Carrot Cake Cupcakes (dairy-free)
These easy Carrot Cake Cupcakes are dairy-free, nut-free, and loaded with 3 cups of carrots. Then they are topped with a delicious dairy-free, vegan vanilla frosting. YUM! Moist, fluffy, and loaded with nutrients, too! Great for family and friends to enjoy as a morning treat or an afternoon snack.
Dairy-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These dairy-free carrot cake cupcakes are amazingly, moist, fluffy, and delicious. Recently, we shared how to make our favorite Fabulously Easy Carrot Cake and decided to put a spin on it, turning it into cupcakes.
Plus, these are topped with a dairy-free vegan cream cheese frosting, a recipe we found from Banana Dairies (included in our full recipe card below). For more dairy-free carrot cake recipes, don’t miss our Italian Lemon-Coconut Cake, and No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites, which are gluten-free too!
Overview: Ingredients You Will Need:
You will need the following ingredients for this carrot cake cupcake recipe (including some affiliate links). Also, full ingredients are located in the printable recipe card located at the bottom. Plus, all our recipes include US customary measurements for convenience, and we recommend to Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
- Fresh Carrots: Choose fresh carrots for this recipe; they will make these cupcakes super moist and fluffy. And, you will need 3 cups of minced carrots.
- Eggs: This recipe will need 4 whole eggs.
- Sugars: You will need some granulated sugar along with brown sugar (for substitutions, see my notes below).
- Olive Oil: Choose a good quality olive oil; we prefer extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe.
- Flour: Choose an unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe. Remember that if you use gluten-free flour, the measurements are the same, but the texture might be different.
- Organic Super Seeds: We prefer to use a package of Organic Super Seeds so that they are already a mixture of Chia, Flaxseed Meal & Hulled Hemp Seeds. No need to measure all the different seeds, saving time in the prep work.
- Spice: All you will need is 1 spice: some pumpkin spice, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt: Be sure to check the expiration dates on the boxes. They will not work if they have expired! A little salt is needed to balance the sugars.
- Cupcake Paper Liners: We also prefer standard cupcake paper liners for an easy clean-up!
- Ingredients for Dairy-Free Frosting: (not included in the photo below) You need powdered sugar, vanilla extract, vegan butter, and vegan cream cheese.
- Optional: decorate on top with a sprinkle of orange color sugar.
How To Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
For this recipe, there are a few steps to making these delicious, moist cupcakes. But first, let’s run through our steps so you will understand what’s involved before you start. The photos will help with texture and visual guide for best results.
- First, Preheat the Oven: First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees (180C). Grab your 12-cup muffin pan and place a cupcake liner inside each one. Then set it nearby.
- Prep the Carrots: Next, finely mince the carrots in a mini chopper or food processor and measure 3 cups.
Make the Batter: 1) Next, place the sugars, eggs, oil, and carrots into a bowl… 2) Whisk all together, and set it aside… (3+ 4) Then, place the remaining dry ingredients into another bowl and stir together… (5+ 6) Then whisk or stir together the dry and wet ingredients until well blended.
Fill Each Paper Liner: Fill each cupcake liner at least 3/4 full. NOTE: You will have “extra batter” enough to make 3 additional cupcakes to bake.
Bake the Cupcakes: Place the muffin pans on your middle rack in the oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops show cracks or the toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before adding the frosting on top.
FAQ’s
- Are these cupcakes or muffins? We prefer to call these cupcakes simply because they are sweeter, cake-like, and topped with frosting.
- How many servings does this recipe make? This recipe will yield at least 15 cupcakes.
- Can we substitute “coconut sugar” for granulated and brown sugar? Yes, you can use organic brown coconut sugar for both sugars.
- Can we use already packaged shredded carrots with this recipe? We do not recommend using the packages of shredded carrots. They do not contain the moisture needed for this recipe. It’s best to use only fresh carrots finely shredded or minced, as they will give these cupcakes their moist and fluffy texture, rather than a dry texture.
- Do we need to use cooking spray and flour the paper liners? Not at all. There is no need to spray or flour them. After the cupcakes have cooled, the liners will peel off easily.
- How do you mince the carrots the easy way? We prefer to use an electric mini food chopper to mince the carrots. Chop the carrots, place them inside the mini food chopper, and pulse until finely minced.
Storing & Freezing...
- To Store: Lightly cover these cupcakes with a sheet of clear wrap and you can set them on your counter, or in the refrigerator.
- Best Eaten: These cupcakes are best eaten the same day, but will keep fresh longer if kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They taste best when served chilled, but if you prefer, you can serve them at room temperature.
- To Freeze: Store these cupcakes in an airtight container and freeze. They will freeze well for up to 1 month.
More Delicious Treats
- Dairy-Free Panna Cotta
- Silky Chocolate Cream Pie (Dairy-Free, No-Bake)
- Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding
- Eggless Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake
- Italian Lemon-Coconut Cake (Dairy-Free)
Your comments help us! If you make our Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe, let us know and leave a comment with a star rating below in our recipe card. Your insights and experiences will help our readers and us, too. And thank you! ❤️
Carrot Cake Cupcakes (dairy-free)
Carrot Cake Cupcakes are dairy-free, nut-free, and loaded with 3 cups of carrots. Then they are topped with a delicious dairy-free vegan vanilla frosting. Easy to make, moist, fluffy, and loaded with nutrients, too!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (300grams) of finely minced fresh carrots
- 1/2 cup (100grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100grams) packed brown sugar
- 4 whole eggs
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 + 1/2 cups (187grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cups (89.8grams) of Organic Super Seeds (Chia, Flaxseed Meal & Hulled Hemp Seeds)
- 1 tsp. pumpkin spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
- 1/4 tsp. of salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 package of cupcake paper liners
FOR VEGAN FROSTING:
- 1 cup (8 ounces) vegan cream cheese, cold
- 1 cup (226g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (540g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Optional: orange colored sugar, to garnish on top.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180C). Then line your muffin pan with paper liners and set it nearby.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the minced carrots with sugars, eggs, and olive oil until well combined.
- In a smaller bowl, stir together the remaining dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin spice, super seeds, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Next, transfer the dry mixture to the wet mixture and whisk all together until well combined. Then spoon or use an ice cream scoop and fill each liner, about 3/4 full. You will have leftover batter to make an additional 3 cupcakes, making a total of 15 cupcakes.
- Bake on the center rack for 18 to 22 minutes until you see some cracks forming on the tops. Or when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes on a wire rack before adding the frosting on top.
For Dairy-Free Vegan Frosting:
- First, chill the bowl for 5 minutes in the fridge or freezer before beginning.
- Add vegan butter and vegan cream cheese to a large bowl and beat with a handheld mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in a large bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, And beat together until combined.
- Then add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, continuing the beat the mixture until it’s a thick frosting. Add the vanilla extract, and continue to beat until well combined.
- Frost each cupcake, or you may pipe it on top. Optional: garnish on top with a sprinkle of orange colored sugar.
Notes
Notes & Storing:
- These cupcakes are best eaten the same day but will keep fresh if kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- They taste best when served chilled, but if you prefer, you can serve them at room temperature.
- Store them lightly covered on your counter, or in the fridge.
Please Note: The Nutritional Facts does not include the dairy-free, vegan frosting.
Also each cupcake offers: Vitamin D 9mcg47%Calcium 695mg53%Iron 4mg20%Potassium 1505mg.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 servings (15 cupcakes) Serving Size: 1 serving (1 cupcake)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 189Total Fat: 8.2gSaturated Fat: 2.5gCholesterol: 99mgCarbohydrates: 29.5gFiber: 3gSugar: 9.4gProtein: 5.4g
For more delicious ideas and recipes, follow us on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, & FACEBOOK. Happy Baking! 🙂
Have a Delicious Day!
xo anna and liz
Related Posts:
Welcome! From Anna and Liz
We believe the kitchen is the center and the heart of the home. It is where we cook, eat, and unwind with family and friends, creating memorable traditions! Read more…
FREE EMAIL BONUS
Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
Tips & recipes for delicious meals . . . no matter your skill level!
FREE EMAIL BONUS
Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
Tips & recipes for delicious meals . . . no matter your skill level!