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.
Julia Ruger
I made the cupcakes this morning. I doubled the recipe to make 24 cupcakes and still had some batter leftover and to make 15 mimi cupcakes. I bake a great deal and did find mixing all the dry ingredients together different from any other recipe ,but I always follow recipes Exact the first time (it’s my rule). When I made the cream cheese frosting, I only frosted the minis for now. Then put the remaining frosting in the refrigerator to frost tomorrow for my grand daughter’s 1st Birthday party. I also 9after cooling the cupcakes completely put them in a ziplock and put in the fridge. Then I made myself a cup of coffee and tasted the mini cupcake with the frosting… HEAVEN!!!! I wouldn’t change a single thing!! I can’t wait for my daughter ( and her daughter ) to taste these! Thank you!
I’ve always used my grandmothers’ carrot cake recipe for cupcakes and it has madrine oranges and canned pineapple. Your recipe is easier and just as good! I plan on trying your actual carrot cake recipe next!!
Sam Merritt
I’m so glad these were such a hit, Julia! I hope you like the carrot cake just as much! 🙂
Linda K
These are so amazing! Have baked them twice and everyone has loved them that has tried them. I have topped them with your cream cheese frosting recipe! Yum, so delicious!! This 4th of July (my birthday) I will be baking them I can’t wait!
Kristi
I thought these were so good, but more importantly, my bday friends who love carrot cake also thought they were great. Thanks for the recipe!
Melanie
These cupcakes are soooo good! I made them for my 21 year old son for his birthday and he loved them! I brought the leftovers to work and I was told they were the best they ever had! I’m making them again for another staff birthday as we speak!
Megan
Hello!
I’m looking forward to making these for my birthday this weekend. One question, though – do any changes need to be done for high altitude? I’m in Utah 🙂
Thanks so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Megan! Unfortunately we don’t have any experience with high altitude baking 😞
Kimberly
the flavor was good, but the muffins are wayyyy too crumbly and just fall apart. they are also super oily. I measured everything with a cooking scale and followed the recipe, but I wouldn’t make these again.
Sam
Hi Kimberly! I’m so sorry to hear this happened! There are likely a few things that caused the cupcakes to be crumbly. They could have potentially been over-mixed, over-baked, or even something potentially mis-measured. 🙁 They should not be crumbly and oily. 🙁
Jennifer V
I know it’s weird for 4th of July but this is year 5 they are requested but they are amazing ….. never had any issues with the recipe I always use pecans and they are loved loved loved ….. almost as much as my 4th of July Jell-O shots lol!!!!! I make a lot of your recipes and love them so THANK YOU!!!!
Adriana
Made them yesterday and even my daughter that doesn’t like carrots ate it and complimented! Do you know if I could use the same recipe for banana cake?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! We’d recommend our banana cake or banana cupcakes instead 😊
Stephanie
I am not using any oils anymore, could I swap out butter for oil? I have read it won’t be as moist, should I add more butter then?
Sam
Hi Stephanie! You are correct that it will not be as moist with all butter but you can definitely swap the oil for an equal amount of butter. I would not recommend adding more or it could mess up the texture of the cupcake. Honestly, this is a very moist cupcake anyway so you’ll probably be just fine and likely won’t really miss the oil. Would love to hear how they turn out for you!
Stephanie
They came out great with the butter! My family loved them! Thank you for your response to me! It encouraged me to try it.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Stephanie 🩷
Kathryn Stone
Love the recipe. My parents love carrot cupcakes. Nice and moist not dry. A recipe worth keeping and baking again. I will definitely keep this recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy the recipe was a hit for you, Kathryn! Thanks for the review 🩷
Km
you can swap out applesauce for oil, 1:1. I do this for all recipes with oil and it is fantastic!