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.
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 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.
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.
PrintSimply 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- cup 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.
This recipe is amazing! Any tips on making it eggless?
Hi Krupa, we haven’t made an egg-free version of this recipe, but let us know if you give anything a try. If you’re interested, here are all of our naturally egg-free recipes.
Please tell me if you spray the inside of the cupcake liners.
I don’t. It’s not necessary for this recipe.
Hi Sally , Can I use Avocado oil ? Did you ever try using it in this recipe ?
Hi Tammy, refined avocado oil should be a fine swap. Let us know if you try it!
Amazing! I tried it today with less sugar. I love the recipe ❤️
Your full-size carrot cake (with pineapple) is my all-time favorite cake! But I have to scale down this time. Is this cupcake recipe exactly the same just smaller sized? Does it work for a 6 inch cake?
Hi Judy, correct, this is a scaled down version of our carrot cake. It makes the perfect amount of batter for a 3 layer, 6 inch cake!
is this an updated recipe? i see a few different recipes for carrot cake variations….i dont know which one to try…?
Hi Terri! This is a newer recipe, published last spring. You can’t go wrong with any of our carrot cake recipes! Let us know if you give it a try.
What changes should I make if I want to use 100% whole wheat flour? I’m trying to avoid white flour.
Hi Meg, whole wheat flour will make these cupcakes more dense and dry. We really recommend sticking with all-purpose flour, or even half and half of each (but expect a different texture). Let us know what you try!
I want to make large or jumbo cupcakes what is the time difference going to be between the cupcakes
Hi Jennifer, Use the same oven temperature, but the bake time will be longer. We haven’t tested it to know the best time but we would guess around 30 minutes. Let us know if you try it!
Hello, i was wondering if i could replace the oil with melted butter?
Hi Kj, oil really is best for these cupcakes for the best moist texture. Butter would yield a more dry cupcake.
Love this recipe! I tripled the recipe and it made 48 cupcakes, super yummy. I omitted the nutmeg (allergic) and added cloves instead. Still very flavorful but not overpowering. Question I have is about the frosting. I also tripled the frosting but after the cupcakes were frosted there was a TON left. How long would you say I could go before using the leftovers? I would love to make a cake next weekend but would 7 days be too long to expect the frosting to be good? Thank you!!
Hi Melissa! Cover and store leftover cream cheese frosting for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.
I would like to adapt this recipe for an 8 cavity mini loaf pan – cavity size is 3.28 in. x 2.5 in. Do you have any suggestions for the bake time?
Hi Molly, we’re unsure of the exact bake time without testing it ourselves, but keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
The loaf pan filled 3/4 full & baked for 23 minutes worked out – every oven is different, but that worked for me.
Love this recipe! They turned out delicious. I definitely suggest halving the frosting recipe, I have SO much left over, we used less than half of it.
Hi Sally I love your recipes. For these carrot cupcakes can I make mini ones? How long to bake!
Hi Sue, absolutely! For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 12–13 minutes, same oven temperature.
Made this as a 6 inch cake. It was delicious! I toasted the pecans as well. I will definitely be making this again!
Thanks so much! They look delicious… and what a lovely desert for Easter brunch.
What are best practices for freezing frosted cupcakes to protect the cupcakes from moisture?
Hi Amanda, if the cupcakes aren’t yet frosted, you can tightly wrap them in plastic wrap and then store in a large Tupperware container. If they’re frosting, you can still wrap them (if you aren’t worried about the looks of the frosting once defrosted) or simply place them in a tightly sealed Tupperware container and freeze. Hope this helps!
Sooo delicious! My family went crazy for these. Just the perfect balance of spices. Moist. Frosting was spot on. Will make again.
Hi Sally,
I have loved every one of your recipes that I’ve tried so far! If using this recipe for a 6 inch cake, will the cream cheese frosting be sturdy enough to use in between the 3 layers? I have tried your red velvet cupcakes as a 3 layer 6 inch and the frosting didn’t hold very well! Any tips or is there a better frosting to use? Thanks so much!
Hi Joanne, we’ve successfully made many layer cakes using cream cheese frosting. It can get softer quicker than traditional buttercream, so feel free to pop the cake in the refrigerator to chill periodically throughout frosting. This will help it from getting too warm. Hope this helps!
What about using apple butter instead of applesauce? It’s a Southern thing…I think the spice profile would be in line with the recipe; it would mainly add extra sweetness. I’ve also read that pumpkin puree can sub for applesauce.
Hi Terry, This recipe calls for unsweetened applesauce and apple butter is usually made with a lot of sugar (which is why it’s so delicious!). We would be afraid it would make the cupcakes too sweet without altering any other ingredients. If you don’t have applesauce you an try pumpkin puree, yogurt, sour cream, or the same amount of canned crushed pineapple instead.
Hi Stephanie! By way of update I went ahead and tried the apple butter, and the cupcakes didn’t turn out sweeter than I expected, but I also use whole-grain flour (1/2 hard white, 1/2 soft white to replicate the protein content of AP) which tends to mute the sweeter flavors. BUT now that I think of it they do seem almost fall-apart moist which is a feat for whole grain cupcakes (or anything whole grain, really) so the extra sugar may have had that effect. This made them a little more of a challenge to remove from the muffin tin and frost, but they’re still super-yummy (and this may well be the breakthrough I’ve been looking for). I did have issues trying to pipe the frosting after it had been refrigerated and found it much easier to work with at room temperature. I’m making these again (or the ones with coconut) for Easter so I may try one of the other subs.
These are a little time-intensive, but so worth it! The result is perfectly moist, wonderful cupcakes. Add some cream cheese frosting and I am in heaven.
Hi Sally can I double this recipe . I need 24 cupcakes
Hi Gina, for best results (and to prevent over or under mixing), we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling.
Terrific recipe! Chopping the grated carrots was definitely extra work, but it was worth the effort! Delicious! Cream cheese frosting – always yummy. I ended up with 14 cupcakes, bake time of 22 mins was perfect for me and I had a bit of leftover frosting, which is fine with me. I can eat that with a spoon, no problem.
This was actually very nice. I use lessen the amount of ginger though, it was a bit overpowering. Very moist and I liked it. I added 140g sugar and it still was moist. As for the frosting though, a little bit too sweet. I want to add less powdered sugar next time.
Did I understand correctly that I can use three six inch round baking pans instead of a cupcake pan, for all your cupcake recipes, and the amount of ingredients and the cooking times will be the same?
Hi Rosie, yes! Our cupcake recipes work well as 3 layer, 6 inch cakes. You can follow this 6 inch cake recipes post as a guide for baking time, but keep in mind the bake time could slightly vary depending on the recipe (and of course, your own specific oven). But it should be close!
I tried to do a 3 layer six inch cake with this recipe and had very sunken layers i checked around 13 minutes carefully… then about 15 minutes a toothpick came out clean so I took it out. Cakes sunk and were underdone in the middle 🙁
Delicious! These are very moist and have a nice balance of flavour with the spices. I added walnuts. Made 32 mini cupcakes and they took exactly 13 min no longer. Great size for a dessert tray and they take less time! Will make agaim.
These cupcakes are so delicious. I’ll be making them (again) for a birthday and wondered if there were any thoughts on toasting the walnuts before adding them in. Too much? Won’t make a difference really?
Hi Madelyn, you can absolutely toast the walnuts – yum!
This is a great recipe. It is forgiving and flexible. I added 1/2 cup pepitas and 1/2 cup pecans. I will try other mix ins next time. These are moist and have a balanced flavour and are not too sweet. More of a breakfast than a sweet treat. The only reason for taking a star is that I found the ignominy taste isn’t too strong and I love pumpkin flavoured things!
My sister and I made these cupcakes for a bridal shower/tea party and they were INCREDIBLE! Moist, delicious and the cream cheese frosting was perfect. I need to practice my piping skills though! Sally, thanks for another wonderful recipe. We know that we can always count on anything we make will be amazing.
So glad the cupcakes were a hit, Vicki!
These carrot cake cupcakes are so yummy. The cream cheese frosting is so good and yummy.
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.
I was looking for an easy recipe and stumbled across this one. Everyone absolutely LOVED them at morning tea yesterday, thank you (from Adelaide, South Australia)