These carrot cake cupcakes are everything you love about the cake—outstanding spice flavor, super moist crumb, and velvety cream cheese frosting—in a portioned cupcake wrapper! I’ve scaled down my popular carrot cake recipe to bring you a batch of cupcakes that’s easier and quicker, but just as delicious.
One reader, Leigh, commented: “Followed recipe exactly and cupcakes were delicious! Loved the tip about grating then coarse chopping the carrots. Piped frosting was the perfect consistency and so pretty. ★★★★★“
I think we can all agree that carrot cake and cream cheese frosting is a flavor duo surpassing time—it’s just never going out of style. I love it as carrot cake loaf and mixed up in this carrot Bundt cake. But nothing can compare to original carrot cake and today’s cupcake version. Just CLASSIC!
Tell Me About These Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Flavor: These cupcakes are scrumptiously spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. You also have brown sugar, a little applesauce, natural sweetness from carrots, and the tangy-sweet frosting.
- Texture: The crumb of these cupcakes is soft and moist, but not at all greasy. (A difficult balance to achieve, but this recipe nails it!)
- Ease: Bakers of any skill level can handle this dessert recipe. You can mix the cupcake batter by hand, though I recommend using a mixer to make the cream cheese frosting.
- Time: The batch of cupcakes takes about 2 hours start to finish, and that includes cooling. Cupcakes cook faster than cake layers, but they still need to cool completely before frosting.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: carrot cake is only good if it’s spiced and if it’s moist. Under-spiced carrot cake tastes like nothing. Dry carrot cake tastes like you forgot you were baking a cake and frosted a vegetable instead. Ha! I encourage you to stick to my recipe below for best results.
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
You can make carrot cake cupcakes with a handful of staple kitchen ingredients and these are the most important:
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar not only sweetens the cupcakes, it lends more flavor and moisture than white sugar. I love using dark brown sugar in this recipe.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger add warmth and depth of flavor without overpowering anything else. I usually add some ground cloves to carrot cake recipes, but it’s quite potent and I don’t like it as much in the cupcakes.
- Vegetable Oil: When preparing cupcakes without strong flavors, like vanilla cupcakes, I prefer to use butter as the fat, because it adds flavor. But when I’m making a cupcake recipe with flavorful ingredients like these spiced cupcakes, I find using flavorless oil lets all those spice flavors shine. (Also, oil keeps the cupcakes SO VERY moist!)
- Carrots: Obviously, you need carrots. But actually, this recipe would be tasty if you substituted shredded apple or zucchini instead!
- Unsweetened applesauce: Applesauce adds even more moisture to these cupcakes, without making them oily. I love the subtle flavor that it adds, but you could also use sour cream or plain yogurt. Another popular swap for the applesauce is crushed canned pineapple, an addition many bakers love in pineapple carrot cake!
You may be surprised to see there’s only 1 and 1/3 cups of flour, which isn’t much considering all of the wet ingredients. Keep in mind that shredded carrots, while not necessarily a dry ingredient, bulk up the batter. Any more flour created a denser muffin-like texture. Trust this recipe because it works for cupcakes!
Success Tip: Shredding the Carrots
The bags of pre-shredded carrots you can find at the grocery store are not worth the extra couple of minutes it saves you to peel and shred whole carrots yourself. Store-bought carrot shreds are dry and tough, and that will translate into your carrot cake cupcakes. Grab whole carrots, a peeler, and a box grater, and flex your grating muscles!
And beyond that: After you’ve finished shredding, give the carrots a rough chop, so the pieces are finer and can distribute evenly in each cupcake, like this:
In this photo, you can see the difference. You want more carrots (moisture! flavor!) in each bite, so chop those shreds:
Photos: How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s see a few photos of the process.
Expect a semi-thick cupcake batter:
We’re using my favorite cool and creamy cream cheese frosting recipe, which flawlessly pairs with warmly spiced desserts like carrot cake, spice cake, and pumpkin cake. One question we usually see with cream cheese frosting:
How Can I Keep My Cream Cheese Frosting Thick?
Cream cheese frosting is thinner than buttercream. Putting the frosting in the refrigerator for a bit—while you’re waiting for the cupcakes to cool—helps thicken it. This means your silky cream cheese frosting will hold its shape better when piped. Stick with basic piping tips and nothing intricate; even when chilled, the frosting will not hold shape as well as a sturdy buttercream.
And don’t fret, you don’t have to pipe this frosting; it’s just as tasty swiped on with a knife.
Or take it up another notch and fill your cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, too! Or even pastry cream. See my How to Fill Cupcakes post for more details on how to do so.
Which Other Frostings Could I Use? These carrot cake cupcakes would also taste great with whipped frosting, Swiss meringue buttercream, this caramel frosting, the cinnamon cream cheese frosting from these banana cupcakes, or simply unfrosted as carrot cake muffins (like morning glory muffins!).
What About a Dairy-Free Frosting Option?
Today’s cupcakes are dairy free when made with applesauce, so if you’re looking for a dairy free frosting, try this creamy marshmallow meringue frosting.
I topped this batch of cream cheese-frosted cupcakes with chopped nuts and a white chocolate carrot topper, but both are completely optional. See Notes for instructions on making the white chocolate topper!
Looking for Easter dessert inspiration? These cupcakes are always a favorite alongside a plate of jelly bean sugar cookies, or see 20+ more Easter dessert recipes.
Simply Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 12
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These carrot cake cupcakes are a scaled down version of my popular carrot cake recipe. You can mix this easy cupcake batter by hand, though I recommend using a mixer to make the cream cheese frosting. The white chocolate carrot topper is optional!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) unsweetened applesauce, sour cream, or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (200g) peeled, shredded, and coarsely chopped carrots* (about 3 large carrots)
- optional add-in: 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans; raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (224g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional garnish: white chocolate carrot topper (see Notes) and/or finely chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, brown sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla extract together until combined, and then whisk in the carrots. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold or whisk together until completely combined. Batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the liners, filling only about 3/4 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 21–23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 12–13 minutes, same oven temperature. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds and then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the frosting as the cupcakes finish cooling—this is helpful if you plan to pipe the frosting with a piping bag + tip. Cold cream cheese frosting holds its shape better.
- Frost cooled cupcakes and top with optional garnish, if desired. I used an Ateco 808 piping tip and then swirled the center with a small icing spatula (you can see me do that in the video—totally optional way of decorating). Cover and store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Plain cupcakes can be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Frosting can also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. If frosting is thick/stiff after refrigerating, beat it with your mixer for a minute to help loosen it up. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Box Grater | Piping Bags (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco #808 Piping Tip | Small Icing Spatula | Cupcake Carrier (for storage)
- Vegetable Oil: You can use melted and slightly cooled coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. If doing so, it’s imperative all other ingredients in the cupcake batter are room temperature so the oil does not solidify.
- Applesauce/Sour Cream/Yogurt: You can use any of these options, but applesauce is my favorite because it adds a little extra flavor. Or you could use the same amount of canned crushed pineapple instead (no need to drain).
- Carrot: Don’t use pre-shredded carrots found in the produce aisle because they’re quite dry. Rather, freshly shred large carrots to yield approximately 1 and 1/2 cups (200g) of moist carrot shreds. Before measuring, give the shreds a rough chop so the pieces are finer and distributed nicely in each cupcake. And instead of carrots, you could even use shredded apple or zucchini.
- How to Make White Chocolate Carrots Garnish: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 4 ounces (113g, usually 1 bar) of white chocolate in 20-second increments, stirring after each until perfectly smooth. Separate into two bowls (don’t worry about making them perfectly equal). Tint one bowl with orange gel food coloring, and the other with green gel food coloring. (Use gel food coloring because liquid food coloring can change the consistency. I like the brand AmeriColor—you can find their gel colors in the baking aisle of craft stores or give it a quick search online. I use and recommend this set of 6 colors or this set of 12 colors.) Pour into two squeeze bottles. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone mat, drizzle the orange melted chocolate into a carrot shape, then drizzle the green melted chocolate onto the tops to make the carrot stems. Refrigerate the pan until the chocolate carrots are set, at least 15 minutes. The white chocolate carrots do soften up when they come back to room temperature, so if making these cupcakes in advance, make sure to keep them in the refrigerator until it’s nearly time to serve them.
- Adapted from Carrot Cake Cupcakes in Sally’s Baking Addiction cookbook. This version yields fewer and the cupcakes aren’t as dense.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can I swap out the all purpose flour for 1 to 1 gluten free flour?
Hi Dana, we haven’t tested that swap, but let us know if you do.
Someone else commented recently that did a sub and they were good.
Can you use chocolate melts for the carrot toppers?
Hi Sue, absolutely!
These are ahhhmazing cupcakes. I subbed crush pineapple for the applesauce and added raisins. They came out perfectly moist and full of flavor. I had a TON of icing left over after covering the cupcakes, so don’t be afraid to be generous with it when icing them. You’ll have plenty.
Absolutely delicious! I used coconut oil and pineapple for swaps.
One more question-what is the quantity of optional add ins such as raisins?
Hi Carolyne, We would keep the total amount of add-ins to 3/4 cup.
Would using the grating feature of the food processor work instead of using a box grater?
That may make them a little too fine. You can certainly try, but you want just a very rough chop!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. your cream cheese frosting is amazing…I made for my employer birthday yesterday.and now I make this cupcake for school event…again thank you this is my fav carrotcake /cupcake now.♥️♥️♥️♥️
Can I use crushed pineapple instead of applesauce/yogurt?
Hi, Grace! Yes, definitely. We love pineapple in these.
These turned out fantastic, moist and delicious. Only thing I will change next time is do less brown sugar or change it for coconut sugar as they were pretty sweet.
How much sugar would you reduce it to next time please? TIA x
Delicious and so easy! These cupcakes have a great texture and flavor.
How much should I fill mini cupcake liners?
About 3/4 full as well, Tina. Happy baking!
Can this recipe be used to make 3 6″ layers?
Hi Maria, yes! You can follow the instructions here for using a cupcake recipe to make a 6-inch cake.
Do you have the nutrition information for this recipe, particularly calories per cupcake?
Hi Kelly, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
This is the BEST Carrot Cake I have ever made!
I needed this recipe, because the copy I had was was over twenty years old and the print was fading. I am so glad to get this recipe, because my grandchildren also loved your carrot cake! Sometimes I would make it in a large bunt pan and fill the center with icing, so they could add extra icing on the top of every slice.
My boss kept your cookbook in his office, and when our birthday came around he would let us pick any cake we wanted in “Sally’s Baking Addiction” and he would make it for our Birthday Celebration! That was always a special treat.
i am surprised that i never hear light olive oil used for a vegetable or neutral flavored oil. Do you ever use it?
Hi Marilyn, Olive oil would work, but it would change the flavor quite a bit. You really want a neutral-tasting oil for most baking recipes.
Love your page! Can I substitute oil for butter?
Thanks!
Hi Ryann, oil really is best for these cupcakes for a moist texture. Butter would yield a drier carrot cupcake.
Ah good to know! Oil it is 🙂 Thank you so much!
Can I make cake balls with this recipe, if so, how much frosting
Hi Ali, you can use these cupcakes and frosting to make cake balls/pops. We’re unsure of the exact amount of frosting you’ll need—you want *just* enough to help moisten the crumbs. Enjoy!
The flavor is fine. It’s the same ingredients as any carrot cake. But if you’re looking for muffins, this isn’t the one you want. They turn out with the flattest saddest tops on them. Not something I’d want to give to anyone.
Yea because it’s a cupcake recipe, not a muffin recipe…
I only have regular applesauce which has sugar. Should I decrease the amount of sugar in the recipe?
Hi Laraine, that should work just fine in a pinch. No need to adjust the sugar. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!
The cream cheese turned out to be very sweet for me, is there any alternative with less sugar?
Hi Kat, You can use less sugar in the frosting but it will have a thinner consistency. Or you can try using this not-so-sweet whipped frosting instead.
Can i bake this recipe in two six inch pans? On of them is short and one is tall.
Hi Annie, this recipe bakes well in three 6 inch cake pans – here’s more on using cupcake recipes for 6 inch cakes. We would use your two pans, bake two layers first, covering the remaining 1/3 of the batter at room temperature until a pan is cooled and ready to use to bake the third layer.
Hi! I’m a college student, so I don’t have too many appliances. Can I use a blender to shred the carrot? How difficult would it be to make the frosting by hand?
Hi Meg, we don’t think a blender would work great for shredding carrots. Do you have a shredder/grater? Like what you might use to shred cheese? That’s the best way to shred carrots. If you have a sturdy whisk, you should be able to whisk the frosting together by hand.
These cupcakes are amazing. I only use 2 cups of sugar for the icing as my husband doesn’t like too sweet.
Can these be made with gluten free flour?
Hi Robyn, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but let us know if you give it a try.
Do you cool the muffins in the pan or on a rack?
Hi Barb! Cool in the pan until they’re cool enough for you to remove, then allow them to fully cool.
Hi! My oven has a regular baking mode and a convection mode. I usually use the convection for more even cooking. Which mode do you recommend for this recipe? Should I lower the temp if using convection mode? Thank you!
Hi Kat! All of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. Convection ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
I was asked to make carrot cake cupcakes for a baby shower, so where do I look but Sally’s? I made 3 dozen of them and was told that they were the best carrot cake anyone has ever eaten. No surprise, it’s Sally’s recipe! The father of the baby took the last 5 or 6 left home with him so nobody else got a chance at them! Thank you again for a simply excellent recipe!
The boys in our house are always asking for me to “add more protein”!
How do you think a scoop or two of whey protien powder would affect the recipe?
Hi Amy, I wish we could help, but we haven’t tested this recipe with protein powder, so are unsure of the results.
can i make these in a 24 hole mini muffin pan instead?
Hi Vanessa, sure can! Bake for about 12–13 minutes, same oven temperature.
or even in a 9×13 pan? trying to make it for a crowd 🙂
Hi Vanesa! Here’s our carrot cake recipe, that can be baked in a 9×13 – see recipe Notes.
Followed the recipe exactly but the result was more like a muffin than a cupcake. Taste was good but the cupcakes were too heavy and not as moist as expected. Will try baking for a few minutes less time or maybe separating the eggs and folding in the beaten eggwhites. The icing was very good but as others have commented, a bit runny. I added some extra confectionery sugar.
Very disappointed, normally love Sally’s recipes but this one did not hit the mark, I used plain yoghurt although found its just too eggy and unpleasant flavourwise