I don’t play favorites, boos… but these carrot cake cupcakes might be it. They’re sweet but not too sweet, full of warm spices, and so moist y’all. I top them with a brown butter cream cheese frosting (the same one I use for my OG carrot cake) plus a drizzle of homemade caramel. They still don’t feel heavy. I bake three batches every Easter because they’re easier than making a layer cake, and the whole fam tears them up. Even the Easter bunny knows what’s good!!
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How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These step-by-step photos show how to make carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Best Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
1. Mix the dry ingredients, add wet ingredients and fold in carrots
Sift together the dry ingredients. In a mixer, beat sugar, oil, and vanilla, then add eggs one at a time. Mix in the dry ingredients on low, then fold in the carrots.
2. Fold in crushed pineapple and walnuts, and finish the cupcake batter
Scoop batter into liners about ¾ full, bake until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool completely.
3. Melt and brown the butter for the frosting
Cook butter until it turns amber and smells nutty, then chill until solid again.
4. Beat the brown butter and cream cheese, then add sugar
Mix until fluffy, then slowly add confectioner’s sugar.
5. Add vanilla and salt, and whip the cream cheese frosting until smooth
Continue beating until the frosting is creamy and spreadable.
6. Frost your carrot cake cupcakes and finish with toppings
Pipe the brown butter cream cheese frosting onto cooled cupcakes, then top with caramel and nuts if desired, and serve.
PRO TIP: Decorating carrot cupcakes is easy! Kick it old school and spread the frosting by hand or use a piping bag fitted with a frosting tip. Alternatively, a zip top bag with one of the corner tips cut will work.
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Full Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups self rising flour self rising flour usually has salt in it which is why it was omitted here but if you want a bit more you can add 1/4 tsp of salt as well
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple you can omit this if you want but I think it is essential/ I ONLY DRAIN PARTIALLY
- 1 cup chopped roasted walnuts optional
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 16 oz cream cheese somewhat softened but still a little stiff/ 16 oz is 2 (8 oz) packages
- 3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar if you want the frosting more stiff, add another 1/2 cup going up to 4 cups total
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Homemade caramel sauce found here
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and baking soda and set aside.
- Next line the bottoms of 2-3 muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat sugar, oil and vanilla together at medium speed. Next add eggs, one at a time, blending after each incorporation.
- Next slow down the mixer to lowest speed and add flour mixture in increments.
- Fold in carrots, crushed pineapple if desired and walnuts if desired.
- Using an ice cream scooper, evenly add batter to cupcake liners about 3/4s full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes until completely room temperature before adding frosting.
For the Frosting
- In a small saucepan, add butter and melt over medium heat. Once the butter has fully melted, a white foam will begin to appear over the top of the butter.
- Watch carefully as the butter’s color changes to brown and the smell of the butter becomes somewhat nutty.
- As soon as the butter is an amber brown color, remove from heat and cool in the refrigerator until it the butter has become solid again (can take about an hour or so).
- Add cooled brown butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken and fluff.
- Next slow down mixer and carefully add in confectioner’s sugar. Once all sugar has incorporated, turn mixer back to high to continue whipping.
- Add salt and vanilla extract and continue whipping until it is smooth.
- Add frosting to a piping bag and frost completely cooled cupcakes. Top with homemade caramel and nuts if deserved and serve.
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Keep unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 1-2 days. Once they’re frosted with cream cheese frosting, they shouldn’t sit out long because of the dairy, so don’t leave them on the counter all day.
- Fridge: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re stacking them, slide a piece of parchment paper between layers so the frosting doesn’t get messed up. Let them come back to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: Unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. For frosted cupcakes, place them in the freezer uncovered for about 2 hours until firm, then wrap each one in two layers of plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container or bag for 4-6 weeks. Some toppings like whipped cream, cookie pieces, or sprinkles don’t freeze well, so keep that in mind. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Grate your carrots fresh. Skip the pre-shredded stuff, it’s always dry and won’t give you that same flavor or moisture. One big carrot is about a cup, but grab an extra just in case.
- Don’t overfill the liners. Each well should only be about ¾ of the way full. Any more and you will end up with muffins, not cupcakes.
- Bake them on the center rack. That’s where you get even heat. I’ve tried the bottom rack before and all I got was crispy bottoms and pale tops.
- Watch the brown butter closely. It’s ready when it turns a deep amber color, smells nutty, and you see little brown bits at the bottom. The second it hits that point, take it off the heat before it burns. (If you don’t want to deal with browning dairy, check out my classic cream cheese frosting recipe here!)
Recipe Help
I wouldn’t recommend it, boos. Frozen carrots can mess with the texture. Freshly grated carrots are your best bet for this easy carrot cake cupcakes recipe.
Most likely your butter was too warm or the cream cheese was too soft. You want both softened but still slightly firm. If it’s already runny, pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, then whip it again.
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I’m wondering if I could replace the pineapple with chopped mandarins. They are so good right now
I am not sure if that would work, I haven’t tested this recipe without the pineapple, the juice plays a part in the moisture of the cake as well. If you end up trying it let me know how it turns out!
The only change was, I start in a preheated *425 oven for the first 7 minutes, then reduce to *370 for the remainder & you get a nice bakery height cupcake. Found it in a recipe I didn’t care for, but thought I would try the technique. Very nice results.
I am wondering if I can use all purpose flour instead of self rising and if so how much baking powder do I need to add to compensate? Thanks.
You can create your own self-rising flour mixture with this formulation: For every cup of self rising flour you need, whisk together 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt.
This is my go-to carrot cake recipe! There’s nothing i’D change about this recipe. I follow the recipe entirely – even making the caramel sauce! It’s always raved over. I’ll be quite honest, from start to finish (for me) it takes a couple hours. Roasting the nuts, making the caramel sauce, browning the butter and allowing it to cool (i put it in the freezer for fast cooling), and cleaning up all of that. leave yourself a day to get through this recipe. It’s worth it. They store beautifully in the refrigerator with the icing and caramel sauce, and taste fantastic cool from the fridge. Hands down, my favorite carrot cake recipe made with extra love.
I am so happy to hear that you enjoy my carrot cake! Thank you so much for making it!
I Look forward to making this for Easter. I do have an unrelated question…….can I bake the blueberry cobbler that you have as a crockpot cobbler and if so what do I do different. Thanks
I actually am not sure as I didn’t test it that way. That recipe is quite different since it uses a cake mix and fewer ingredients. If you tried it out, let me know how it turned out so we can share with our other readers.
Hi Jocelyn! I’ve been making this carrot cake for my mom for the past few years now, the family absolutely loves it. How can I add raisins to this without overdoing it? Ive tried different measurements of it but I end up adding too much or not enough.
I would take the middle measurement from testing it out. For example if you made it with 1 cup and it was too much, and then you tried 1/2 cup and it was too little, then 3/4 cup is probably just right! Hope that helps!
Hi! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Could I substitute the pineapple juice with applesauce? If so, what would be the amount in grams for this? Thank you
Hi Katy, I have not tried that with this recipe so I am hesitant to say yes you can or no you can’t.
This is the one adjustment that I make to this awesome recipe. If the applesauce is real watery, I strain some of the liquid out. Comes out wonderfully!
Thanks for this really great recipe. I made these for my son’s first birthday, and he absolutely LOVED them. Perfect first cake experience!! So light and fluffy, and not overly sweet. Plus very quick and easy to make, which is a must for sleep deprived and time starved new mom! I found that the frosting was enough for a thinner layer on a double batch of cupcakes.
So glad he liked them! Happy belated birthday to him!
I made these carrot cake cupcakes for my own birthday because it is my favorite. I was a bit skeptical because I hate one that tastes like a spice cake. The one thing I guess I just didn’t read was how many it makes… so I thought what the heck let’s double the recipe! Oh my gosh 62 cupcakes later and only my son and I like them, we definitely like the freezer. Idea! I had so much batter I had to use a large plastic punch/candy bowl.
Tips: Another reader suggested more carrots so I added an extra cup and I think it was well worth it, I used crushed pecans instead of walnuts, and rehydrated raisins. Thank you for emphasizing adding some of the juice from the crushed pineapple or the mix is too stiff. Next time I might try half crushed half tid bits because I’d like to taste the pineapple. Try his is the MOST FABULOUS recipe and trust me I have eaten alot of carrot cakes over the years. So much so my Great Dane in the night climbed the counter and ate 13 of them!!!! He has never ever done that for food before. This is a definite must do recipe again!!! Thank you! I’m now curious to try some of your others.
Thank you so much, Allison! I am so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes. They do freeze well so that is a bonus!