I’ve never been a big fan of carrot cake. I think it probably started in childhood. I think you’d be hard pressed to find any child on board with the idea of putting a vegetable inside a dessert.
A lot of carrot cake at grocery stores and restaurants is horribly bland and even dry.
That’s why I made it my mission to come up with a PERFECT carrot cupcake recipe that was as easy as it was delicious. And I think baking cupcakes is so much easier than cake. Easier to actually make and decorate, easier to transport, and easier to serve.
These Perfect Carrot Cupcakes are sure to be a hit at your next family gathering – maybe even for Easter or Mother’s Day!
The Best Carrot Cupcakes Recipe Tips
Cupcakes
The cupcake batter comes together super easily, no electric mixer needed! AND it only uses a 1/4 cup oil. The rest of the moisture is added in via unsweetened applesauce. This lightens up the cupcakes a little without sacrificing any flavor or texture. I’ve also made these cupcakes with half all-purpose flour, half whole-wheat flour with great success.
The spices in this recipe are one of my favorite parts, I just love that warm sweetness. It goes perfectly with the brown sugar, there’s no white sugar here. The brown sugar adds more complex sweetness and also more moisture.
Applesauce
If you can’t have applesauce, you can try using mashed banana instead. Your cupcakes may vary in flavor and texture slightly.
Carrots
Shred fresh carrots, no pre-shredded packaged ones. Freshly grated carrots are more flavorful and moist! 1 1/2 cups freshly shredded carrots equals about 2 medium carrots, but definitely buy extra just in case you don’t get as much from your carrots.
Walnuts
Walnuts are added into the batter then used as garnish on top of the frosted carrots, if you wish. You can totally leave them out if you prefer. They add crunch, but also a bit of savory flavor to contrast the sweetness.
Cream Cheese Frosting
The shining star of the cupcakes! This recipe makes enough cream cheese frosting to generously frost each cupcake. If you don’t like or want that much frosting, feel free to cut the frosting recipe in half.
For the best and creamiest frosting, be sure your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature. Beat them together until completely smooth, there should be no lumps. Even if you have a paddle attachment that scrapes the sides as it goes, I would still recommend scraping down the paddle and especially the bottom of the bowl to ensure no lumps. More tips in my Best Cream Cheese Frosting recipe!
Decorating
I used an Ateco #808 tip which is just a larger plain decorating tip to pipe the cream cheese frosting onto the cupcakes.
If you’d like to get a little creative and crafty, especially for Easter, check out my video post on how to make adorable edible decorative carrots for cake or cupcakes!
How to Prevent Cupcake Liners from Sticking
I know how frustrating it is when you lose half of your delicious cupcake to the liner! Check out my article for all my secret tips on preventing cupcake liners from sticking to your cupcakes.
Making Ahead & Storing
The cupcakes can be baked and stored in an airtight container a day ahead of frosting. The frosting itself can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Just bring to room temperature and beat until light and fluffy again.
The frosted 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, you’re best off refrigerating the cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Can this recipe be converted into a sheet-like cake recipe? If so, what are the dimensions and baking time you recommend?
can I substitute the applesauce to something else?
Please could you tell me how to substitute apple sauce in this recipe.
It looks really delicous
This is a superb recipe, thanks for sharing! I tried it and it was really fast and nice though I made them a bit too tight.
Awesome!
This sounds amazingly delicious!
Thanks for sharing!
Is it possible to make this into an 8 inch cake using this recipe?
That should work, though I haven’t tried personally. I usually use this guide when I’m making cake from a cupcake recipe or visa versa: http://www.wilton.com/cms-baking-serving-guide.html
Can you swap out a gluten free flour instead of regular all purpose flour?
Sorry Robin, but I have no idea. I’ve never tried and am no expert on GF baking. Let us know if you give it a try!
I tried it with Gluten Free flour and it worked perfectly. Use GLUTINO brand and its wonderful.
Glad it worked! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Could I use a Wilton 1m tip for the frosting?
Yes!
Hi,thank you for sharing once again one of your best recipe for cupcake lovers. I would like to know what’s the substitute for the unsweetened applesauce?
Absolutely amazing recipe! I have converted so many that previously “didn’t like carrot cake”.
I wanted to let anyone who is curious know that I have been able to successfully make these vegan and vegan/gluten free. I have also been able to bake as a 6in cake.
To make the cupcakes vegan: 1 egg= 1 tbsp flax meal +3 tbsp water mixed and set aside for 15 mins before adding as the egg.
For the frosting I used tofutti cream cheese and earth balance vegan butter spread in the same amounts as the original recipe states.
To make the cupcakes gluten free: substitute King Arthur gluten free blend. Use same amount.
To bake as 6 in cake: 2 layers: recipe as written divide batter between 2 pans and bake at 350 degrees for 30-32 mins
These were the most successful carrot cake adventure I’ve ever been on! My dad loves carrot cake, so every year I try a cake or cupcakes for his birthday. They’re usually pretty good– often too rich or too sweet. This particular recipe says it right in the title. They were, indeed, PERFECT!! I just couldn’t have been more satisfied! Perfect amount of sweet, spice, and density. I cut about half cup of powdered sugar out of the frosting, but that’s just a personal preference of mine. There were zero left over!
So happy to hear that, Megan! Thanks for your wonderful comment 🙂
Hi these look lovely,but what can I use instead of canola oil.
How is this cupcake with coconut and pineapple with the recipe?
I have a carrot cupcake I make with the addition above but want to know if your recipe If I would need to adjust anything.
thanks
I’m not sure, Alice! I haven’t tried. Let us know how it turns out if you give it a go 🙂
Hi,
The recipe sounds great but can i substitute unsweetened apple sauce with something else?
I use crushed pineapple always!
Hi there, I made these cupcake and used half whole wheat half white, and half brown sugar half white. I also added 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal. They were amazing!! Thanks
Glad you made the recipe work for you!
Can you make mini cupcakes with this recipe?
Hi Tessa!
I want to bake this but it is so hard to find unsweetened applesauce here in my country. Can I substitute it with crushed pineapple instead? How much do you think? Love love love your blog!
Fabulous recipe. My grandson doesn’t like the texture of grated carrots so I finely chopped the carrots in my mini food processor. One time I ussd puréed canned pineapple rather than applesauce! Works perfectly! I cut back the sugar for toddlers! My new go to recipe❤️
So glad you enjoyed these cupcakes 🙂
My husband loves carrot cake and I was looking for a cupcake recipe for his birthday. I made these just tonight and he loved them!! He ate 2 cupcakes!! This recipe will stay in my favorites to make again!
These were so amazing!!!! This is my new go to carrot cake recipe. I loooove carrot cake and I have been looking for a good recipe. I added raisins because whats carrot cake without raisins?! The frosting was to die for! I wanted to eat the whole bag.
Hi Tessa,
I love this carrot cupcake, it looks super yummy. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
Thank you for creating and sharing this.
@Kathy – above! I made these with crushed pineapple from a can – just put it in a strainer to get rid of some of the liquid and then use the same amount as you would applesauce. Don’t use fresh pineapple – there is something about the enzymes in it that will mess things up! I found that out the hard way once when making a carrot cake!
Tessa – great recipe – mine really looked almost as perfect as yours which was fun! Nice to have cupcakes that dome up rather than a flat top! Thank you!
These were an absolute delight. I didn’t have applesauce on hand, so substituted 1/2 cup full fat sour cream. Will try them with apple sauce next time, but they still turned out moist and absolutely delicious. Will definitely be a new ‘go to’ for my Fam! Thanks!
Glad to hear it! 🙂
Super excited to make these for Easter! Am I able to use vegetable oil instead of canola?
I made these cupcakes yesterday and it was so good, moist and tasty! Definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing this.
Wonderful! So happy to hear it.
Perfect Carrot Cupcakes are excellent!! I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour. These muffins are very moist muffins. I will differently make them again and again. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Tessa, great recipe! I love it:) but why is it my frosting turns into into gritty texture? please kindly advise? Moreover I really love the taste
how would it be to freeze half the cupcakes that are frosted????how do you suggest i do it, so it will be good when i take them out
gloria
Made these on Saturday for a friend. He requested the Cool Whip and vanilla pudding for the icing. They turned out fabulous!! Sunday afternoon I made a 2nd batch for my family! Highly recommend this recipe!!
I’d like to try these but we do not use any canola oil in our house. I wonder if I could sub coconut oil or butter….
I made these for my friends birthday and they were amazing! Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe!
Hello! Can I substitute the applesauce for something else?
If I want to add raisins what would you recommend the measurement to be?
Perfect, thanks 🙂
Delicious! I used whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and skipped the walnuts and they turned out great! My toddler LOVED the frosting. She ate the top of the cupcake then claimed it was “all gone” to try to get another with fresh frosting.
This cake is AMAZING! I doubled the recipe and made three 8-inch rounds and it was so moist and flavorful. I also subbed crushed, canned pineapple for the applesauce (thats what I usually put in carrot cake) and it was great. Frosting was delicious too 😀
I subbed the eggs with buttermilk (1/4 cup for every egg) and made my own applesauce (steamed the apples and puréed it)
I subbed pecans for walnuts
The bake time needed to be increased by 15 minutes and the cupcakes turned out amazing!!
Thank you for such a great recipe!!
I made these muffins using a can of carrots, I diced them also used pecan pieces 1/2 cup and rest of recipe and they came out delicious Thank you.
Hi Ms. Tessa, is it okay not to use applesauce in the recipe?
We followed the recipe to the letter and it came out perfect!
Hi Tessa,
What is the substitute for the apple sauce?
Thank you very much.
I think I may have undermeasured the carrots or grated them too finely. What resulted was a cupcake that was well-spiced but didn’t have the orange confetti I was expecting. I’ll admit I strayed on the frosting a bit and didn’t measure a full 2 cups of powdered sugar; I added about a quarter cup at a time until the sweetness and consistency were where I wanted it. I doubled the vanilla, too, since vanilla is to my baking as garlic is to my cooking – I love the stuff.
I made these for my co-workers. OMG!!!!! They were delicious very moist. I will be making them again for the holidays
I took a batch to my coworkers (after they were 1 day old) and got rave reviews. Thank you for providing good quality, tasty recipes that I can trust.
This was such an easy and great tasting carrot cupcake, just the way I like it…so good with the walnuts. Do you have a suggestion how to avoid the cupcake from sticking to the cupcake liner? I found it hard to peel unlike yours. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!! The icing was perfect with it.
Wow, I made it it is delicious thanks because i have been trying different recipes until i have come to yours, it is fabulous
Easy to follow and tasted amazing! Way better then the one’s I buy at my local coffee shop. Extra frosting we just ate with a spoon 🙂
This recipe is perfection. I have made it several times to rave reviews. Thanks do much!!
Súper súper moist. Best to make sure it is well cooked than under(cooked). I used the regular grating slot for the carrots. Had just 90 grams of applesauce so I added more oil. Tip: I can’t find applesauce so easily or cheaply around here so I use the 100/% fruit sugar free baby food pouches. Great recipe. Thanks, Tessa!
This recipe is excellent! I skipped the ginger And made with unsweetened cinnamon apple sauce but other than that made the recipe as directed. These have such a great flavor and are light, fluffy and moist.
I made these exactly as the recipe directed and they were delish! These will definitely be my new go-to carrot cake/cupcake recipe. Thanks Tessa for another amazing recipe!
The best carrot cupcakes! These we’re perfect for Easter. I added some cinnamon to the frosting and only used one cup of sugar. These cupcakes were the perfect texture and flavor! Thank you!
What I can to substitute applesauce? I read about source cream or yogurt… thank you!
So amazing and delicious!! My entire family loved. The only thing is there was a lot of extra cream cheese frosting. Maybe next time I will halve the frosting portions.
These cupcakes came out so good! I opted for coconut oil instead of canola and coconut palm sugar instead of the light brown sugar. They were perfect! Thank you!
Delicious and very moist!!
Yesterday, I made these for those working on the frontline. Did not have cream cheese for making the topping, but it worked out for the best. The cupcakes were delicious and moist without the topping and could stay out of refrigerator longer. Today, request came to make them again but to keep them in-house. I followed the recipe except no topping. Thank you!!!
Hello! can I use this same recipe for carrot cake bars instead? will the cooking time change?:) thank you!!
I have made these cupcakes three times, with and without walnuts. Absolutely delicious. However, I loose too much cupcake because they stick to my paper cupcakes liners. Is that because they are lower in fat? Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Hello, can you make this in a food processor? I don’t have a mixer but I have a food processor … I was wondering if it comes out great.
I made these three times this week for different birthdays. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!!!
Easy and delicious! I used only 3/4 cup sugar in the cupcakes (instead of 1 cup) and I cut the frosting sugar in half (1 cup instead of 2). They are plenty sweet and a huge hit with kids and adults.
I LOVE this! Right amount of sweetness for both the cake and frosting combined. I would like to ask on how to make it lighter and fluffier though as my cake/muffin preference is light and airy and this was a delicious but a little too dense for my liking. Do you have any tips?
I made this and it’s okay, but I must say it doesn’t have a lot of flavour.
I agree! I found these to be quite bland with a gummy texture.
These were easy to make and delicious to eat.
Any suggestion on how make these chocolate carrot cupcakes??
These cupcakes came out soggy. It took around 30-45 minutes of baking before the toothpick came out with no dough on it. They also did not rise; they are dense. The two stars are for the combination of spice flavours.
Hi! Can I check what’s the measurement for your cupcake tin? Mine might be too big, it’s not enough to make 12 though
This is the muffin tin I love!
Hi! I made these today. I actually was positive I ruined them because I was multi-tasking and accidentally put the butter meant for the frosting in the batter. It ended up being a happy accident. Incredibly moist, rich, and DELICIOUS! Definitely not light in calories, but that wasn’t really my goal to begin with. Wonderful recipe!
Hooray! I’m so glad you loved these cupcakes!
If I leave out the apple sauce will I still get the same consistency?
Hi Mariam! No, you won’t get the same consistency! You could try using mashed banana instead, but I wouldn’t suggest leaving it out completely.
This recipe is awesome! My cupcakes came out so moist and flavorful (I did add 1/4 cup of brown butter & used toasted chopped pecans due to not having walnuts)! Served this to many of my friends and got so many compliments!
So glad you enjoyed these cupcakes!
I made this today with gluten free flour. Worked and tasted wonderful. Couldn’t believe it’s as good (if not better) than the conventional recipes. This will be my go-to recipe from now on. Thank you!
So happy to hear this!
Has anyone added raisins? If so how much?
This was absolutely delicious, I made them gluten free and dairy free! Using gluten free flour and dairy free cream cheese. Instead of applesauce I used a mashed banana equivalent to the directions in the recipe. Will definitely be making them again!
So glad you enjoyed these cupcakes!
I followed your recipe with a few additions of my own and I must say, this IS a great recipe!
I enjoyed every bit, a craving has been fulfilled
Best damn carrot muffin I’ve ever had.
Thanks for the recipe. Mmmmmmmmm
So glad to hear that!
I just baked them. My family loved them, even Lui our dog.
They are delicious
Hands down the best carrot cake recipe I have ever made, I don’t make any other one!!
So glad you love these carrot cupcakes, Shauna!
The cupcakes were beautifully dense and moist with a bit of fluff! They were not overly sweet, which pairs well with the frosting.
So glad you enjoyed these cupcakes!
Can I just double all ingredients for 24 cupcakes?? I would guess so but didn’t know if that has been tried. Thank you. I love your brown butter carrot cake so I’m looking forward to trying these.
That should work! Enjoy your cupcakes!
Can I substitute applesauce for another ingredient?… i live in Venezuela and here it is very difficult and expensive to find it.. thanks..
Hi Dayris, I haven’t tried this recipe with any substitutions, sorry!
Can I use finely grated fresh ginger?
I haven’t tried this, but it should be fine! Just use 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger in place of the 1/4 tsp ground ginger. Good luck!
I’ve never made a cupcake in my life. I made them a few weeks ago for my grand daughter who loves carrot cupcakes. Everyone thought they were delicious, moist and not overly sweet. I’m making them again for Easter. Try this recipe. You won’t regret it.
Oh yay!!! I’m so happy they turned out well for you 🙂 Thank you so much, Fiona, for taking the time to write your sweet review!
hi!! i’m baking for a friend who is gluten free and was wondering if i could use bob red mill’s 1 for 1 gluten free flour? thank you so much!!
Hi Claire, I’m sorry, I don’t bake gluten free, so I’m not sure how that would work!
The frosting literally makes so much we froze it and ate it as ice cream. Way too much 😛 it tastes AMAZING. all things otherwise amazing
That sounds delicious as ice cream HAHA! So happy you enjoyed these cupcakes 🙂
Making these today. You have 174g flour but that is more than 1.25 cup right? Wouldn’t 1.25 cup be 150g?
Thanks!
Sorry about that Zach, I’ve corrected it in the recipe. It should be 158g. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!
Made two batches of these for Easter. Both with and without walnuts and they were the BEST! I love cupcakes that aren’t sickeningly sweet and the combo of moist spicy carrot cake mixed with the cream cheese buttercream (I opted to use 1/2 cup less powdered sugar) and they were delish! Not a crumb was left, everyone loved them!
I’m so happy you loved this recipe, Nina! Absolutely thrilled your family got to enjoy them for Easter 🙂
An absolutely delicious and moist carrot cake that I will keep as my go to recipe. I have yet to find another that is as good as this one. Thank you. 5 stars!
So happy these carrot cupcakes have become your go-to recipe, Rebecca!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I followed the recipe as written. They were delicious, and everyone loved them!
I’m so happy to hear you loved these carrot cupcakes!
A big thumbs up for this recipe! I used golden caster sugar after running out of brown sugar and the lighter cake colour meant you can see the carrots, walnuts and apple chunks in the apple sauce. The cupcake texture was light and fluffy, my family loved it.
I had to make the frosting twice since the first time around the frosting was not warm enough. I can never make my cream cheese frosting gold it’s shape this is because Creamcheese from the UK is a lot softer! Frosting complimented the cupcake flavour combo very well. A hit with even non cake members of the family
So happy to hear your carrot cupcakes were a huge hit!
I made these for a coworkers birthday (I’m a chance taker). They were such a hit!! Absolutely delicious! I will keep this recipe and definitely make again when I want to bring my A game! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
So awesome to hear everyone loved them!
Very good recipe and I will definitely make these again! A real Shame cream cheese in the UK is too soft to hold when making the icing But delicious all the same.
Can l use this cake recipe in a three layer exposed cake?
Or do you think the cake recipe is too soft?
I haven’t tried these cupcakes as a layer cake, so you’d have to test it out! I do actually have a recipe for Brown Butter Carrot Cake if you’d rather use that recipe! I used two 8-inch round pans for that and sliced them in half to make four layers, but you could tweak it to have a three layer cake instead 🙂
I substituted the apple sauce for 2 mashed bananas and they were very moist and delicious . This recipe is definitely a keeper.
So happy to hear your substitution worked, Sasha!
I made those muffins and they were very moist and delicious I substituted the apple sauce for 2 mashed bananas. Also the canola oil for extra virgin olive oil. Thanks for a great recipe which is not too oily. Definitely a keeper.