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.
Sara O.
I made these tonight and added about 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup of chopped pineapple…wow! These are SO delicious! I cannot wait to serve them after lunch tomorrow. This recipe is definitely going in my favorites.
Sam
That sounds like a great addition, Sara! I hope everyone loves them as much as you do. 🙂
Cindy
Delicious!!!! It’s my first time ever making carrot cake/cupcakes, these came out perfect! So good and I didn’t even put frosting on them yet! 7yo and 2yo approved!!!!!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them, Cindy! 🙂
Jean
Just made these for Easter with gluten free baking mix (raisins & walnuts) and they are amazing!!! So moist and delicious.
Sam
So happy to hear this! Thanks for commenting, Jean! 🙂 Happy Easter!
jean
Happy Easter to you!!
Danielle
Hi! Great recipe, I want to make mini cupcakes, what would you recommend for the temp and cook time?
Sam
Hi Danielle! I have not made them as mini cupcakes so I don’t know how long they need to bake. I’m sorry.
Sujey
Can I not use nutmeg for this recipe? Or is it a must? Also I can’t wait to make it . I’m so excited!
Sam
Hi Sujey! You can leave it out. Enjoy!
JD
Again, I know this may be a silly question, but I brought a cupcake box holder a day or two ago.
After baking them, should I wrap the box in an air-tight seal wrap?
Sam
Yes 🙂
JD
Thank you!
JD
How would you store them overnight before filling and frosting them?
Should I use a box with air-tighten wrapped?
Sam
Yup, an airtight container at room temperature would be perfect. Enjoy! 🙂
Dana
Can you use this recipe for a cake as well?
Sam
Yes, but I do have a separate carrot cake recipe that’s slightly different 🙂
JD
Also, what kind of milk did you use?
Sam
whole milk
JD
Should I make them the day before?
Sam
If you would like they will be fine made the day before
JD
If it’s possible, could I use vegetable oil instead of canola oil?
And could I use 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom and perhaps some ginger?
Sam
Yes, vegetable oil will work fine instead of canola. The spices are a matter of personal preference, I don’t see why they wouldn’t work but it depends on your own taste. 🙂
Anna
Hello Sam,
I signed up to your blog not that long ago, and very happy I found it as all your recipes look amazing!
I made today the carrot cupcake with nuts-actually left it as a “muffin” for breakfast without the frosting…I will make sure to try and make the frosting as well in the future. I could “almost taste the frosting” 🙂 while eating the muffin today- I can totally imagine how great it will taste together.
Your recipe is really super easy-the carrot muffins/cupcakes are so fluffy and moist…just melts in your mouth. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe, I know I will be making it often :). I look forward in trying your other recipes as well.
Keep up the great work on your blog and happy baking! 🙂
Anna
Sam
Thank you so much, Anna! I am so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes. The frosting is the perfect compliment to these cupcakes. I think you will really love them with the frosting. I hope you love everything you try! 🙂
Ye Juanda M Sargent
Finally a recipe with no pineapple! 🙌
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Lynne Ham
Dea Sam,
I absolutely love your recipes and the way you break it all down step-by-step for us. I do enjoy your humor as well. I work with two younger women who are graduating college, and they tell me about needing to learn how to cook. I have referred them to your site and explained that you even provide videos with each recipe. You are awesome.
Btw, “moistest” can actually be said “most moist.”
Truly yours,
Lynne
Sam
Thank you so much, Lynne! I am so glad you have enjoyed my recipes and thank you for passing on the word. 🙂
wgmoJ3199
Thank you so much! 🙂