Carrot cake cupcakes are easily one of my all time favorite cupcake recipes. Rich and delicious moist cake with an amazing texture, a bit of spice and luxurious cream cheese frosting. It’s hard to beat homemade carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
The only thing better is if they are easy carrot cake cupcakes – and these cupcakes and their cream cheese frosting just that! These cupcakes and frosting are both quick and easy to make. You only need one bowl to make the cupcakes! I can’t wait for you to try these, they are easily the best carrot cake cupcakes I have ever had.
Carrot cake cupcakes always seem to get tucked away with the Easter recipes, but they truly are fabulous year round. I love how you find so much variety when it comes to carrot cake recipes.
People make all kinds of cupcakes – carrot cake cupcakes with nuts, carrot cake cupcakes with raisins and carrot cake cupcakes with pineapple. I’m not a raisin fan in any of my baked goods, but I do love walnuts or pecans in my carrot cake cupcakes. However due to a tree nut allergy in my house, we skip those – otherwise I would have packed these carrot cake cupcakes with walnuts.
With this recipe you can add in nuts or raisins or coconut. I haven’t tried it with the addition of pineapple, so I can’t speak to how that will turn out, but I find this recipe to be really flexible and forgiving.
Homemade Carrot Cake Cupcakes
With Cream Cheese Frosting
No matter how you like your carrot cake, the cream cheese frosting seems to be a constant in the carrot cake cupcake equation. You just can’t skip it in my book. And the cream cheese frosting recipe I use with these is divine.
It’s quick, it’s delicious, you can pipe it on top or spread it on. Or you can eat it with a spoon. I WILL NOT JUDGE YOU. Seriously this cream cheese frosting is all kinds of amazing.
These carrot cake cupcakes are perfect for an Easter dessert. I store them in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese frosting, and they hold up well if you want to make them a day or two in advance. I prefer to take them out of the fridge a little while prior to serving.
They don’t need to be room temperature, but taking the chill off allows them to taste their very best. These are very rich, and one carrot cake cupcake is quite filling. These really might be my favorite Easter food!
Decorating Carrot Cake Cupcakes
When it comes to decorating carrot cake cupcakes and most of the time I just leave them plain. Sometimes though it’s nice to have a few ideas for topping your carrot cake cupcakes. Brach’s Pastel Jelly Bird Eggs jelly beans look really sweet on top of these cupcakes, and they look very pretty on your Easter table.
If you have a kiddo that likes to help in the kitchen, this can be a great task for them. Three jelly beans on top makes for an adorable cupcake. Another fun idea is to make carrot hearts like I do with my carrot cake recipe. See how cute they are, I love them!
Of course you can always go with Easter sprinkles. Sweets & Treats Boutique has some adorable Easter sprinkles, how cute would these be on your cupcakes?
Another option is to use coconut, regular or toasted, on top of your carrot cake cupcakes.
Recipe sfor Carrot Cake
While this is my favorite recipe for carrot cake cupcakes, I have quite a few other carrot cake recipes you can try as well (shown clockwise from top left below). You can’t go wrong with my classic carrot cake recipe, it really is the best carrot cake recipe I’ve ever tried.
If you are looking for a healthy carrot cake recipe, check out my carrot cake bundt cake (it has a secret ingredient!). Want to lighten things up a bit? Try my light carrot cake recipe. I also love a good sheet cake, so naturally I have an easy carrot sheet cake recipe.
Looking for the cutest little carrot cakes in all the land? My Carrot Mini Bundt Cakes are the sweetest little bite sized treats!
Don’t forget about cookies! Carrot Cake Cookies are always a crowd pleaser!
No matter what kind of carrot cake you are looking for, I’ve got you covered!
Best Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup plain unsweetened applesauce
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice if you don’t have, replace with additional ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, walnuts or raisins OPTIONAL
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese brick, not tub, room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- Mix together oil, applesauce, sugar, salt and eggs. Mix well to fully combine, but it’s not necessary to use a mixer.
- Add in flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Mix until just combined, do not overmix.
- Fold in carrots, as well as nuts, raisins or coconut if using. Mix until just combined. Scoop into prepared muffin pan.
- Bake for 21 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the middle cupcakes comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for approximately 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once fully cooled, top with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- With a mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until well combined, light and creamy.
- Add in 1/2 the powdered sugar and mix until just combined. Add in remaining powdered sugar and beat until just combined.
- Mix in vanilla and salt, mixing until just combined. Do not over-mix frosting.
- If frosting is too thick you can add a teaspoon or two of cream, half and half or milk to reach the desired consistency.
- Pipe or spread onto completely cooled carrot cake cupcakes.
- Store frosted cupcakes in refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Haven’t quite had your carrot fix yet? That’s cool, don’t worry – I got you. My friends have some great carrot recipes you might want to try as well!
Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen has a fantastic Cream Cheese Frosted Carrot Cake Loaf recipe that is great if you don’t need an entire large cake or batch of cupcakes. Crazy For Crust has some divine Carrot Cake Blondies With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting… so very delicious! When it comes to easy and delicious you can’t beat these Carrot Cake Rice Krispies Treats from Wine & Glue. What about carrot cake for breakfast? Yes, it’s a thing thanks to these Carrot Cake Donuts from Inside Bru Crew Life.
Remember, while these carrot cake cupcakes are perfect for your Easter dessert table, they are fantastic all year long, so don’t forget them once spring is over!
June says
Best carrot cupcakes I ever had! I’ve made them often and have received many compliments. Thank you
Ria says
Any replacement for Apple sauce?
Angie O. says
So yesterday I tried to leave a review with a mediocre rating because I was not satisfied with the flavor or the oiliness. I don’t see it posted, but in case it has, I would like to retract my statement. After letting the cupcakes sit in the fridge overnight, they somehow came out tasty, balanced, and just right. Word to the wise: don’t taste them right away! Wait a few hours, and these cupcakes will pleasantly surprise you.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
These are so pretty and look AMAING. Those candies are cute too!
Jocelyn @Inside BruCrew Life says
Carrot cake is one of my favorites!!! Thanks for the link love!
Shannon says
Ok you win. This is definitely a fave!!!! Nothing better than cream cheese frosting on these. How gross would any other frosting be?! Ha! Love these Christi!
Ashe says
I like walnuts in my carrot cake as well. We have never had the tradition of carrot cake at Easter, but it sounds like a good tradition to start. Thanks for sharing.
Jenni says
These look so cute with the wrappers and sprinkles. What tip did you use for the frosting?
Christi says
Jenni, thanks so much! Sadly I do not recall which tip I used. I am the least technical frosting piper you will ever meet, and I kind of just grab and go without paying much attention. My apologies for not having that info for you!
Crystal says
They look super delicious!! I love the idea of adding carrots and pineapple juice to the mix. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe!! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
Christi says
Crystal, you are welcome, enjoy! 🙂
Laura x says
As amazing as carrot cake is i hardly make it. cant waitt to give these a try though. Such an easy recipe. thanks