Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe that’s moist, tender, and perfectly spiced, topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and crunchy pecans!
author’s note
My Dad’s Favorite Dessert, EVER!
My dad’s favorite dessert has always been carrot cake. For years, I made it for birthdays, holidays, and just about any excuse I could find. After testing and tweaking the recipe more times than I can count, I finally landed on the version my family loves most.
Once my kids got involved in the kitchen, though, making a full layered cake became a little more… chaotic. Tiny hands tend to move faster than I can keep up with, especially when sugar is involved. So I turned that favorite carrot cake into cupcakes.
These cupcakes have the same soft, moist crumb and cozy spice blend, but they’re easier to mix, bake, and serve. Now my toddler asks to make “carrot cake cupcakes” almost every Sunday, and they disappear just as fast as we can frost them.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tips or Swaps |
|---|---|
| Fresh carrots | 1 Tip: Grate carrots by hand for ultra-moist cupcakes. Store-bought shreds are too big and dry! |
| Applesauce | Use unsweetened; if you’ve never tried making your own homemade applesauce you need to give it a try! |
| Oil | Use vegetable or canola oil |
| Brown sugar | Light or dark brown sugar both work |
| Warm spices | Adjust cinnamon to taste |
| Cream cheese | Use full-fat for best texture in the frosting |
How To Make This Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
- Mix dry ingredients in one bowl.
- Beat sugars and eggs until smooth.
- Add applesauce, vanilla, and oil.
- Stir in carrots and dry ingredients just until combined.
- Fill liners and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely, then frost with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
- Finish with pecans if desired.
Featured Comment
“I keep coming back to this recipe, year after year! My family all raves over these cupcakes! They make the perfect dessert for Easter…Delicious and moist. Thanks Chelsea!”
– Brooke
chelsea’s recipe tip
How To Know When Cupcakes Are Done:
This carrot cake cupcakes recipe should be slightly domed with golden-brown tops.
Toothpick test: Stick a toothpick in the center—if it comes out clean or with a few soft crumbs, they’re done. No toothpick? Lightly press the top—if it bounces back, they’re ready.
Quick Tip
This recipe makes plenty of frosting for generously topped cupcakes. For less, halve the recipe or use extras as a fruit dip or spread on waffles or pancakes!
Variations
Switch Things Up
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour instead of regular flour.
- Nuts or Raisins: Put in some chopped nuts or raisins for extra crunch and sweetness.
- Pineapple: Mix in some crushed pineapple to make the cake moist and fruity.
- Switch Up The Frosting: Add a plain vanilla frosting or a vanilla/chocolate buttercream on this carrot cake cupcakes recipe.
More Delicious Cupcake Recipes:
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Cake Mix Cupcakes
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Banana Cupcakes
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Chocolate Chip Cupcake Recipe
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Video
Equipment
- Muffin pan lined
Ingredients
- 1-1/3 cups flour spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1-1/2 cups grated carrot see note 1
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese room temperature, do not use low fat
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cavity muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside. Set out the cream cheese and butter to get to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and eggs until combined. Mix in applesauce and vanilla extract. With the mixer running at low speed, slowly pour in vegetable oil and mix until combined. Finely shred the carrots on the small side of your grater and measure to ensure you have 1-1/2 cups. Add the dry ingredients right on top of the wet ingredients and the shredded carrots right on top of that. Stir until just combined, be careful to not overmix.
- Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 full. You should use all the batter among the 12 cavities. Bake in preheated oven for about 18–22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool in the muffin tin for several minutes; transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Frosting
- Using a hand mixer, cream together the room temperature butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until completely smooth. Mix in vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon. With mixer running on low speed, slowly add powdered sugar and beat until well blended and smooth. If you’d like a thicker frosting, add a bit more powdered sugar (see note 2). Chill the frosting while the cupcakes finish cooling.
- Frost completely cooled cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and if desired, sprinkle crushed pecans on top.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Chelsea!! Thankyou for sharing this recipe!! They are just delicious! made them today, impressed everyone!!
Super yummy!! ?
So happy to hear it! 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment and review Janene 🙂
Hello! I am making these cupcakes for a wedding. How would you recommend storing them until tomorrow while still maintaining freshness?
Do you have a cupcake holder? Otherwise I’d do an airtight container in the fridge!
WHat can I substitute for applesauce.? I need it urgent!!! Tomorrow isn’t my girl’s bday!!
I haven’t tried anything in place of the applesauce so I can’t say for sure. I think vegetable oil would substitute in nicely
Can pineapples be added or substituted for another ingredient?
I’m sure pineapple could work in these, but I really couldn’t say for sure how it would work or how much without personally testing through the recipe 🙂
I love this recipe! and so did my family, but I’m just wondering if i can double everything to make 24 cupcakes, with the same results?
So happy to hear it! 🙂 Although I haven’t personally tried, I don’t see why not 🙂
Made these for my daughter’s birthday. Delicious! Very moist and the icing was great. Thanks for sharing.
So happy you liked these, thanks Megan! 🙂 Happy birthday to your daughter!
What size cupcake pan are you using? They don’t appear to be miniature 1 in, so out of three typical commercial sized pans would you say the middle size? Thanks!
Yes the medium size! Thanks! 🙂
Hi! In terms of storage for using the next day I want them nice and moist.. so do I store the cupcakes out of the fridge and pipe the icing right before serving?
Thank you!
That’s what I would do! 🙂 Make sure they are tightly covered/wrapped up and add frosting right before serving! Enjoy 🙂
I tried these – cupcakes came out great but my icing was very runny, I followed the recipe and even added a bit extra icing but it just ran off the cake. What could I have done wrong?
Hey Shannen; did you by chance melt the butter or cream cheese at all? And you for sure had the right amount of both?
I want to try these, but I am not sure I can find cream cheese. Mascarpone would work?