Get in the spring spirit with moist Carrot Cupcakes topped with the best cream cheese frosting and candy melt carrot toppers!
Table of Contents
Up until this very moment, Pineapple Carrot Cake was my favorite veggies-for-dessert recipe. There’s just something about a moist spice cake loaded with chopped pecans and slathered with a tangy cream cheese frosting that I can’t resist.
But these cupcakes? They’re light. They’re moist. They’re loaded with raisi… I kid, I kid! Raisins in carrot cupcakes should be illegal. And I’m not looking for any legal woes here, so let’s just keep the ol’ unwelcome wrinkled snacks where they belong… covered in chocolate and baked into cookies.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Soft, fluffy and moist.
- Perfectly spiced.
- Thick, luscious swirls of tangy cream cheese frosting.
- Candy melt toppers for a show-stopping dessert that does double duty as tabletop decor.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- Eggs: Four large eggs give the batter proper structure, and therefore firmness, lightness and stability to the cupcakes.
- Baking powder & baking soda: You’ll need both for this recipe to give the cupcakes lift.
- Vegetable oil: Oil contributes moistness far more reliably in cakes than butter because it remains liquid at room temperature while butter solidifies. Therefore, cakes made with oil tend to rise a little higher with a more even crumb. Most importantly, using oil instead of butter ensures your cupcakes stay moist and tender for days. Coconut oil or neutral-flavored olive oil can be substituted.
- Spices: Cinnamon and allspice add the perfect amount of spice and depth of flavor.
- Carrots: Aim for finely grated pieces rather than chunky. To do this, use the small shredding side of a box grater.
Pro tip: Skip the pre-shredded carrots at the grocery store! While it’s tempting to reach for that bag to save time, the resulting cupcakes won’t be as moist or fluffy. Bottom line: Fresh is best!
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers.
- Beat together the wet ingredients. Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer), combine the eggs, sugar and vegetable oil.
- Mix together the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the stand mixer, beating until combined, stirring in the carrots.
- Fill the cupcake liners and bake. Fill the cupcake wrappers 2/3 full with the batter then bake the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool completely while you make the frosting and decorations.
Pro tip: Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating! Rushing this process will cause your frosting to melt.
How to Make Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients: Cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and confectioners’ sugar.
- Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth then add the butter and vanilla extract and continue beating until well combined. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. Refrigerating the frosting will help to thicken and firm it up for piping.
I used a Wilton #2A for these cupcakes, but any large, round tip will work.
This frosting recipe makes enough to pipe tall, thick swirls onto the cupcakes. If you’d rather slather the cupcakes using less frosting, divide the frosting recipe in half.
How to Make Candy Melt Cupcake Toppers
The real star of the show is the adorable carrots nestled atop the cupcakes. Best of all, they take less than 10 minutes to make!
Ingredients: Green and orange candy melts. While there are various brands of candy melts to choose from, Wilton has been my longtime favorite.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Melt the green candy melts per the package instructions. Transfer the melted mixture to a sealable plastic bag or piping bag. Cut off the tip and pipe the greens of each carrot. Melt the orange candy melts per the package instructions then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag or piping bag. Cut off the tip and pipe the shape of a carrot partially overlapping the bottom of each green stem (so the two parts stick together).
- Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge for 5 minutes or until the candy melts have fully hardened. Using an offset spatula, carefully release each carrot from the baking sheet.
These can be made and stored in an airtight container for a day but I wouldn’t push it much past that.
Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer is yes, but I don’t recommend it. Using butter instead of oil will result in drier cupcakes that won’t rise as well or last as long.
Yes, because of the cream cheese frosting, you should store them in the fridge and enjoy within a couple of days.
These cupcakes will last up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Completely cooled and unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in zip-top freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Absolutely! If you prefer a bit of crunch or chewiness, both chopped nuts and raisins can be folded into the carrot cake batter.
Related Recipes
- Pineapple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing
- Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups lightly packed grated carrots
For the frosting:
- 2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temp
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Orange candy melts
- Green candy melts
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar and vegetable oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the stand mixer, beating just until combined then stir in the carrots.
- Fill the cupcake wrappers 2/3 full with the batter then bake the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool completely while you make the frosting and decorations.
Make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth then add the butter and vanilla extract and continue beating until well combined. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Set the frosting aside. (If piping the frosting, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you’re ready to pipe it, as chilling it will help it firm up.)
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Melt the green candy melts per the package instructions then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag or piping bag. Cut off the tip and pipe the greens of each carrot. Melt the orange candy melts per the package instructions then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag or piping bag. Cut off the tip and pipe the shape of a carrot partially overlapping the bottom of each green stem (so the two parts stick together).
- Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge for 5 minutes or until the candy melts have fully hardened. Using an offset spatula, carefully release each carrot from the baking sheet.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, top them with the cream cheese frosting and a candy melt carrot.
Kelly’s Note:
- This frosting recipe makes a generous amount and enough for a tall, luscious swirl of frosting atop each cupcake. For less frosting, halve the recipe.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Cupcake recipe adapted from Taste of Home. Frosting recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste.
made these to try out before Easter and they were incredible, my coworkers appreciated my test baking. The icing was light and very tasty! They will definitely be making an appearance at our Easter festivities :) thank you so much!
You are so welcome, Katie! I’m thrilled you and your coworkers enjoyed the cupcakes!
Recipe in metric please. Don’t use cups..
Hi! Thanks so much for your feedback. I don’t provide metric conversions for my recipes, as I cannot guarantee they would be 100% accurate without being tested. However, you are welcome to use an online converter. :)
How to make candy melt carrot
Hi Marge! The instructions for the candy melt carrots are above :)
These are my GO-TO show off dessert cupcakes. Trust the baking time. Batter IS an unusual texture. But it will all work out in the end. By far, my favorite sweet treat cupcake. I’m making them for my own birthday this weekend. I crave them twice a year… Fall birthday & Easter. Frosting is perfect. Sweet, soft yumminess.
Love this! I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Lori!
It’s my first time trying this recipe and I baked it into 2 layer 8″ cake pan.
Each 8″ pan is 500g leaving enough batter to make 12pcs mini cupcakes.
The 8″ cake pan us baked at 325F as original instruction at 25minutes (I’m using convection oven). I used the toothpick test and they’re fine.
As for the 12pcs mini cupcake, it was baked between 13-15mins.
I also added walnuts in it and they taste very yummy. Not too sweet and moist!
Thank you for the recipe Kelly!
You are so welcome, Venisse! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
I wish I’d read the reviews first. Wasted time and ingredients. Some cupcakes sank and were raw in the center. Others rose out of baking cups and made a sheet of cake over top of muffin pan.
Is the problem one teaspoon EACH of baking powder and baking soda?
Hi Annie-Laurie – I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe.
Family favourite Carrot Muffin recipe. My 6 year old can’t stop eating them, so they must be good :)
I’m so thrilled to hear this, Denise!
Mine overflowed & sunk, too. I live @ 8,000′ so I’m accustomed to high altitude adjustments. However, I like to try a recipe the first time as it’s written. Fabulous flavor & texture – the hubs ate 2 before they cooled completely! Next time I will use 1/3 less oil, and sugar, and probably cut the amount of carrots to 2c. Hope it doesn’t destroy the flavor & texture too much!
Thanks so much for your note. We’re re-testing the recipe, stay tuned!
I made these cupcakes and they were delicious!! I’d love to make a carrot cake with this recipe, have you tried this before and if so, would this recipe make a good size cake? Enough to feed 6?
Hi Christine! I’ve never tried this recipe as a cake so I’m not sure what the results would be. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Can I use this recipe to make a cake or half the recipe to make a mini cake? I’m curious how temps/time would need to be adjusted?
Hi! I’ve never tried this recipe as a cake so I’m not sure what the pan size/baking time would be.
Hi, my cupcakes overflow and sink. I have made this recipe 4 times now. Any idea why? Should I add more flower? Take our soda or baking powder?
Hi Lisa – We haven’t experienced this issue before. Are your leavening agents fresh?
Could you make the carrots by dying white chocolate?
That should work!
I also had the problem with them overflowing. They almost covered the entire top of the cupcake pan. I will have to see if I can figure out where the round holes are and see if I can cut them out so they look decent. They are for a group of gals coming to play games.
Hi Dorothy – Thanks so much for your note. We’re re-testing the recipe, stay tuned!
These have a nice taste and the cream cheese frosting is perfect, but I filled the muffin cups 2/3 full as per the recipe and they overflowed horribly. My suggestion is only fill them barely half full.
Thanks so much for your note, Sue!
Hello! Can I use butter instead of oil?
Hi Ari – I’ve never made these cupcakes using butter in place of oil so I can’t provide info on how much to use or how to re-work the recipe. Would love to hear your results if you try it!
I love these! I’ve made them many times. Wondering if I could use a bundt pan instead? If so, I’m sure temperature and/or time might need adjusting? Lil help? I’m hoping to serve for Christmas Day brunch.
Hi Lori! I’ve never tried this in bundt pan form so unfortunately I can’t provide details on bake time.
How do you store these? In an airtight container in the refrigerator or just leave out on the countertop? And how long do they keep?
Hi Kanani – Yes, because of the cream cheese frosting, you should store them in the fridge and enjoy within a couple of days.
Hi, just a quick question – for the frosting it says 2 packets cream cheese (8oz) is it 16oz total or just 8oz.
I’m in the UK and our cream cheese comes in different package weights
Hi Danielle! You’ll want a total of 16 ounces for the frosting.
OMG I loved this so much! Would you recommend honey instead of sugar for a healthier option?
I’ve never tried that so I’m not certain what the results would be. Let me know if you give it a shot!
Mine also rose too high. Maybe recipe calling for 1 Tablespoon of baking powder could be the problem?
There is something wrong in the measurements of this recipe. I just made these TWICE and both times they turned out wrong. Followed the directions exactly. They rose way too much, were completely raw in the middle, and then sank as soon as I took them out of the oven. I would use caution with baking this recipe!!
Hi Ryan – I’ve never experienced that with this recipe but feel free to email me (kelly@justataste.com) and I’d be happy to help you troubleshoot.
Ryan, I had the same issue with the recipe. First I made a batch of 12 cupcakes, and some batter was left… when I noticed they turned out wrong, I tried wth adding 3/4 of a cup more flour… the last six cupcakes turned out PERFECT. You have to make the batter with a bit more consistency, so if you take batter with a spoon, if won’t spill out that quickly…
hope the helps :)
Hi Leesa, Thank you for this recipe. I am starting my own shop in my home and I look forward to trying these but, I was wondering if this would be a good recipe to make a 3 layer 8″ round cake? Thank you.
Hi Cindy – I’ve never tried this recipe as a cake so I’m not sure what the pan size/baking time would be.
Hi! I would love to bake this but my oven can only accommodate a 12-pc cupcake/muffin pan. Would you recommend I half the recipe or is it okay to put the unbaked batter in the ref while the others are still being baked? I’m just learning how to bake. Thank you in advance.
Totally fine to leave the unbaked batter in the fridge and then bake a second batch :)
Hello, is this frosting stiff enough to pipe flowers with. Thank you!
Hi Crystal! If it’s kept chilled prior to piping, then it should work to pipe flowers, but it just depends how cold you keep it. Hope this helps!
LOVE your recipes!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!! This is my favorite all time site.
Love hearing this, Anna! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying Just a Taste!
Can I make this into a cupcake bars? thanks!
Hi Karen – I have never made it in cupcake bar form, so I can’t say with certainty if there would be any differences. You’ll just have to adjust the bake time :)
Thank you so much for sharing. I love carrot cake but I am highly allergic to pineapple. I can’t wait to try this recipe! :)
Enjoy, Kyreae!
Can i still get the same consistency with whippedcream cheese, as England doesnt supply block cream cheese
Hi there! I’ve never used whipped cream cheese in this recipe, but since the consistency is slightly softer, you may just want to mix the frosting less.
These are so cute!!
These are absolutely adorable and perfect for Easter and Spring! They look delicious, Kelly!
Thanks so much, Robyn!
Just made this today for a bday party. BIG HIT!!!! Thank you!!!! Thank you! Thank you! This is going at the top of my backing list as a top ten recipe!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, JoAnn! :)
I’ve always wondered what piping tip is used for this particular look or if it’s pipped without a tip? I can’t ever seem to achieve that look, the tips I come across are to small! Thanks!
Hi Leesa! This is a large open tip, such as Wilton #2A :)
Fatima, i would start with 2 cups of powder sugar and add 1/4 cup at a time after each creaming until the desired sweetness. 4 cups of sugar for the frosting is very sweet. The cupcake itself is sweet already.
Good luck and yes I love carrot cakes too :-)
Can I use this recipe for a layer cake?
Hi Fran! I’ve never tried this recipe as a layer cake so I’m not sure what the pan size/baking time would be. I do have another recipe for an actual carrot cake :) Here’s the recipe: https://www.justataste.com/best-pineapple-carrot-cake-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/
I love carrot cakes! I’ll definitely try it. How sweet it is? I like my cupcake to be moderate/less sweet.
Thank you! The cream cheese frosting is on the tangier side so it’s not overwhelmingly sweet :)