These carrot cake cupcakes are everything you love about the cake—outstanding spice flavor, super moist crumb, and velvety cream cheese frosting—in a portioned cupcake wrapper! I’ve scaled down my popular carrot cake recipe to bring you a batch of cupcakes that’s easier and quicker, but just as delicious.
One reader, Leigh, commented: “Followed recipe exactly and cupcakes were delicious! Loved the tip about grating then coarse chopping the carrots. Piped frosting was the perfect consistency and so pretty. ★★★★★“
I think we can all agree that carrot cake and cream cheese frosting is a flavor duo surpassing time—it’s just never going out of style. I love it as carrot cake loaf and mixed up in this carrot Bundt cake. But nothing can compare to original carrot cake and today’s cupcake version. Just CLASSIC!
Tell Me About These Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Flavor: These cupcakes are scrumptiously spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. You also have brown sugar, a little applesauce, natural sweetness from carrots, and the tangy-sweet frosting.
- Texture: The crumb of these cupcakes is soft and moist, but not at all greasy. (A difficult balance to achieve, but this recipe nails it!)
- Ease: Bakers of any skill level can handle this dessert recipe. You can mix the cupcake batter by hand, though I recommend using a mixer to make the cream cheese frosting.
- Time: The batch of cupcakes takes about 2 hours start to finish, and that includes cooling. Cupcakes cook faster than cake layers, but they still need to cool completely before frosting.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: carrot cake is only good if it’s spiced and if it’s moist. Under-spiced carrot cake tastes like nothing. Dry carrot cake tastes like you forgot you were baking a cake and frosted a vegetable instead. Ha! I encourage you to stick to my recipe below for best results.
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
You can make carrot cake cupcakes with a handful of staple kitchen ingredients and these are the most important:
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar not only sweetens the cupcakes, it lends more flavor and moisture than white sugar. I love using dark brown sugar in this recipe.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger add warmth and depth of flavor without overpowering anything else. I usually add some ground cloves to carrot cake recipes, but it’s quite potent and I don’t like it as much in the cupcakes.
- Vegetable Oil: When preparing cupcakes without strong flavors, like vanilla cupcakes, I prefer to use butter as the fat, because it adds flavor. But when I’m making a cupcake recipe with flavorful ingredients like these spiced cupcakes, I find using flavorless oil lets all those spice flavors shine. (Also, oil keeps the cupcakes SO VERY moist!)
- Carrots: Obviously, you need carrots. But actually, this recipe would be tasty if you substituted shredded apple or zucchini instead!
- Unsweetened applesauce: Applesauce adds even more moisture to these cupcakes, without making them oily. I love the subtle flavor that it adds, but you could also use sour cream or plain yogurt. Another popular swap for the applesauce is crushed canned pineapple, an addition many bakers love in pineapple carrot cake!
You may be surprised to see there’s only 1 and 1/3 cups of flour, which isn’t much considering all of the wet ingredients. Keep in mind that shredded carrots, while not necessarily a dry ingredient, bulk up the batter. Any more flour created a denser muffin-like texture. Trust this recipe because it works for cupcakes!
Success Tip: Shredding the Carrots
The bags of pre-shredded carrots you can find at the grocery store are not worth the extra couple of minutes it saves you to peel and shred whole carrots yourself. Store-bought carrot shreds are dry and tough, and that will translate into your carrot cake cupcakes. Grab whole carrots, a peeler, and a box grater, and flex your grating muscles!
And beyond that: After you’ve finished shredding, give the carrots a rough chop, so the pieces are finer and can distribute evenly in each cupcake, like this:
In this photo, you can see the difference. You want more carrots (moisture! flavor!) in each bite, so chop those shreds:
Photos: How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s see a few photos of the process.
Expect a semi-thick cupcake batter:
We’re using my favorite cool and creamy cream cheese frosting recipe, which flawlessly pairs with warmly spiced desserts like carrot cake, spice cake, and pumpkin cake. One question we usually see with cream cheese frosting:
How Can I Keep My Cream Cheese Frosting Thick?
Cream cheese frosting is thinner than buttercream. Putting the frosting in the refrigerator for a bit—while you’re waiting for the cupcakes to cool—helps thicken it. This means your silky cream cheese frosting will hold its shape better when piped. Stick with basic piping tips and nothing intricate; even when chilled, the frosting will not hold shape as well as a sturdy buttercream.
And don’t fret, you don’t have to pipe this frosting; it’s just as tasty swiped on with a knife.
Or take it up another notch and fill your cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, too! Or even pastry cream. See my How to Fill Cupcakes post for more details on how to do so.
Which Other Frostings Could I Use? These carrot cake cupcakes would also taste great with whipped frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, this caramel frosting, the cinnamon cream cheese frosting from these banana cupcakes, or simply unfrosted as carrot cake muffins (like morning glory muffins!).
What About a Dairy-Free Frosting Option?
Today’s cupcakes are dairy free when made with applesauce, so if you’re looking for a dairy free frosting, try this creamy marshmallow meringue frosting.
I topped this batch of cream cheese-frosted cupcakes with chopped nuts and a white chocolate carrot topper, but both are completely optional. See Notes for instructions on making the white chocolate topper!
Looking for Easter dessert inspiration? These cupcakes are always a favorite alongside a plate of jelly bean sugar cookies, or see 20+ more Easter dessert recipes.
Simply Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 12
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These carrot cake cupcakes are a scaled down version of my popular carrot cake recipe. You can mix this easy cupcake batter by hand, though I recommend using a mixer to make the cream cheese frosting. The white chocolate carrot topper is optional!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) unsweetened applesauce, sour cream, or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (200g) peeled, shredded, and coarsely chopped carrots* (about 3 large carrots)
- optional add-in: 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans; raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (224g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional garnish: white chocolate carrot topper (see Notes) and/or finely chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, brown sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract together until combined, and then whisk in the carrots. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold or whisk together until completely combined. Batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only about 3/4 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 21–23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 12–13 minutes, same oven temperature. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds and then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the frosting as the cupcakes finish cooling—this is helpful if you plan to pipe the frosting with a piping bag + tip. Cold cream cheese frosting holds its shape better.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and top with optional garnish, if desired. I used an Ateco 808 piping tip and then swirled the center with a small icing spatula (you can see me do that in the video—totally optional way of decorating). Cover and store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Plain cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. If frosting is thick/stiff after refrigerating, beat it with your mixer for a minute to help loosen it up. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Box Grater | Piping Bags (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco #808 Piping Tip | Small Icing Spatula | Cupcake Carrier (for storage)
- Vegetable Oil: You can use melted and slightly cooled coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. If doing so, it’s imperative all other ingredients in the cupcake batter are room temperature so the oil does not solidify.
- Applesauce/Sour Cream/Yogurt: You can use any of these options, but applesauce is my favorite because it adds a little extra flavor. Or you could use the same amount of canned crushed pineapple instead (no need to drain).
- Carrot: Don’t use pre-shredded carrots found in the produce aisle because they’re quite dry. Rather, freshly shred large carrots to yield approximately 1 and 1/2 cups (200g) of moist carrot shreds. Before measuring, give the shreds a rough chop so the pieces are finer and distributed nicely in each cupcake. And instead of carrots, you could even use shredded apple or zucchini.
- How to Make White Chocolate Carrots Garnish: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 4 ounces (113g, usually 1 bar) of white chocolate in 20-second increments, stirring after each until perfectly smooth. Separate into two bowls (don’t worry about making them perfectly equal). Tint one bowl with orange gel food coloring, and the other with green gel food coloring. (Use gel food coloring because liquid food coloring can change the consistency. I like the brand AmeriColor—you can find their gel colors in the baking aisle of craft stores or give it a quick search online. I use and recommend this set of 6 colors or this set of 12 colors.) Pour into two squeeze bottles. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone mat, drizzle the orange melted chocolate into a carrot shape, then drizzle the green melted chocolate onto the tops to make the carrot stems. Refrigerate the pan until the chocolate carrots are set, at least 15 minutes. The white chocolate carrots do soften up when they come back to room temperature, so if making these cupcakes in advance, make sure to keep them in the refrigerator until it’s nearly time to serve them.
- Adapted from Carrot Cake Cupcakes in Sally’s Baking Addiction cookbook. This version yields fewer and the cupcakes aren’t as dense.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I needed to get rid of a lot of carrots and this was a great way to do it. I doubled the recipe and my classmates really enjoyed it, so thank you. I did however half the sugar in the cream cheese frosting and I felt that was just right for me.
A Hit at the Office and at home :)!!
I made these for work to celebrate people birthdays. I chose this recipe because my son hates pineapple. The cupcakes were perfect in every way. Easy to make, not overly sweet especially if you are going to ice them and a great moist texture with a bit of chew. Definitely a keeper!
These were delicious and made exactly by recipe. Everyone enjoyed them – even one guest who said she didn’t like carrot cake but decided to try one. She loved it!
This recipe was spectacular. The flavor and texture was amazing, and it had the perfect amount of spices. My roommate (who claims he’s not a fan of carrot cake) devoured 4 of them. I added about 20g of ginger to the recipe and it turned out really great, but may use 40g next time because the ginger was such a nice complement to the carrots, and because I love that ginger pop!
I love carrot cake but l have never tried to make cupcakes ! Your cupcake recipe is great. Moist, light and very tasty, instructions and hints very clear.
Thank you – the family are going to love them !
Can I make an 8 or 9 inch cake with this recipe? It was delicious as cupcakes but my family prefers cake !
Hi Isabel, here’s a one layer 9 inch carrot cake, or our full sized carrot layer cake. Enjoy!
Did you make the cupcakes with gluten free flour? I did and my family loved them. I bake with the Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking flour – I know there are other options, too. I used applesauce and added walnuts. I hope you were able to make them and people loved them, too.
Thank you for adult Birthday Cupcakes for everyone! I made one batch with all-purpose flour and one batch with Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour following the recipe exactly using applesauce and added walnuts and BOTH cupcakes were a hit. This recipe is definitely a keeper for future family birthdays (my son and husband both love carrot cake – one of them is GF). So nice to easily make the two different batches for my family. BTW: The frosting is really, really good and my husband eats it by the spoonfuls out of the bowl. Goodness! LOL
These turned out great! I was looking for a way to use my carrot pulp from making juice, and this was perfect.
Just what I was looking for, with a little less oil than most recipes, but they still turned out, very moist and tender.
My new go to carrot cupcake recipe, as I am not a fan of coconut or pineapple in mine!
GAAAAAAAAH SO DELICIOUS!
Great recipe and easy to follow.
I only need a small amount of cupcakes; do you foresee any issues halving this recipe to make 6 cupcakes?
Hi Lydia, that should work fine. Or, you can make the whole batch and freeze the leftovers for later!
Sally delicious as always! I swapped mascarpone for the sour cream, sooo moist. A keeper for sure, thank you!
Looking to make 6” cake layers, how many layers will this recipe make?
Hi Donna! This batter will make a three layer 6 inch cake. You can read more about making 6 inch cakes from cupcake batter in this 6 inch cakes post – happy baking!
These are amazing! Everyone loved them. My question is can these be made in mini loaf pans and how long do you think I should bake them?
Hi Kim, you can certainly make them in mini loaf pans. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, as it will depend on the size of your mini loaf pans. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Hi! I have homemade applesause that does have some white sugar in it…should I just leave out a bit of the brown sugar? The recipe looks great!
Hi Lauri, you can use the applesauce and keep the other sugar measurements the same — reducing it too much can change the texture and structure of the cupcakes. Hope you enjoy it!
I made cupcakes for the first time using this recipe. Thank you so much! My 3 year old and I had a blast making them!
I ended up with left over icing, so next time, I’ll do half the portion. But all and all great recipe and very easy to follow! Thank you! Happy Holidays everyone!
Hi Sally! Awesome recipe – it turned out so tasty! I have a question though – mine came out with a dome-like top – how can I avoid this?
Hi Tea, we’re so glad you enjoyed these! Are your cupcake tins slightly overfilled? That’s often the cause of a domed top. For next time, try filling the cupcake pans just 2/3 of the way full.
Hi, this looks amazing!
I was wondering if there is any way I can substitute the oil with something else as I’m on a very low-fat diet, and also i was wondering if it could be made with WW flour?
Hi BB, for best results, we recommend sticking with the recipe as written. Fat is necessary to create soft, tender cupcakes, and whole wheat flour would make the cupcakes taste dense/dry. If you’re looking for a slightly healthier option, you may enjoy these morning glory muffins instead!
I use the single serving apple sauce cups so I switched to 1/2 cup apple sauce and 1/3 cup oil. I also needed to use up extra carrots so I increased them to 2 cups. They are still very light, moist and delicious!
So delicious and stayed moist for 5 days! If I wanted 2 dozen cupcakes would you recommend doubling this recipe or using the cake recipe instead?
Hi Chelsea, for best results, we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling. Enjoy!
I baked these for my boss’s birthday and the entire office RAVED that they were the best cupcakes they’ve ever had! Sally’s recipes are now my go-to for cupcakes, they are absolutely foolproof, and make me look like an expert. Thank you for sharing your gift and recipes so that we all get to experience what “truly incredible” tastes like!!
Hi sally, I don’t have any ginger powder, can I skip it? Thank you
Hi Tiffany, You can leave it out if needed. Enjoy!
Hi sally, thanks for the quick reply! Made them this morning and my toddler and nephew loved them!!! Reminds me of Christmas! Thank you!
Hi Sally,
The recipe for the Carrot Cupcakes turned out good, but I would like to use soft whole-wheat flour the next time. I guess that it would need more moisture or perhaps even more baking powder. Did you or anyone try this? Thank you.
Hi Jay, we haven’t tested these cupcakes with any other types of flour. Whole wheat flour would produce a drier, denser cupcake, so you would likely need to tweak the moisture as you mention. If you decide to do any experimenting, let us know how it goes!
Hi Sally OMG this recipe is amazing, so easy to make my family loved them, I added sultanas, so yummy.
If possible can you tell the calorific value of these cakes. Many thanks.
Hi Sue, we’re so glad your family enjoyed these cupcakes! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Thank you Sally!
I want to know how this cupcake can be stored at room temp and low temp.
Also, does the addition of fruits and nuts affect the storage type?
I await your response!
Hi Ayandoyin, we do recommend storing the cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to five days, since there is cream cheese in the frosting. They will, however, be fine at room temperature for a few hours while preparing/serving (regardless of add-ins). Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Could I add fresh cranberries to this recipe? I would also like to make this recipe into a cake. Which size pans would I use? Thanks.
Hi Donna! This cupcake batter would fit well into three 6 inch cake pans (more on making 6 inch cakes form cupcake recipes in this 6 inch cakes post). Or here’s our full size carrot cake recipe. We haven’t tested cranberries in our carrot cake batter, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Fresh or dried should both work well – let us know what you try!
can I substitute pecan nut with cashew nut?
Hi Jane, absolutely! Same amount.
Made it n it was scrumptious! One question though, if I wan to add clove powder along w/all your other spices then how much should I add..Thank you. God bless
Glad you enjoyed them, Farah! You could add 1/8 to 1/4 tsp cloves to this recipe.
I want to make the carrot cupcakes
I would like to know if I can use frozen diced carrots in this recipe? I have 4 1 lb bags of carrots that I use
Hi Glenda! Diced carrots aren’t the texture you’re looking for in these carrot cake cupcakes. We recommend sticking with fresh grated carrots.
Hi, can I use the 6 cupcake foil pans for this recipe? It’s the first time I’m making cupcakes and these are the pans I have (pan size is 9 5/8 x 6 3/8 x 1 5/16 with 6 cupcake slots)
Hi Isabel, Do you mean the disposable cupcake pans? You should be able to use two of those for 12 cupcakes. You’ll still want to use cupcake liners so that the cupcakes release easily.
This recipe was PHENOMENAL! I have one question though, my cupcakes came out slightly uneven and they don’t have a perfect domed top, how could I fix this?
Hi Tina, we’re so glad you enjoyed these cupcakes! It sounds like your oven may have some hot spots that are causing certain parts of your baked goods to heat up more quickly and rise faster than others. You can try rotating the pan half way throughout bake time to promote more even baking.
Could you provide the nutritional values?
Hi Vicki, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076