you!
Sam
I recommend whole milk. 🙂
Kristina Klapprodt
Hi! How long can I store these before frosting them? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Kristina! They will be good for several days in an air tight container. 🙂
Sherri-lynn Linton
Would I be able to substitute light brown sugar with dark brown sugar?
Also, can I bake two days in advance and keep in plastic lidded container in the fridge (before frosting)?
Sam
Hi Sherri! Dark brown sugar will work and you can store them in an air tight container at room temperature for several days if not frosted. 🙂
Kambria
I love this recipe and I’m making them for Easter. I was wondering if I could use mini muffin tins instead of the standard cupcake size tins. And if so, would I need to adjust the baking time?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kambria! Other commenters have reported that they took approximately 11 minutes as mini cupcakes. Hope that helps! 🙂
Iris
This will be my go to recipe for carrot cupcakes from now on. Turns out great!! I have modified it two ways to make it gluten free. And used coconut oil instead of canola. 🤌 prefect
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yay! Thanks for trusting our recipe, Iris ❤️
Claire
Myself and children have made these this week with only a couple of changes used vegetable oil and left out the cream cheese frosting although had a few we popped a little icing on they are best to us without icing. Light and airy and delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
erin
Can you frost these the night before and will still be good ? Should i leave at room temp ?
Sam
Hi Erin! It will be fine to frost these the night before. Since it is a cream cheese frosting, I would recommend refrigerating in an air tight container. 🙂
Valerie
I bought crushed pineapple I really want to add to these, how would I work that in?
Sam
Hi Valerie! I haven’t personally tried adding crushed pineapple, but others have reported doing so with success. 🙂
Connie
Always the best!!! I make these again and again… they are the favorite out of all the cupcakes I make! Thank you, Sam!!!!
Paula
What would you recommend bake time for jumbo muffins, the 6 muffin pan?
By the way I’ve made these cupcakes 4 times already and they are always delish! Thank you for the recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Paula! We haven’t tried this ourselves so we can’t say for sure what the bake time will be. We’d recommend you just keep an eye on them. Enjoy 😊
Kourtney
Really yummy! I used OliveNation’s vanilla extract and it made this recipe taste so good! It has more of a vanilla taste than an alcoholic taste. Huge game changer.
Joanne
What would you recommend for the bake time when making mini cupcakes?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Joanne! Other commenters have reported that they took approximately 11 minutes as mini cupcakes. Hope that helps! 🙂
Marissa Smith
Hello! Would it be okay if I substituted the canola oil for melted butter? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Marissa! That will work fine here. Enjoy 😊
Marissa
Do you think it would work out if I added some golden raisins along with the nuts?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely! Enjoy, Marissa 😊
Jessica Southerland
My lord. I’m just now getting into baking after 30 years of being obsessed with cooking. Used this recipe for my first batch of carrot cake anything and OMG 🤤 …it’s gonna be real hard to save these for tomorrow. I used the homeade cream cheese recipe as well. A+🤌