Carrot Cake Cupcakes

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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.

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.

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.

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.

More Carrot Cake Recipes to Try!

• Carrot Cake Protein Bites
• Carrot Cake Cookies
• Carrot Cake Cobbler
• Carrot Cake Oatmeal
• Carrot Cake Donuts
• Classic Carrot Cake

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

The printable recipe card is found below, enjoy!

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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 hr 40 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 2 hrs

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups milk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ pinch of salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• ▢ 2/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil/melted butter
• ▢ 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 3 cups grated carrot

for the cream cheese frosting:

• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ 1/2 cup salted butter softened
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 lb powdered sugar

US Customary – Metric

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