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.
LU
Really great recipe! I added fresh blueberries to the frosting, and my family LOVED them!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Cc
I don’t have a stand mixer 🙁 will mixing by hand be okay?
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Amanda
Do you think I could add crushed pineapple to this, and how much? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Amanda! I know others have done so with success. 🙂
Gwen
hi there! i’m thinking about baking these next week, but i was wondering, can this recipe be doubled to make 24 cupcakes? thank you!
Sam
Definitely! I hope everyone loves them. 🙂
Myra Merkal
These are the absolute best ever carrot cake cupcakes. So moist and delicious. I had many ravings about them. I did use 2.5 carrots and pulsed them in food processor, no nuts or raisins. Made 14 cupcakes using ice cream scoop for consistency. Cream cheese icing also yummy. I used only 3 cups of icing sugar and still had lots left over. I did put the icing in fridge for 20 minutes before piping and they turned out great. Highly recommend this recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Myra! 🙂
Nehemie Louis
I’m on my third round of making these cupcakes in the space of less than 3 weeks! This recipes is so easy to follow and they came out perfect! They are delicious! My husband isn’t a cake fan but he requested these tonight! So you know they’re good! 😄
Sugar Spun Run
THIRD ROUND?!!! That is AWESOME! I am so glad that you both have enjoyed this recipe so much. Thanks for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Gina
I made this recipe this afternoon so I could surprise my husband when he came home from work for dessert tonight. I must say all 12 cupcakes came out perfect! I did add the raisins for an added touch and they were delicious. (I did have to bake them for an extra 5 minutes but maybe it is just my oven lol). I put store bought cream cheese frosting on top. Will definitely make this recipe again!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Gina! 🙂
Jen
Delicious and easy to make. I doubled the batch, skipped most of the baking soda, nearly filled the cups, and the recipe still made 27 cupcakes (not complaining 🙂…). I used the frosting recipe as written and have about 1.5 cups leftover after frosting my double batch. Next time I will reduce the oil by ~1/4 of the recommended amount and cut the frosting recipe by *at least* half. We live in a higher altitude so maybe these adjustments aren’t necessary for everyone.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Jen! 🙂
Elayne
Would I be able to substitute butter for oil in this recipe or is that a deal breaker? Lol
Sam
Hi Elayne! That should work fine. 🙂
Juman
I dont have baking soda i only have baking powder what shall i do ?
Sam
Unfortunately you’ll need baking soda for this recipe 🙁
Msstma
I made these! Easy to make.
I did something new even for me. I precooked the carrots and mashed them. It gave the cupcakes the flavor but they weren’t crunchy.
Also, I halved the recipe except still added 2 eggs, it still made 12.
Natalia
Hi!
Can I use this recipe in loaf pan? Or it’s better the cakes recipe ?
Thanks !
Sam
Hi Natalia! I would use the cake recipe. 🙂
Natalia
Hi! But u refer cake recipe because have butter in it?
O because the amount of ingredients ?
Sorry for asking a lot!
I just did the cake recipe and it’s perfection!
Sam
Honestly they’ll either be fine. 🙂
Melany
Am I able to make this recipe into a cake rather than cupcakes?
Sam
Hi Melany! I recommend my carrot cake recipe instead 🙂
devon
they are great just add more nutmeg and some cloves.
Mila Mendoza
Thanks a lot Sam. Tried your recipe and I got good results.
Lily
Hello, I don’t have baking powder, is it okay if I don’t put some? Or is there any other substitute?
Sam
Hi Lily! Unfortunately you need the baking powder and I don’t have a good substitute. 🙁
Aziza
If you have cream of tartar you can substitute for baking powder in the amount of 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and 1/8 tsp baking soda. Still using the called for amount of baking soda too.
I use it all the time cause I’m allergic to the corn starch in baking powder.
Kate
Am I able to use vegetable oil instead of canola?
Sam
That will work just fine here. 🙂
Roba Khachfe
What size cupcake pan did you use, I have a 12 cupcake pan, and I only want to make 12 should I use half the recipe
Sam
Hi Roba! I use a standard size cupcake tin. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes. 🙂
Roba Khachfe
Hi Sam, I don’t really use nutmeg, what can I substitute for it?
Sam
Hi Roba! You can just leave it out. 🙂