This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
The best Carrot Cake Cupcake recipe is moist ‘n tender, with irresistible crumb bursting with sweet spiced flavor and carrot goodness! Topped with dreamy, supple and thick cream cheese frosting, this homemade carrot cupcakes recipe is perfect for Easter, birthdays, and dessert.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Moist ‘n Delicious: Perfectly spiced, with a tender crumb that hits the sweet tooth spot every time.
- Not too Sweet, Just Right: Satisfying, but not cloying, and deliciously balanced with tangy cream cheese frosting.
- Perfect for Easter along with chocolate bird’s nest, Spring get-togethers and straight-up dessert!
The Best Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe
My, what a bold statement! But yet… this truly is the BEST Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe! This homemade, baked goodness is perfectly moist and tender, packed with the right amount of spice and sweetness, offset by tangy cream cheese frosting and satisfying walnuts. Bite the bouncy yet tender crumb of these carrot cupcakes with juicy carrots and raisins bursting on your tongue. Cupcake bliss.
Erik and I literally had to freeze the rest of the cupcakes (after eating 3 each, mind you) to stop ourselves. Point is, your family will love it, your friends will love it… You’ll simply love this epically-good carrot cake cupcake!
Carrot Cake Cupcake Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – no need to use anything fancy like cake flour; just simple all-purpose flour!
- Spices – ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt altogether create the best moist carrot cake recipe in the world in your mouth
- Canola oil – or vegetable oil will do
- Unsweetened applesauce – make sure to use room temperature
- Brown sugar – light or dark brown works
- Large eggs – use room temperature for even mixing and melding of the ingredients
- Vanilla – as always, use pure vanilla extract and avoid imitation for the best flavor
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
The best carrot cake cupcake recipe is easy to make, starting with whisking together dry ingredients and wet ingredients, then combining and pouring into a lined cupcake pan. Cool and frost for incredible, moist cupcakes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup cupcake pans with 16 liners.
- Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together wet ingredients in a medium bowl: oil, applesauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Fold in carrots, walnuts, and raisins until every bit is coated.
- Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way, then bake carrot cake cupcakes for about 24 minutes.
- Cool the best carrot cake cupcakes completely. Meanwhile, make cream cheese frosting. Frost your homemade carrot cake cupcakes using an Ateco 808 (smooth like in my photos) or Ateco 844 piping tip (makes ridged swirls). Enjoy!
Tips & FAQs
- How long to bake carrot cake cupcakes? Bake carrot cake cupcakes about 24 minutes, until you have a lightly crisp top and moist and bouncy interior.
- Measure the carrots & grate them yourself: Use a scale to ensure you get exactly 160g of carrots. Also avoid using store-bought grated carrots, which are too long, sharp, and dry!
- Hand grate carrots into delicate shreds: Erik is a pro at this and hand grates carrots thinly so they aren’t stiff like carrot matchsticks; they’re soft and feathery which allows them to almost melt into the carrot cake cupcakes.
- Use room temperature applesauce and eggs: Cold ingredients will get in the way of your cupcake batter mixing properly and baking up right.
Recommended Cream Cheese Frosting
Use my cream cheese frosting recipe, which makes exactly enough to generously frost 16 cupcakes (the amount this carrot cake cupcake recipe makes). This frosting recipe is creamy and thick, but soft and velvety when you bite into it.
Tools You Need
For more delicious recipe ideas, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you’ve tried this recipe, take a pic and tag us on Instagram using #beamingbaker. We can’t wait to see it! Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
More Cupcake & Frosting Recipes
Try my pumpkin cake, buttermilk pound cake, and incredible moist chocolate cupcakes!
BEST Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce, room temp
- ¾ cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-Ins
- 1 ½ cups grated carrots, 160g (about 3 medium carrots), grate until soft and feathery
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional, save some for topping
- ¼ cup raisins, optional but recommended
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 batch cream cheese frosting, makes enough to frost about 16 cupcakes medium high
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with 16 liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: oil, applesauce, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined.
- Transfer the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl, whisking until combined (but not overmixed). Fold in carrots, walnuts and raisins.
- Spoon the batter into cupcake liners, filling about ¾ of the way. Do not overfill to avoid a mess.
- Bake for 21-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Mine took 24 minutes* Cool cupcakes in the pan for 7 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Meanwhile, make the .
- After cooling completely, frost with this piping tip. Optionally, top with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts (use a little of the walnut “dust”—the crumbly bits, it’s pretty!)
- ★ Last Step: If you made this recipe, leave a comment and review. It truly helps our small business keep running and it helps readers like you!
Notes
- *To test for doneness, poke a toothpick into the center of a cupcake, if it comes out clean, the cupcake is done. The top of the cupcake can still be slightly moist as long as the center is done.
- Storing Instructions: Carrot cake cupcakes can stay at room temperature for 1-3 hours with cream cheese frosting. After, they’ll need to be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezing Instructions: Store cupcakes in an airtight, freezer-friendly container for 1-3 months in the freezer.
Yummy
I’m so happy you liked the carrot cake cupcakes!
Hi Demeter, I hope you are well! I just wanted to say thank you so very much for this beautiful recipe, I made it today for the very first time. I just made a couple of small variations based on my personal preferences. I used three-quarter cup of wholemeal plain flour and 1/2 cup white flour. I left out the white sugar altogether and used 105 g of brown sugar. I kept everything else the same and they were so delicious! I enjoyed three warm out of the oven spread with a little butter. So looking forward to sharing with others these beautiful tasty treats. I chose to omit the icing as I’m not a fan.😊
Hi Nancy! It’s great to hear from you and to know you enjoyed the cupcakes so much! I know what you mean, it’s hard to resist eating them right away. 😄 And I’m glad to know the ingredient subs worked out for you too!
These were excellent Demeter! I added 1/4 tsp cinnamon for an extra kick, and sprinkled some on top for decoration. Going right into the recipe book!
Oh that’s so wonderful to hear, Nicole! Gotta love a good kick of cinnamon. 😉 Glad you like it!
Made with walnuts because of didn’t have any pecans on hand. So good! Can’t wait to try it with some pecans next time.
There’s just something about walnuts in a dessert that hits the spot, doesn’t it? I’m so happy you liked the cupcakes, Sue!
These look delicious. Any way to make them gluten free? which flour or blend would you suggest? Thanks
Hi Paricia. I would definitely recommend a GF AP blend over oat flour here, but to be honest, I’ve never found one GF blend that works for all recipes. So it might take you a few trials to find the one that works best for you. Happy baking!
Hi Demeter,
I would love to make these cupcakes is there’re anyway it can be made gluten free and dairy free. Can canola oil be substituted for coconut oil.
Thank you,
Maria
Hi Maria! I haven’t tried it, but it should be okay to use a GF AP blend for the flour and melted coconut oil for the canola oil. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how they turn out! 🙂
Made these as a test for a church gathering and they are so good! Between my kids and my husband they’re already half gone, so I’m definitely going to need to make more. And the frosting is so good too! Thank you Demeter for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Oh you’re so welcome, Elisabeth! I know, they definitely tend to disappear whenever I make them lol. I hope everyone at your church enjoys them!