If you’re in the mood for a quicker version of carrot cake, give these carrot cake cupcakes a try! This fuss-free dessert comes together so fast thanks to a simple stir-together batter made with pantry staples and an easy classic cream cheese frosting.
Carrot cake cupcakes must be stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese in the frosting, so I tested the recipe for cupcakes that stay soft for several days, even after refrigerating! Vegetable oil is the key ingredient for soft cupcakes. Unlike butter, which hardens when it becomes cold, vegetable oil remains a liquid. So the cupcakes will stay tender and moist even when cold.
A reader, Jenni, says: “I made these yesterday and decorated them this morning for Easter day. And they are amazing! They’re fluffy and moist. I absolutely loved the spices too. The flavors came together beautifully.” ★★★★★
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I recently updated this recipe from the original. I wanted to streamline the ingredients a bit so the recipe is easier to make and requires fewer groceries. The batter quickly whisks together without any specialty ingredients! (Don’t worry. If you loved the original recipe, the modifications are in the recipe card notes.)
The cupcakes are tender and moist. Thanks to freshly shredded carrots and vegetable oil, the carrot cake cupcakes stay moist for days!
Simple Carrot Cake Cupcake Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients you need to make homemade carrot cake cupcakes. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Carrots — shredded carrots are the stars of the show in this carrot cake cupcakes recipe. Like I recommend in my carrot cake roll recipe, peel the carrots before grating, as the peels can often be bitter and tough, which will negatively impact the taste and texture of the cupcakes.
Oil — oil makes the cupcakes unbelievably soft, and keeps them soft for days! Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil so it doesn’t impact the flavor of the cupcakes. If you prefer a buttery flavor, you can use an equal amount of melted unsalted butter. But keep in mind that the butter will solidify when the cupcakes are refrigerated, which will make the cupcakes themselves firmer, so they will feel a bit drier.
Sugar — a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar gives carrot cake cupcakes the right amount of sweetness. White sugar also adds stability to the batter, and brown sugar adds acidity from molasses to react with baking soda.
Eggs — set the eggs out on the counter about 30 minutes before you start baking to bring them to room temperature. Room temperature eggs are easier to mix into a nice cupcake batter. If you forget, just pop them into a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes before you crack them open.
Leavening — use both baking powder and baking soda to make the best carrot cake cupcakes. Baking powder ensures they rise perfectly in the oven, while baking soda helps with browning and a more even top for piping frosting on top.
Spices — there is no shortage of flavor in these carrot cake cupcakes! A combination of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, all enhanced with a little salt, gives them lots of warmth and comforting flavor. My favorite things!
Nuts — raw or toasted walnuts add crunch and texture to the cupcakes. Or, if you prefer, swap the walnuts for chopped toasted pecans.
Cream cheese frosting — to make this variation of my favorite cream cheese frosting, you need cream cheese, butter, salt, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Be sure to leave the cream cheese out for enough time that it softens to room temperature. I usually set it on the counter when I start the cupcakes. That way, it softens during the time they bake and cool.
Shred The Carrots By Hand
While it’s tempting to reach for a bag of pre-shredded carrots at the grocery store, it’s better to shred the carrots by hand. The pre-shredded kind is dry and comes in larger, thicker pieces.
Grating them at home will give you much thinner shreds, as well as more moisture from the carrots. This helps the carrots bake up tender, and the cupcakes turn out perfectly moist, not dry. Use the large holes of a box grater or shredding attachment of your food processor to grate them.
How To Decorate Carrot Cupcakes
I like to pipe the cream cheese frosting into a tall swirl atop each cupcake, and then sprinkle some chopped walnuts over the top. The result is elegant and pretty. For a more rustic look that uses less frosting, spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a spatula and then sprinkle on the nuts. I use this method for decorating my carrot cake cookies—they look and taste fabulous!
Can I use a different frosting?
Cream cheese frosting is the usual choice for frosting a classic carrot cake, which is why I love it on these cupcakes. But you can also frost the cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting, or Ermine frosting if you prefer. For a silky smooth frosting that is less sweet, make my French buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream!
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Weigh the flour. Using too much flour is a surefire way to end up with dry cupcakes. The most accurate way to measure flour is by weighing it with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a scale, fluff the flour up in its container and spoon it into the measuring cup. Don’t scoop directly from the container with your measuring cup.
Use a measuring scoop to evenly fill the cupcake liners with batter. If you use a standard-sized scoop versus a few spoonfuls, your carrot cake cupcakes will all end up the same size and bake evenly. I like to use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop and level it off for each batter addition. You can also use a dry measuring cup or spoon if you don’t have a trigger scoop.
Use brick-style cream cheese for the best cream cheese frosting. Tub-style cream cheese has additives to make it easily spreadable, and it will result in a runny, even somewhat gummy, frosting. See my cream cheese frosting recipe for a comparison showing the frosting made with spreadable tub cream cheese. Set the block of cream cheese out for an hour or two before you make the frosting to let it soften nicely.
How To Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making these easy carrot cake cupcakes. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, leavening agents, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside for the moment.
2. To a medium mixing bowl, add the vegetable oil, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
3. Whisk to combine thoroughly and until lightened in color.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to stir together until almost combined. You will notice streaks of flour remaining, and that is ideal! You will incorporate it completely when you add the carrots and nuts in the next step.
5. Add the grated carrots and chopped walnuts to the batter and stir until there are no streaks of flour remaining. The batter will look very textured and thick.
6. Divide the batter equally among a 12-cup muffin pan lined with paper cupcake liners. Bake the cupcakes at 350°F for 17 to 20 minutes. Carefully give them a gentle press with your finger — they should feel springy. And a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes in the cupcake pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
7. To make the velvety cream cheese frosting, use a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and salt on medium speed. The mixture will be very smooth. Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar in increments. Once all the sugar has been added and combined, pour in the vanilla extract, increase the speed to medium, and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
8. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely to room temperature, it’s time to frost them! For a rustic look, spread the frosting on with a spatula. For more precision, transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and swirl it over the top of the cupcakes.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric mixer
- Muffin pan
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (150g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup vegetable oil (180 ml)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar (67g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (60g)
- 2 cups grated carrots (about ½ pound of carrots/225g)
For the Frosting:
- 1 (8-ounce/226g) block cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 cups powdered sugar (720g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir together with a spatula until almost combined. Add the carrots and walnuts and stir until well distributed and there aren’t any flour streaks remaining. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. (They should be about three-quarters full.)
- Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the centers feel springy to the touch or a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt together on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the powdered sugar. Once combined, scrape down the bowl, add the vanilla, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Top the cupcakes with frosting by spreading it on with a spatula, or transferring it to a piping bag with a decorative tip and piping over the top. Store the cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Loved the original recipe? Make these adjustments. Instead of using ¾ cup of vegetable oil, replace it with ⅓ cup oil, ⅓ cup applesauce, and ⅓ cup sour cream.
- Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack to prevent the papers from sticking. If you leave the cupcakes in the pan to finish cooling, they will steam. The condensation that forms will make the papers soft and the cake sticky, preventing the cupcakes from easily releasing when the liner is peeled off.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. The frosting will melt off the cupcakes if applied while the cupcakes are still warm.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade carrot cake cupcakes can definitely be made a day or two ahead of time if you like. Be sure to store them covered in the fridge if frosted, and you make them more than 24 hours before serving. Unfrosted cupcakes keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for three days before frosting.
Yes, because of the cream cheese frosting, it is best to store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can freeze these cupcakes before or after frosting them. Wrap each one in plastic wrap, and transfer to an airtight container. They keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the fridge before frosting or enjoying them.
More Cupcake Recipes To Try
Try one of these soft, simple cupcake recipes next.
Vibrant and festive, my red velvet cupcakes combine moist cake with luscious cream cheese frosting. So easy to make in about 35 minutes!
It’s hard to beat classic vanilla cupcakes. Moist and bursting with vanilla flavor, this recipe will be your new go-to. You can pick from a variety of different frosting options, too.
If you’re craving a handheld version of banana cake, try my banana cupcakes! They have lots of banana flavor, complemented perfectly by warm notes of cinnamon.
Decadent and indulgent, my chocolate cupcake recipe is a must-try. Skip the box mix and whip up a batch of these ridiculously delicious cupcakes from scratch.
Fresh strawberry cupcakes are filled with strawberries and topped with an irresistible strawberry frosting. Lovely for pink-themed occasions or whenever you want a satisfying sweet treat.
If you’ve tried this carrot cake cupcake recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
DavidF says
Thank you for showing us this recipe. These look like the Costco carrot cake cupcakes, and I love those. But, again, they keep raising the price all the time, so I’d rather just do some donations (here & there) to you or to your Patreon to reward you for teaching us these things. Because it’s TOO EXPENSIVE for most of Middle Class to eat out at restaurants as much now, so we all all turning to the Experts like the Preppy Kitchen Chef to learn some of the tips & tricks where we can keep our heads above the waters of inflation. So, know that people respect you and appreciate all that you do. As a suggestion, maybe have a page or ask for “Recipe Requests” that people would like to see you make, because Copycat Recipes are really, really, really big now (and will be in the future too).
Jenny says
I made these yesterday and decorated them this morning for Easter day. And they are amazing! They’re fluffy and moist. I absolutely loved the spices too. The flavors came together beautifully. The hardest part was shredding the carrots and all I had were baby ones but it was worth the hard work. My six year old son even loves them and he’s a picky eater. It was so simple to mixed by hand since it doesn’t requires a lot.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and talent with us.
Ayesha says
Hi John I made this over the weekend. Subbed apple sauce with yoghurt and pecans instead of walnuts. Was soo moist and soft! Will definitely be making it again.
John Kanell says
Lovely!
Marita says
they are just perfect, I have just discovered your channel this is my 2nd recipe and you make it so easy to follow your instructions and the results are just as you promissed : DELICIOUS!!!
Congratulations and thank you for ypur recipes
John Kanell says
Thank you!
Danielle says
I made these for my daughter’s first birthday. They turned out very well. Particularly loved the consistency of the frosting and the crumb on the cupcake without being dry. Great recipe, thank you!
John Kanell says
Thank you!
Carol W says
By far the best carrot cake cupcakes I have ever had so worth it to follow it verbatim.
Maritza Mosquera Córdova says
Me salió riquísima , este es tercer cupcakes que hago de sus recetas, saludos desde Lima Perú 🇵🇪
Victoria Remo says
I love how my carrot cake cupcake turns out. It is super soft and moist. Though I haven’t use all the spices mentioned on the recipe, I used whatever I can find in the grocery. Cinnamon and Nutmeg works just fine and they are so fragrant. I also added raisins on my cupcakes, however it seems that top rise a lot from what was on your video. Do you know how can I prevent that from rising? Thank you for sharing your carrot cake recipe.
John Kanell says
You could bake at a bit lower temp.