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.
Rebekah
I made a mistake and forgot to buy canola oil, I live in a rural area and do not have time to go back to the store. Will butter ruin the recipe?
Sam
Hi Rebekah! Do you have vegetable oil by chance? That would work. If not, I generally don’t recommend substituting butter for oil in cakes/cupcakes because it tends to make them less moist, but this carrot cake cupcake recipe is so moist anyway I think you could get away with it. I would melt the butter before using. I hope that helps!
Jomarie
THANK YOU FOR SATISFYING MY CARROT CUPCAKE CRAVINGS. THIS ONE SURELY HITS THE SPOT!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the carrot cake cured your craving, Jomarie! I am so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Farah Insyirah
My favourite new recipe!! Easy to make and everyone loves it! Thank youu!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the carrot cake cupcakes were such a hit, Farah! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Brittney
What happens if the egg is not at room temp? How do you achieve that without spoiling the egg?
Sam
Set the egg in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for about 10-15 minutes, it is what I do to bring eggs to room temperature quickly. I hope that helps! 🙂
Mike
First, Michelle my wife loves carrot cake. Her cake request for this years birthday. You guessed carrot cake! I reviewed several variations and decided on yours.
I made the first dozen this morning and she described them as if she has never had a “real carrot cake until now”!
I’m back in the kitchen baking a double batch (birthday week).
Thank you for sharing your culinary skills and in particular this recipe.
Sam
Woohoo! I’m so happy to hear the carrot cake cupcakes were such a hit, Mike! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Maureen
I made these for an engagement party. Everyone just loved them! So moist. Frosting was excellent too!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Maureen! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the carrot cake cupcakes. I hope everyone had a nice time at the party. 🙂
Tara
I’ve always liked baking but for some reason have never made cupcakes or a cake from scratch. I made these cupcakes last weekend and even piped the frosting (again something I’ve never done)! They came out wonderful! Today I’m going to make your confetti cupcakes. Thanks for posting these incredibly easy and delicious sweets! And I added golden and regular raisins and walnuts and they were perfect.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Tara! I am so happy that you enjoyed the Carrott Cake Cupcakes. I hope that you find the Funfetti Cupcakes just as easy and enjoyable. Thanks for your comment and for trying my recipes. 🙂
Ida Nyberg
Love the recipe! Made these for my birthday and they were a success! I thought these were 12 MINI cupcakes recipe, so I doubled the recipe, which I thought should then make 24… I ended up with over 70 mini cupcakes. Ha! Oh well.. you can never have TOO MUCH of a good thing, right? So FYI, the cooking time works for mini cupcakes as well!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Ida! I am so glad that you loved the mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes and you had plenty to enjoy! lol. 🙂
Jinxie
Was wondering if I could substitute canola oil for sunflower or coconut oil or will it change the texture?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Jinxie! I haven’t tried either sunflower oil or coconut oil, but I think that either would be fine. The coconut oil may alter the taste slightly. I hope that you enjoy the carrot cake cupcakes. 🙂
Julie
Do NOT use coconut oil. I just did and it was a total disaster. Had to throw them away 😭
Sugar Spun Run
OH NO, Julie! I’m so sorry! I will note… no coconut oil. 🙁
Valerie
Hello, This was my first time using your recipe and making carrot cake in general. I made two batches one using coconut oil and the other one using half coconut oil with grape oil. The coconut oil one came out thicker and more moist, i did notice the taste was Different than the batch I made using the half and half .
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for letting me know, Valerie! I hope that you enjoyed the cake. 🙂
Lady Jigglyhips
I’ve made this recipe for a few people who claim to “not like carrot cake” LOL
All of them have raved about them and requested repeats several times. I’m making them again today for my family finally
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed the carrot cake cupcakes so much! 🙂
Sherine
We sure did enjoy it, I made 2 batches and my husband had a dozen himself, by far the best and easiest recipe ever. I toasted pecan nuts which just added to the amazing flavor thanks again xxx
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the carrot cake cupcakes, Sherine! Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Sherine
i have to tell you that i thought i had the best carrot cupcake recipe but i was wrong, YOURS on the other hand are THE MOST DELICIOUS cake i’ve ever had ever, and shall be keeping it forever and passing i down for generations to come!!!!!!!!!! thanks so much for sharing, God Bless You xxx
Sugar Spun Run
What a compliment, Sherine. Thank you so much! I am happy that you enjoyed the carrot cake recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Ashley Carvalho
This is the best and easiest cake to make/bake ever!!!!amazing flavors bursting in your mouth!!! Do you have any bread recipes????
Sam
Hi Ashley! I am so glad you enjoyed the carrot cake cupcakes! If you are looking for yeast breads, I do have garlic knots, pizza dough, and whole wheat rolls. If you are looking for quick breads I have zucchini bread and a banana bread. 🙂
Jill Ellis
Hi There,I made these and I made the recipe as follows and then I halved it but wasn’t think with grand kid’s helping so I doubled the carrots instead of half,Do you think a extra extra 3/4 cup carrots would make a difference? 🤦♀️
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Jill! You should be ok. They might be extra moist and might fall apart a bit but still, taste good. Let me know how they turn out. 🙂
Jill Ellis
Thank you for getting back to me,I’m making them for some one else but made extra for me to try.Let you know how they are!😊
Zoe
Awesome recipe + so easy to follow. Have tried quite a few recipes over the years but this one is the best, as per my carrot cake loving hubby. Added walnuts and pineapple ‘cause that’s how we roll. Will use your recipe again and again. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you enjoyed the carrot cake cupcakes, Zoe! Adding walnuts and pineapple sounds delicious! 🙂
Suzanne Ramsey
I love it with pineapple! How much did you put in and did you drain it first?
Laura
Literally the best carrot cake and cream cheese frosting I’ve ever had. I’ve made it twice now, and it turned out incredible both times. Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Laura. I am so glad that you enjoyed the carrot cake cupcakes! 🙂