Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe: A Sweet Spring Treat

With a hint of cinnamon and a slightly sweet cream cheese frosting, these carrot cake cupcakes are a delicious dessert to serve for Easter or even at a spring brunch.

Hi there! It’s Kelly from Typically Simple and I’m back this month with another yummy dessert recipe. For as long as I can remember, carrot cake has always been one of my favorite types of cakes to eat. It could be that I just really like the cream cheese frosting, but I do love the yummy carrot cake part, too! Especially when there are walnuts mixed in!

For some reason, I’m always a little intimidated when it comes to baking things from scratch. I’m more of a cake mix, add a few eggs and some water, kind of baker. But lately, I’ve been trying my hand at baking different dessert recipes without a box mix. And this carrot cake cupcake recipe was really quite simple!

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe

Supplies

• mixing bowls
• hand mixer
• spoons or rubber spatula
• mini food processor
• cupcake pan
• cupcake liners
• piping bag

Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need. All the exact amounts are in the printable card at the bottom of this post.

• flour
• baking soda
• ground cinnamon
• salt
• vegetable or canola oil
• unsweetened applesauce
• brown sugar
• sugar
• eggs
• pure vanilla extract
• finely grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and baking soda.

In a different mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on medium speed to combine the oil, applesauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium until combined.

Using the mini food processor, chop the carrots until they are finely grated. Fold into batter.

Place cupcake liners in pan with 12 cups and divide the batter evenly.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.

Cool completely, then ice with your favorite cream cheese frosting.

You can use a piping bag or even a ziplock bag with a little bit of the corner snipped off to frost the cupcakes. A butter knife or rubber spatula would also work.

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes

With a hint of cinnamon and a slightly sweet cream cheese frosting, these carrot cake cupcakes are a delicious dessert to serve for Easter or even at a spring brunch.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time18 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrot cake cookies, cupcakes

Servings: 12

Calories: 161kcal

Author: Kelly | Typically Simple

Ingredients

• 1 c Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/3 c Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 c Brown Sugar
• 1/2 c Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c finely grated carrots

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Place 12 liners in a cupcake pan.
• Combine flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
• Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat together the oil, applesauce, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
• Add dry ingredients and beat on medium speed.
• Chop carrots in the mini food processor and fold into batter.
• Divide batter evenly among the 12 cups.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.
• Cool completely before frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2713IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag us on Instagram at @kenarryideas or leave us a comment rating below.

Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can bring them to room temperature or serve them right out of the fridge. They are delicious either way! And like the Monster Cookie Bars Recipe I shared last month, you might even indulge a little by having one of these cupcakes with your morning coffee!

If you’re a big fan of carrot cake, you may also want to try these Carrot Cake Cookies. They’re like a cookie sandwich with a big dollop of cinnamon cream cheese frosting in the middle. Amazing!

Here are a few more treat ideas you might like:

Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

What’s Next?

While you’re here, be sure to check out other delicious dessert ideas on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –

• Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cookies: Easy Spring Dessert
• The Best Soft Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake Recipe

Originally published March 2017. Updated February 2020.