Carrot Cake Cupcakes

5 from 8 votes

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Classic Carrot Cake topped with cream cheese frosting all in bite-sized form, Carrot Cake Cupcakes are a perfect Easter treat. Especially when they are decorated with these adorable toppings!

If you are looking for the perfect carrot cake cupcake recipe to make this Easter, you’ve found it! Made without eggs and very easily can be made vegan if needed, yet still as delicious as any normal cupcake. Topped with cream cheese frosting and you’ve got the perfect Easter treat.

carrot cake cupcakes on cake stand

Helpful Cupcake Substitutions

  • Milk – if you are looking to keep these cupcakes vegan, replace the milk with almond milk. Milk and vinegar mixture can be completely replaced with buttermilk.
  • White Vinegar – this can be replaced with lemon juice if needed! Milk and vinegar mixture can be completely replaced with buttermilk.
  • Cinnamon, Nutmeg + Cloves – all warm delicious spices found in traditional carrot cake recipes. I’ve learned from other previously published recipes that cloves can be quite a controversial ingredient. If you are not a fan of cloves, just omit it or reduce the listed amount by half.
  • Canola Oil – oil keeps the carrot cake cupcakes nice and moist. Any light-colored oil will work like vegetable or grapeseed oil. Or if you’re in a pinch, melted butter!
  • Carrots – I highly recommend shredding your own carrots rather than buying pre-shredded carrots. But if all you have is the pre-shredded kind just note that your cupcakes will tend to be drier.

Wait, No Eggs?

I think it’s important to note that this recipe *does not* call for eggs. It’s not a typo, folks!! There are no eggs listed in the recipe card because I don’t add eggs to this cake batter. Structurally, it’s fine without eggs and your carrot cake cupcakes will turn out just as beautiful as mine, pictured below. I promise these cupcakes will turn out perfectly without the eggs. Dare I say you won’t even notice? And as an extra bonus, you can lick out the bowl with no raw egg guilt…not that that ever stops me. Ahem.

Carrot Cake Cupcake Add-Ins

If you would like to add in the coconut, pecans, and/or pineapple, here’s how to do it:

  • Crushed Pineapple: Reduce milk and vinegar mixture by 1/2 cup and add 1/4 cup extra flour to the batter. Drain one 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple. Stir in with the grated carrot. Bake, cool, and frost as usual.
  • Pecans: Stir in 3/4 cup toasted and chopped pecans into the batter with the grated carrot. Bake, cool, and frost as usual. Walnuts or almonds are also a good substitution.
  • Coconut: Stir in 1 1/2 cups sweetened, desiccated coconut into the batter with the grated carrot. Bake, cool, and frost as usual.

If you do not want to add in the crushed pineapple but would like to add in pecans or coconut, the milk and vinegar mixture does not need to be reduced because you’re not adding in extra moisture like you would be with the pineapple.

hand grabbing carrot cake cupcake

How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes

For full details on how to make carrot cake cupcakes, see the recipe card down below 🙂

Prep and Preheat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners and set them aside.

Make the Cupcake Batter

Measure out milk and vinegar. Stir and set aside.

In a large bowl, measure out all dry ingredients and whisk together to combine. Create well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk vinegar mixture, oil, and vanilla. Stir until just incorporated. Add in carrots and stir again.

Bake + Cool

Divide batter evenly between muffin tins. Bake 15-20 minutes or until set. Cool completely before frosting.

frosted carrot cupcake

Cream Cheese Frosting + Decorate

To make the cream cheese frosting, mix cream cheese and butter together until well combined. {I use a hand mixer for this.} Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar until just combined and smooth. If you over mix the frosting, it won’t hold its shape as well and will slowly drip off the cupcakes.

Spread about 3 tablespoons of frosting onto each cupcake and decorate as desired.

How to Decorate Carrot Cake Cupcakes

After a simple coating of cream cheese frosting these carrot cake cupcakes can be dressed up in numerous ways, here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • chopped pecans
  • shredded coconut
  • edible florals/herbs
  • sprinkles
  • colored frosting in the shape of carrots
  • spiral orange slices

Cake Size Options

This carrot cake cupcake recipe will make:

  • 24 cupcakes (350 for 15-20 minutes)
  • two 8 or 9-inch round cakes {350 for 20-25 minutes}
  • 9×13 cake {350 for 25-30 minutes}

No need to change the frosting recipe, it’s enough to frost any of the options above.

carrot cake cupcakes

More Carrot Cake Recipes to Try!

So, if you’re celebrating Easter with cupcakes, it may as well be these ones!

The printable recipe card is found below, enjoy!

carrot cake cupcakes
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5 from 8 votes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Classic Carrot Cake topped with cream cheese frosting all in bite-sized form, Carrot Cake Cupcakes are a perfect Easter treat. Especially when they are decorated with these adorable toppings!
servings 24 cupcakes
Prep Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

for the cream cheese frosting:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners and set them aside.
  • Measure out milk and vinegar*. Stir and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, measure out all dry ingredients and whisk together to combine. Create well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk vinegar mixture, oil, and vanilla. Stir until just incorporated. Add in carrots and stir again.
  • Divide batter evenly between muffin tins. Bake 15-20 minutes or until set. Cool completely before frosting.
  • To make frosting, mix cream cheese and butter together until well combined. {I use a hand mixer for this.} Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar until just combined and smooth. If you over mix the frosting, it won’t hold it’s shape as well and will slowly drip off the cupcakes.
  • Spread about 3 tablespoons of frosting onto each cupcake and decorate as desired.

Notes

  • Buttermilk: Milk and vinegar mixture can be replaced with 2 cups of buttermilk.
  • No Eggs: There are no eggs in this recipe! It’s not a typo and yes, they will turn out just fine.
  • 9×13 Inch Cake: Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.
  • Two 8-inch Round Cakes: Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
  • Crushed pineapple: Reduce milk and vinegar mixture by 1/2 cup and add 1/4 cup extra flour to the batter. Drain one 8 oz can of crushed pineapple. Stir in with the grated carrot. Bake, cool, and frost as usual.
  • Pecans: Stir in 3/4 cup toasted and chopped pecans into the batter with the grated carrot. Bake, cool, and frost as usual. Walnuts or almonds are also a good substitution.
  • Coconut: Stir in 1 1/2 cups sweetened, desiccated coconut into the batter with the grated carrot. Bake, cool, and frost as usual.

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 3076IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carrot cake, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Carrot Cupcakes

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17 Responses
  1. This week at the Brennan’s | Lauren's Latest

    […] from church who also don’t have family close by to celebrate with. I made this, this and this, but in sheet cake form. It was glorious. Once we hit 6:45pm, Eddie started fading fast, so I had […]

  2. mia

    these sounds so good and I almost have all the ingredients – making them that much better! When you have a family that loves carrot cake as much as mine, its pretty much a cake at every birthday so i’m excited to make this at the next one! thank you 😀

  3. Virginia Jacobsen

    5 stars
    I made these today, very good..I have a question, the paper liner was very oily, should I have used a foil cup cake liner?

    1. marge

      My liners were quite oily as well. I made them very late at night and by the morning the oily residue was gone. The oil caused the pattern on the bottom of the paper liners to adhere to the bottom of my cupcake tin.

  4. brenda

    5 stars
    I never knew I could make carrot cake or muffins without pineapple so I always had lots of left over carrots in my fridge now I thank you for this recipe I can use up my carrot and enjoy a great snack

  5. Gloria

    Just wondering. No eggs in this recipe?
    I cook for a couple and her husband is allergic to eggs. I’d love to make this for them for Easter!

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