Carrot Cake Cupcakes
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When springtime rolls around, I love whipping up a batch of these carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.. This batter is very easy to put together and doesn’t even require an electric mixer. Toasting the walnuts beforehand helps bring out the flavor so don’t skip this step! When cooled, I love frosting with a cream cream cheese frosting!
Recipe Updated:
The original recipe made 24 cupcakes and a whipped cream cheese frosting. The updated recipe has now been cut down to one dozen cupcakes and a classic cream cheese frosting.
One of my all time favorite desserts, and my dad agrees with me is carrot cake. In all forms – whether’s it a carrot cake cookies, or carrot cake bread. I’ll take it all. Swoooon. Vegetables in my cake? Yes please. Just don’t skip the tangy cream cheese frosting.
But sometimes I just don’t feel like making a whole darn carrot cake. Enter the carrot cake cupcake. These are just the best carrot cupcakes if I do say so myself. I stirred toasted walnuts into the batter but you can totally omit those if that’s not your thing or there’s a nut allergy concern.
I frosted with a classic cream cheese frosting recipe. I love using my cream cheese frosting on anything from cinnamon rolls to a red velvet cupcakes.
These carrot cake cupcakes are beginner-friendly. You do not need to a mixer for these, but simply two mixing bowls. You’ll combine your dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in a second bowl and then just combine! Easy Peasy.
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Ingredients Needed
- All purpose flour – If measuring by volume, then make sure to spoon and level the flour in. You can read my post here on how to measure your flour correctly. Or for best accuracy I recommend weighing your ingredients.
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Granulated white sugar
- Packed light brown sugar – If you don’t have any, you can make your own brown sugar!
- Vegetable oil – I like to use a neutral-tasting oil, like vegetable or canola oil.
- Applesauce – To lighten these up a bit I used half oil and half applesauce, but if you needed to you could make these with all oil instead.
- Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature so they blend in easily and your cupcakes rise tall.
- Carrots – I always recommend shredding your fresh carrots by hand for any carrot cake. I find using my food processor makes the carrots too mushy.
- Walnuts – Totally optional, but I love the texture and added flavor they give. Make sure to toast the walnuts first, whole and then chop them after. Toasting the walnuts brings out the flavor, so don’t skip this step!
How To Make These Carrot Cake Cupcakes
You want to start by combining your dry ingredients. For this step, all I use is my whisk. In a large mixing bowl, you will whisk together your flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Adding a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg adds a major flavor boost to these cupcakes, that otherwise might might be a bit bland.
For the best carrot cupcakes ever, I always recommend measuring your flour by weight so there’s no room for error. But if you are measuring by volume, then you want to spoon your flour into your cup (do not pack it down) and then level it off. If you add too much flour to your cup, it will result in a dense, dry cupcake.
Once your dry ingredients are prepared, start combining your wet ingredients. Again, this is super easy! Just whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, oil and eggs in a large bowl. I used both granulated and brown sugar here to not just provide sweetness, but also keep the cupcakes tender. The brown sugar also adds a wonderful caramel-like flavor.
Give this all a good vigorous whisk to incorporate some air into the eggs and make for a light fluffy cupcake. And that’s it! How easy was that?
Next you will combine your dry and wet ingredients together. Simply, add your flour mixture to wet mixture and stir to combine. You do not want to overmix at this point since you are adding your flour to the wet ingredients.
If you continue to stir the batter at this point, gluten will form (structure-building protein) in your flour that make for a chewy cupcake if you stir too much.
And don’t forget the best part! The carrots and walnuts! Simply stir in the carrots and walnuts and mix to combine. If you just toasted your walnuts make sure they have cooled before you stir them in. Again, a few good stirs is all you need so you know you don’t overmix.
If you continue to stir the batter at this point, gluten will form in your flour that make for a chewy cupcake if you stir too much.
Now that your batter is ready, go ahead and fill muffin wells to 3/4 full. Do not overfill your cupcake liners when scooping the batter. You want your liners about 2/3 full (no more than 3/4 full). Overfilled cupcakes can result in the cupcakes sinking after you baking them. Read this post for 6 reasons why your cupcakes sink in the middle.
Then bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a cooling wire rack and cool completely.
Heather’s Baking Tips
- Be sure to measure your flour correctly. If measuring by volume, then make sure to spoon and level the flour in. You can read my post here on how to measure your flour correctly. Or for best accuracy I recommend weighing your ingredients. You can read my post on how to measure ingredients here <– there’s a video too!
- Shred carrots by hand. This takes a little bit more time and effort, however it does result in a better texture. I find shredding them in my food processor makes the carrots too mushy. If you do use your food processor then make sure you are using the grater option.
- Use an large cookie scoop for even scooping. I use an ice-cream scoop like this one from OXO to scoop my cupcake batter. It makes quick work of scooping the batter and ensures all my carrot cake cupcakes are the same size and bake evenly.
- Do not overfill your cupcake liners when scooping the batter. You want your liners about 2/3 full (no more than 3/4 full). Overfilled cupcakes can result in the cupcakes sinking after you baking them. Read this post for 6 reasons why your cupcakes sink in the middle.
- Double check that your baking powder is still fresh. Because this recipe uses oil there is no creaming step to incorporate air, so you need to make sure the baking powder is fresh so your cupcakes rise properly. To check the freshness, add a teaspoon of baking powder to some hot water. If it bubbles, it’s still fresh. If it doesn’t throw it out. And don’t mix it up with baking soda, they don’t react the same. You can read more here about Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda
- Use an oven thermometer. Make sure that your oven is heated correctly so these bake properly. For more oven 101, read this post.
- Toast the walnuts first then chop. Measure your walnuts first, then toast and chop. I place my walnut halves on a baking sheet and toast at 350oF for about 7-8 minutes. Then I let them cool and chop them up before adding them to my cupcake batter.
- Make sure the walnuts are cool. You want to make sure you’re NOT adding walnuts to the batter that are still hot.
- Don’t overmix. This will not only result in a tough, chewy cupcakes. Make sure to read the “what is gluten?” section above!
- Frost once they are cooled. You do not want to frost a HOT cupcake! This will cause your frosting to melt instead of hold shape.
Cream Cheese Frosting
The original recipe called for a whipped cream cheese frosting. You can still find the original frosting recipe my cookbook. I’ve since updated the recipe to use my classic Cream Cheese Frosting, or even try my Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting version! YUM.
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy (about 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed). Then add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Frost cooled cupcakes, or store in the refrigerator for 4 days. I like to use a large star piping tip to frost the cupcakes.
Storage Instructions
You can store unfrosted cupcakes, in an airtight container, for up to 2 days at room temperature. If they are frosted with a cream cheese frosting, then you must keep them, in an airtight container stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I recommend freezing the cupcakes, unfrosted, wrapped individually or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Then thaw overnight in the fridge, and then frost as normal the next day.
Recipe FAQ’s
Absolutely you can. Or replace with something else like pecans, or raisins.
I find that pre-shredded carrots are too big in texture. I recommend shredding the carrots by hand using a box grater (rather than a food processor which makes them too mushy).
Yes you can use a mini cupcake pan and then bake the mini carrot cupcakes at bake for 10-12 minutes.
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 cups (120 g) all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
- ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (50 g) applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) grated carrots about 2 medium
- ½ cup (64 g) walnut halves toasted and chopped
For the frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 cups (452 g) powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the cupcakes
- Prep oven and pans. Position rack to center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place cupcake liners into a muffin pan and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. 1 cups (120 g) all purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Combine wet ingredients. Whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, oil and eggs in a large bowl. ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar ¼ cup (60 mL) vegetable oil ¼ cup (50 g) applesauce 2 large eggs
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir to combine. Add carrots and walnuts and mix to combine. Do not overmix. 1 ½ cups (150 g) grated carrots ½ cup (64 g) walnut halves
- Bake cupcakes. Fill muffin wells to 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Make the frosting:
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the cream cheese until smooth and combined, on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. 8 ounces cream cheese ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter
- Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. 4 cups (454 g) powdered sugar 4 cups (452 g) powdered sugar
- Mix in the vanilla extract. Add in a pinch of salt. pinch salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- You can use immediately or store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
- Storage: You can store unfrosted cupcakes, in an airtight container, for up to 2 days at room temperature. If they are frosted with a cream cheese frosting, then you must keep them, in an airtight container stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: I recommend freezing the cupcakes, unfrosted, wrapped individually or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Then thaw overnight in the fridge, and then frost as normal the next day.
- Frosting: I like to pipe on a big swirl of frosting but if you use less frosting then I suggest cutting the frosting recipe in half.
- Applesauce – To lighten these up a bit I used half oil and half applesauce, but if you needed to you could make these with all oil instead.
- Carrots – I always recommend shredding your carrots by hand for any carrot cake. I find using my food processor makes the carrots too mushy.
- Walnuts – Totally optional, but I love the texture and added flavor they give. Make sure to toast them first, whole and then chop them after. Toasting the walnuts brings out the flavor, so don’t skip this step!
These cupcakes are delicious and really easy to make.
Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed them—the cream cheese frosting is my weakness too! 😊 Thanks for giving the recipe a try.
Deliciously moist and melt in your mouth! I added vanilla, reduced the sugars by half and used much less frosting – still plenty sweet!
So glad you enjoyed them! 😊 Love the tweaks you made—thanks for sharing!
These cupcakes came together very easily and tasted great. I did a couple of subs to be able to share with more people and to customize to my taste.
1. Subbed flour for gluten free flour in a 1:1. Didn’t affect bake times at all. I could taste the texture difference, but not in a negative way. I made sure to weigh the flour so there wouldn’t be any issues. Easy sub!
2. I used 1/2 cup less of white sugar (so 1/2 white, 1 cup brown) as I like less sugar. I haven’t made them with the full sugar amount, but they tasted sweet and delicious all the same.
3. No frosting. While this frosting sounds good, I only like a very, very small taste of frosting and not on my baked goods. They were still moist and yummy without.
These cupcakes are so moist, sweet and delicious. I follow your suggestion and I stored a few without frosting to eat later. I didn’t have walnuts but I had pecans and they were so good.
I love your carrot cupcakes recipe. So flavorful and easy to make. I will be making these again. Thanks for sharing!
These are definitely the best carrot cupcakes I have ever made. So easy too and simply delicious!
These carrot cupcakes seriously were the best! Loved every bite!
This was my first time making carrot cake and thanks to you it was a huge success. These cupcakes were perfectly moist and so flavorful. My family ate them up in no time and were begging for more.
The applesauce, carrots, and walnuts are my favorite ingredients in this recipe. I love the crunch and unique flavor of the combination of those ingredients! So good!
Toasting the walnuts first…what a great idea!! I love this recipe with cream cheese frosting, it’s the perfect combination!
Toasting the walnuts really brings out their flavor.
Carrot cupcakes are the best! These look and sound so delicious! Excited to give them a try! We are huge carrot cake fans in our house!
The crumb in these cupcakes is so fine and perfect! This was my first time making whipped cream cheese frosting and wow, this won’t be the last! It’s so light and so incredibly delicious. I’ll be using that frosting on so many other cakes, too!
Excellent!
I make carrot cupcakes all the time but I never added nutmeg and walnuts. Sounds like a delicious combination, I’m gonna try your recipe next time I make these cupcakes. Bookmarking!