Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Warmly spiced carrot cake flavors, perfectly balanced by tangy cream cheese frosting.
Texture: Ultra moist and tender cupcakes with a slight crunch from the walnuts, topped with that luxuriously smooth, rich, and creamy frosting.
Ease: Beginner-friendly recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: All the cozy flavors of classic carrot cake in a perfectly moist, bakery-worthy cupcake. It’s impossible to eat just one!
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes are adorable little treats with HUGE flavor, ready to steal the show!
As if these flavorful, moist, tender cupcakes weren’t already amazing, add a tangy, silky-smooth cream cheese frosting, and you have the most delicious Easter dessert ever.
The flavor combination of carrot cake + cream cheese frosting is magical – but it only works if the cake is moist, spiced, and not too sweet. Luckily, these cupcakes check ALL those boxes.
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And yes, they totally count as your daily dose of veggies 😉
Whether you’re making my favorite Classic Scone Recipe for Easter Brunch, or my from-scratch Green Bean Casserole and go-to Ultimate Dinner Rolls for Easter Dinner, these cupcakes are the perfect dessert.
And for those who think that raisins should be banned from baked goods (me!), there are no raisins in this recipe! (but you can add some if you insist).
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
My #1 Tip: Use Fresh Carrots and Grate Them Yourself
Avoid using packaged pre-shredded carrots! Freshly grated carrots add more flavor and moisture, making your cupcakes extra tender and delicious.
If you have a food processor, the grating attachment makes it super easy, but a simple box grater works, too!
The Spices
This recipe includes the perfect amount of spice for a well-balanced Carrot Cake Cupcake. If you prefer a more spice-forward cupcake, feel free to add more cinnamon.
Note that older spices carry less flavor than fresh spices. If your spices are older, you may need a little more spice to prevent your cupcakes from being bland. Check that your spices are not expired before using.
Applesauce in Carrot Cake Cupcakes
A little applesauce in this recipe provides moisture, helps create a tender texture, and adds more wonderfully fresh flavor. Be sure to use unsweetened applesauce.
The Nuts
I love using walnuts in the batter and as a topping for extra crunch and flavor, balancing the sweetness beautifully. Toasting the walnuts isn’t necessary, but if you like, you can toast them and let them cool before adding them to the cupcakes.
Not a fan of walnuts? You can swap them for pecans or skip the nuts entirely.
Can I Add Raisins?
I’m not a raisin fan but feel free to add a few tablespoons of raisins along with (or instead of) the walnuts.
Butter vs. Oil in Cupcakes
This Carrot Cake Cupcake recipe uses oil for beautifully tall cupcakes with a coarser crumb and more spongy texture. I used canola oil, but other flavorless oils (such as vegetable or avocado) will work fine. Give your oil a sniff before using, and don’t use it if it has any off odors, as this will flavor your cupcakes.
I don’t recommend using butter instead, as this will change the texture of the cupcakes. Learn more in my Butter vs. Oil in Baking article here.
This also means that these cupcakes are dairy-free! If you or someone you’re serving is allergic to dairy, simply use your favorite dairy-free frosting on top!
The Cream Cheese Frosting
The shining star of any Carrot Cake Cupcake! This recipe makes enough cream cheese frosting to generously frost 12 cupcakes.
For the best and creamiest frosting, be sure your cream cheese is completely softened to room temperature, and be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl often to prevent lumpy frosting. More tips in my Best Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.
Don’t like cream cheese frosting? Use my Easy Buttercream Frosting Recipe instead!
How to Decorate Carrot Cake Cupcakes
I used a disposable piping bag and a Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe the cream cheese frosting in a pretty swirl on top of the cupcakes.
Feel free to use a different piping tip, or check out my How to Make Decorative Carrots post for an adorable Easter dessert.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Brown Butter Carrot Cake (a layer cake version of this recipe, but made with brown butter!)
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Easter Blondies
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Check out ALL my Easter Recipes here!
Perfect Carrot Cake Cupcakes
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Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (174 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (42 grams) finely chopped walnuts, divided
- 1/4 cup (47 grams) neutral oil (like canola or avocado oil)
- 1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (125 grams) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (148 grams) finely shredded carrots* (about 2 medium carrots)
For the frosting:
- 3/4 stick (85 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature (67°F)
- 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) powdered sugar, sifted (don’t skip sifting!)
- 6 ounces (170 grams) full-fat cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature (brick-style, not spreadable)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
vanilla paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.
Make the cupcakes:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and 1/4 cup (30 grams) of the walnuts.
- In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, and eggs until well combined. Stir in the applesauce, vanilla, and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop to divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full, for a total of 12 cupcakes. Bake until a cake tester inserted comes out clean, about 19 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sifted powdered sugar on low, then gradually increase to medium-high to prevent a sugar cloud. Beat for 3 minutes until smooth. (It may look dry at first, but it will come together like magic!). Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and paddle, then add the cream cheese and beat on medium-high for 1 minute until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again as needed.
- Frost cupcakes and decorate with remaining chopped walnuts, if desired. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
Carrot Cake Cupcake FAQs
Can I Halve This Recipe? Can I Double This Recipe?
Sure! Simply halve all ingredients to yield 6 cupcakes, or double all ingredients to make 24 cupcakes. No other modifications needed.
How to Avoid Dry Cupcakes
1. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. If you don’t have a digital kitchen scale (my preferred method), use the spoon and level method explained here.
2. Don’t overmix the matter. Mix only until the ingredients are just combined.
3. Don’t overbake the cupcakes. Bake just until a cake tester inserted comes out clean to avoid over-browned, dry cupcakes.
Can Carrot Cake Cupcakes Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes! The completely-cooled cupcakes can be stored inside an airtight container at room temperature for one day. The frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Bring to room temperature and beat until light and fluffy again before piping.
Do Carrot Cake Cupcakes Need to be Refrigerated? How to Store Cupcakes
Frosted Carrot Cake Cupcakes can be left at room temperature for up to 8 hours since the sugar in the cream cheese frosting acts as a preservative. After that, I recommend refrigerating inside an airtight container for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Can You Freeze Carrot Cake Cupcakes?
Store cooled, unfrosted cupcakes inside an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for about 1 to 2 hours before frosting and serving.
This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated with recipe improvements, additional Baking Science tips, and new photos. Photos by Joanie Simon.
This is a really good recipe! I needed a salt free recipe and I used this one but, did not add the salt and, instead of using 1 teaspoon of baking soda, I used 3 teaspoons of Hain sodium free baking powder. They rose perfectly. Also, I swapped out the applesauce for apple butter because that’s what I had on hand. Even without the salt, it is delish! Thank you for this recipe.
Can you substitute the applesauce with crushed pineapple? I know it will be sweater but would give the moisture. Thanks
We haven’t tried that! Let us know how it goes if you do, it sounds delicious!
These carrot cake cupcakes appear to be moist, flavorful, and just the right amount of spiced! I adore how the rich texture is complemented by the cream cheese frosting. They’re a fantastic take on the traditional carrot cake.
Can I use olive oil in this recipe?
Hi Lisa, great question! We recommend using a neutral oil in this recipe so it doesn’t compete with the flavor of the cupcakes. A light or refined olive oil may work, as it has a much milder taste than extra virgin olive oil—but keep in mind that even subtle olive oil flavors might come through. Let us know if you try it!
Could crushed pineapple be substituted for the applesauce?
The cupcakes turned out though not as perfect as I wanted them to be, – though delicious and cute.
Instead of butter and powdered sugar, I used a half of a jar with cookie butter and about half cup of the powdered sugar for the frosting.
In the recipe I also used some modifications: two teaspoons of baking powder instead of one of baking soda; and hazelnuts instead of walnuts.
It is middle of the night and I am eating cupcake number three. Hope I am not going to fall into eating coma.
Thank you for the recipe!
P.S. don’t use two teaspoons of baking powder – it changed the cupcakes taste a little at a bite.
I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made it several times for my family and it’s a hit every time. My daughter asked me to make this into a cake for her Seventh birthday! Can I just put this in a cake pan or should I modify it? Thanks in advance!!
So happy to hear that Heather 🙂 We haven’t tried making these cupcakes into cake, but feel free to use our article on How to Convert Cake Into Cupcakes and Cupcakes into Cake here for assistance. We also have a delicious Brown Butter Carrot Cake if you’d rather make something already tested. Enjoy!
I was looking for a moist carrot cake, not overly sweet, and this recipe gave us that. Entire family loved it. I did not modify anything this time, but in the future I want to try adding raisins.
Hi Tessa, my cupcakes came out a little dense – can you guess what I might have done wrong so I can improve next time?
Hi Stephanie! These cupcakes are moist and very slightly dense, but not gummy. I’d make sure that you’re using a digital scale to measure your ingredients to ensure you’re not accidentally adding too much of an ingredient. Also, be cautious to not overmix the batter (add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined) as this can cause dense cupcakes due to the gluten developing in the flour. Lastly, all ovens bake differently, and if you noticed a few crumbs attached to your cake tester, it could be something as simple as just needing an additional bit of time in the oven. Even 30 seconds can make all the difference! I hope that helps. Please let me know if I can assist further, and let us know how your next bake goes. Good luck!
Hello Tessa!
Thanks for the recipe.
Super easy and tasty.
I used banana instead of applesauce.
I added some orange zest and a table spoon of fresh orange juice.
Very soft and moist cupcake.
Sharing the recipe with friends🌺
Hi! I’m considering your recipe, but 1 teaspoon of baking soda seems like an awful lot for 12 cupcakes – is that correct?
Hi Leanne! Yes, that is correct! Let us know what you think if you give them a try!
Delicious 🤤 do you think I can use this recipe for sheet pan?
Hi Ruth! So glad to hear that you enjoyed these cupcakes! We haven’t tried making these into a sheet cake, but Tessa’s article on ‘How to Convert Cake into Cupcakes and Cupcakes into Cake’ here should help with that! Let us know how it goes 🙂