Carrot Cake Cupcakes (Small Batch Cupcakes for Spring)
Save RecipeHi Bold Bakers!
I wanted to kick off Spring this year with some Big & Bold Carrot Cake Cupcakes that are perfect for Easter, Passover or any Spring celebration. These cupcakes scream Spring, and don’t worry they are as easy to decorate as they are to make.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes are a must for Springtime. This recipe is from Ireland and it’s the best I have ever made in my 13+ years as a professional baker.
I have taken my Best Ever Carrot Cake recipe and modified it into a small batch of cupcakes that yields 4 Big & Bold cupcakes. My cupcake recipes are the perfect size to fit in a toaster oven however they can also be made in a regular oven too. The timing and temperature for your toaster oven will be the same as your regular oven.
Did you see my other crazy cute Small Batch Cupcakes for Spring? Check out my Baby Chick Vanilla Cupcakes, Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes and the full written recipe for Carrot Cake Cupcakes further below.
These cupcakes are so easy to decorate. All you need is a few simple ingredients to get these lovely results.
Since these are small batch cupcakes, they cook perfectly in a toaster oven: fantastic pieces of kitchen equipment that are great for baking!
With a lot of my baking recipes, I like to show that with a small kitchen or limited equipment, you can still bake and get amazing results
I have previously made Small Batch Cupcakes including flavors like Red Velvet, S’mores and Cookie Dough Cupcakes. They are some impressive and delicious flavors you’ll have to try.
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- 1/4 cup (2oz/ 57g) sugar
- 2 tablespoons of egg*
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (2oz/ 57g) flavorless oil (coconut/ sunflower oil)
- 1/3 cup (2oz/ 57g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup (2oz/57g) carrots, grated
- ¼ cup (1oz/28g) raisins
- 1/2 cup (4oz/115g) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (1oz/28g) butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (4oz/115g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Green food dye
- Orange food dye
- 1/2 cup (1 ½oz/43g) coconut, shredded
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Whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil until thick.
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Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon and whisk gently until well combined.
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Lastly, add in the grated carrots and raisins and fold in.
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Pour the batter into 4 cupcake liners almost to the top.
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Bake at 350oF (180oC) for 15-17 minutes, or until they are firm in the middle and don’t appear damp. This recipe bakes fast.
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Once baked, take them out of the tin and cool on a baking rack until cold.
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To prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting: In a bowl, using an electric mixer or a hand whisk cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then slowly add in the powdered sugar and vanilla until it is smooth and creamy. Chill until needed. Color your cream cheese frosting with drops of orange and green food dye until you reach your desired color.
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For the green "grass": Place some shredded/desiccated coconut in a ziplock bag with a drop or two of green food dye. Work the dye into the coconut with your fingers outside of the bag and you will soon see the coconut turn green. Keep going until the coconut is totally green. Add more color if needed.
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With a large round nozzle pipe around the surface of your carrot cupcake with the green frosting.
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Scatter the green coconut "grass" on top to completely cover the cream cheese frosting.
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With your orange Cream Cheese Frosting in a piping bag and a large nozzle, pipe straight down into the center of the grass and bring the bag up as you pipe. Put more pressure on the bag when you are done to get a bigger top, just like a carrot.
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In a piping bag with green Cream Cheese Frosting and fitted with a star nozzle pipe the carrot top.
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Once decorated store the cupcakes at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Eggs: Replace the egg with the same amount of apple sauce/puree or banana
Oils: sunflower, vegetable, coconut or canola are all good to use. Just not olive oil as it has too strong of a flavor.
Egg: whisk up your egg and measure it out in tablespoons. 1 egg is roughly 4 tablespoons.
If you don’t have a small cupcake tray use silicone cupcake liners.
Meet Gemma
Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, and I’m passionate about sharing my years of experience to show you how to make game-changing baking recipes with over-the-top results! Join more than 1 Million other Bold Bakers in the community for new video recipes every week!
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These turned out great! Everyone at my Easter party was very impressed. I did want to let you know that it doesn’t say anywhere in the instructions to add the baking soda/bicarbonate of soda. Other than that this was great recipe!
Hi there,
thank you for this, I am happy that this recipe worked well for you. I wil lgo back to that recipe to edit it, thank you,
Gemma 🙂
This is the most cake-like carrot cake recipe I’ve ever tried. I used the cream cheese frosting on another cupcake recipe and was impressed by what difference a smaller ratio of butter to cream cheese makes. The cream cheese frosting is better than the go-to one I had been using for years. I gave this one a go because I needed a smaller amount of cream cheese frosting for a dozen mini cupcakes. I refrigerated it and piped the leftovers to try out with a new piping tip I bought. I am ecstatic to have found the solution to easier piping with cream cheese frosting, and of course this great recipe has a lot to do with it. I decided to try making a small batch of the carrot cupcakes, even though I don’t normally like carrot cake, since the icing recipe was such a gem. I was not disappointed. I omitted the raisins for personal preference, but that was the only change. It was great. It tasted like real cake, not the dense version of carrot cake I’m used to. It was delicious.
Hi Karen,
Well! fulsome praise for a carrot cake 😉
Thank you so much for this, I am delighted you like this recipe. I am also delighted that you are managing the cream cheese frosting, and piping it too! well done you.
Thank you so much for being in touch,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
What flour should i use?
Thanks
Hi Harry,
Sorry I need to edit that recipe. Use all purpose/plain flour 🙂
Best,
Gemma.
Hey, Gemma.
Just a query; what is the texture of the cupcakes? I baked mine and they are very light, but also feel as if they weren’t baked fully. I tested them when they were warm, so I’ll let them sit and see. If they continue to feel like this, is it a problem or is this recipe less dense than that of a normal recipe? Like your soft cookies. A soft cupcake?
Hi Robin,
This is a soft thing, though it should not feel under baked.
Ovens vary in how they bake. An OTG for instance needs handling to achieve a good bake. A fan assisted oven is very fast, and a conventional oven a bit slower.
I am wondering if there was a timing issue for you? I have not found this cupcake to feel oddly light/under baked!
Not sure about this one, do let me know,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Ms. Gemma!
I really need your help. Can I make this cupcake(and other cupcake recipes) recipe in a steamer? My friend’s oven and toaster oven broke and I really need to make cupcakes for my special friend today. Please help. Thank you in advance
Hi Roseanne,
you absolutely can make them in a steamer. They would be incredible!!
Gemma.
Hi Gemma, can I use corn flour instead of flour for this recipe?
Thanks
Hi Sherly,
Unfortunately no, you can’t use corn flour instead of regular flour. If you are looking for a gluten free option you can use a gluten free all purpose flour 🙂
Gemma.
Hey Gemma.. have tried this recipe today and it all came out to be oily & loose..have taken the exact measurement & time set was 17mins but still it was not dry s,should i use less oil ?/?,, please help me out with this ..
Ok so I do trust that you followed the recipe exactly but it does sound like a measurement is wrong. Can you triple check for me, also did you measure some ingredients in cups, then ounces or grams?
Sometimes going between different measurement can cause this problem.
Don’t worry, we will solve it 🙂
Hi Gemma. I have the same problem here. I’m using the gram measurement and the cake turns out to be a bit oily (you can feel it when u took a bite). But overall it is ok ( i’m using 1 whole egg instead of 2tbsp)
Thanks for the recipe
Hi Mar-tina,
The whole egg will be good. I think I am going to go back to this recipe and change the flour to 60g, the conversion from cup/imperial etc skewed this. This will also allow for any differences in the flour, which behaves differently around the world according to where, when, how and type of grain being milled.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I will go back to it today,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Just tried this with my daughter but a bit confused by measurements as your 1/4 cup sugar is 50g /2oz so is your 1/3 cup flour so I got a bit confused. Also wasn’t enough for 4 pieces could do only 3 . Did I make some error? I took all as 1/4 cup sugar, oil, flour and carrot. Thanks Lata
Hi Lata,
You choose your style of measurement, and stick to it in a recipe.
Cup measurements are a measure of volume, and to a degree arbitrary. If you are going to use them, you have to trust them, load all in the same way and all will be well.
I take 5oz as being the cup for flour, but as a guide only, I tend to scoop and load a cup, others level them. Ingredients also vary in volume, so brown sugar will have a different equivalent weight to powdered sugar for instance, because the volume is different.
Thinking about this makes it confusing, if you have a mertic scales this is the most accurate way to measure of all.
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Thanks Gemma, really kind of you to respond to all queries in such detail. Appreciate it and your efforts to help us home bakers 🙂
Regards
Lata
Hi Lata,
Thank you, but just to be sure you know it, if it were not for all of the Bold Bakers, i would be wasting my time. Thank you, and all of the community for the great support you give me. It really helps me to keep on keeping on, I cannot do it without you,
Gemma <3
I absolutely love your videos. Had some left over pumpkin so used your carrot cupcake recipe and replaced cinnamon with pumpkin spice. They came out great. Haven’t looked thru all your videos but hoping to find lots more small batch baking since it’s just me and my husband and I love to treat him to sweets without being wasteful. Will there be more Desserts for Two recipes coming?!
Hi Jane,
I will put this on my list, again! The list is getting longer by the day 🙂
You can readily divide many of the recipes. the single serve cookie is perfect for dividing, before baking, and sharing.
most of the cake recipes can also be divided. A very basic one from home is called Victoria sponge. This is really easy to divide, and can be used for cakes, cupcakes, topping for fruit, adding cocoa, coffee etc. For an 8 inch sponge cake, two pans, I would use 6oz butter. 6oz caster sugar. 6 oz flour. 3 eggs. a little milk. For larger cake then you add ingredients as 8, 8, 8, 4. or divide it down 2,2,2,1. it is all about proportions.
This is a creaming method recipe. Cream butter and sugar really well. beat the egg and add it slowly, beating between additions. (like making a mayonnaise!) when all of the egg is in you fold in the self raising flour. Add a little milk, just to soften the batter and a few drops of vanilla extract. Add any cocoa with the flour.
try this, experiment with it, it is impossible to forget this recipe!
Gemma 🙂
Cool, thanks Gemma ?!!
Hope you have a great day.
Thanks for making this a mini recipe, small batch portions like this help all of us to experiment with reasonable portions and minimal waste if discarded.
Wish I could say I liked the recipe, but it was bland and tasted nothing like carrot cake to me. I’m a big fan of carrot cake and usually go for bakery versions, was hoping this would be a healthier replacement.
Hi Suzanne,
I am sorry that you did not like this one. You can add a little more flavour too, and nuts and raisins too if you wish.
Check out the Best ever carrot cake recipe here too. You can make this in a smaller portion too by dividing down the recipe.
Thank you for being with us,
Gemma 🙂
Hi gemma
I tried the carrot cupcakes recipe but baked it as a cake and used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose. Bad news is my oven broke down in the middle leaving my cake half baked. Good news is that it tasted great even half baked. Thanks for a great recipe. Will bake it next time.
Love Sravya
Haha! poor you, but great save, I am happy the whole wheat flour worked for you,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! I’m a new baker and love my new convection toaster oven. I want to try to make more cupcakes and things. I found your website and am thrilled that you have recipes for small batches since I live alone and don’t wish to become enormous from all the sweets! I have ordered a 12 well mini muffin pan for my toaster oven and was wondering if you had any tips for converting your recipes. I saw above that you have a six muffin conversion would that be appropriate and would I lower the time since the muffins will be smaller and probably cook faster? Thanks. Also, not a huge fan of raisins, so if I left them out of this carrot cake recipe would that cause problems? Thanks in advance and Happy New Year!
Hi Cindy,
What a lovely appliance this is, perfect for small families, and much more economical to use too.
A twelve well pan will be great for six mormal sized muffins/cupcakes.
The time will indeed change for the smaller bake, you will need to check them after 10 mins, do not take them from the oven, just quickly touch the top of one with your finger, if it is firm, it will be baked, if not you will be able to judge the remainig time.
The temperature will remain the same, as this is what gives the ‘oven spring’ required for a good bake.
The raisins are an optional addition to the recipe, and leaving them out will reduce the sugar level too. you can always add the zest of an orange to this too for a change of flavor.
Do experiment a little, this is how you will learn what works best in your particular oven, Try the single cookies, you can make a few from this recipe.
Happy New Year, and happy baking in 2017,
Gemma 🙂
Thank you for the quick reply! I told my mom about your site and I’m excited to try your recipes!
That is great Cindy, I wish you happy baking in 2017,
Gemma 🙂
Hey BBB, These carrot cake cupcakes look amazing. They are perfect for a holiday party. We just formed an LLC so this might be the perfect dessert to celebrate. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Dennis,
that is great, well done to you, happy to have you with us,
Gemma 🙂
Cute and sweet, GG, Great Gemma , want to try this recipe soon.
Hi there, thank you for being with us here on BBB. Do get in the kitchen! Gemma 🙂
Just finished decorated my muffins..they all so moist and delicious..took me about 30mins in total from prep to baking love it love it…thank you so much!
YEA! that is great, I am happy that this recipe works for you, Gemma 🙂
Thank you 🙂 i also uploaded the result
That is great, I will be checking these out when I have finishes my responses, I am happy to have you with us,
Gemma 😉
Hi Gemma,
I am planning to make these cupcakes the day after tomorrow when my cousins come over.. They really do look lovely..????
Could we use buttercream frosting instead of cream cheese frosting in the carrot cake?
Hi there, that is great, I hope you have a lovely visit. Yes, you can use any frosting you like, you can flavor it too with a little orange or lemon zest, if you wish. Do wash the citrus well before zesting 🙂
Hi Gemma,
I try many of your recipes and thinking of giving this one a shot. You mentioned that egg can be replaced with same amount of apple puree. In this case apple puree means just grinding an apple or something else?
Hi Sneha,
Check out the egg substitute chart here, you may decide to use something else according to the recipe!
Apple puree is made by cooking apple gently in a very little water until soft. The type of apple available to you changes how you do this. Cooking apples will cook down to a pulp, dessert apples may need to be mashed,
Gemma 🙂
Sorry the (pus) was suppose to be (PS).
Hi Gamma. I made the carrot cake cupcakes for my husband. He thought I played a joke on him with the small batch and I learned he has never had carrot cake in cupcake form. He look all over for the only muffin tin he thinks I own. The 12 cups. Therefore what measurements should I use for a six cup muffin tin. Thank you for your easy recipes.
Pus. I am still waiting on the chocolate jelly rolled cake with the cream cheese frosting. I know its going to be delicious coming from you.
Hi JC,
I am happy to hear that, you clearly look after your husband very well!
arrot Cupcakes
3oz/ 50g sugar
3 tablespoons of egg*
3 oz/ 50g flavorless oil*
1.4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3oz/ 50g flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup (50g/3oz) carrots, grated
1 1/2 oz (30g) raisins
I have multiplied up this recipe to convert for 6 cupcakes. if you wish you can adjust the spices to taste,
Gemma 🙂
HI, i love your recipies now that i found them i dont want to try anything else ! i wanted to know if the baking soda is the same amount as the baking powder and if i wanted to make 24 cupcakes a would just multiply the amount oof ingredients? thankyou very much!
trid,
Yes, just multiply the ingredients, but do this carefully. I like to re-write a recipe when i am increasing it, to be sure i have it right.
I am not sure what you mean about the baking powder/soda question! This recipe takes baking powder, not soda.
Gemma 🙂 Happy baking!
I got a bit confused by this as well. In the video you mentioned adding baking powder and baking soda, but in the written recipe there was no measurement for the baking soda. I just ended up using equal baking powder and soda because your measuring spoons in the video looked the same
Hi Dee,
Oh my! All this time and nobody else spotted that, including me!
I am going right over to that recipe now to add the soda, which is 1/4 teaspoon. I am really sorry, amazing how little things, which mean a lot, escape me! I am really sorry, thank you for letting me know,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
I really enjoy your youtube videos, and hope to start making some more of your recipes very soon.
I was just wondering how many eggs two tablespoons would amount to please? 🙂
Hi Millie,
Thanks so much, delighted you like my videos. so 1 egg is 4 tablespoons so 2 is half and egg 🙂
Hi Gemma..
First of all..you are an amazing baker..have been lately following your recipes, and they all look really delicious..to be honest I have just started baking so not very pro at it..please could you guide temperature/ time for a convection microwave oven for these cupcakes, many thanks in advance.. Hope to see more yummy recipes.. 🙂
Hi there,
The instructions are here with the recipe. You will not use the microwave element of the oven, just the convection for these,
Gemma 🙂
Wow!! These carrot cakes are simply amazing. Want to give it a try very soon.
Hi there,
Yes, these are good! do try this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma, love your small batch recipes! Please keep them coming. How many days can undecorated carrot cake cupcakes keep without refrigeration?
Hi Allan,
Thank you for your kind comments. If you wish to keep any baked product in good condition for a few days,you need to freeze it.
I would not keep these for more than a day or so at room temperature, they will begin to feel and taste stale after that,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Your cupcakes looks adorable and cute! So excited to try them, but I’m not sure how many cupcakes will this recipe make
Thanks so much for visiting my website, Laurence. This recipe will make 4 cupcakes 🙂
Hi do u have any dairy free frosting recipe
I will add it to my list. Stay tuned 🙂
Can you leave out the vanilla extract?
Hi Aoife,
Yes you can, this will just change the flavor slightly,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! I love your amazing creations! I found you recently and since then everyday I try one of your recipes.
I have a question, how much cream should be added to the frosting? you forgot to write in the ingredients 😉
Thank you so much!!!
p. s. sorry, my english isn’t good o.O
Hi Rita,
There isn’t any cream in this recipe. The frosting is cream cheese, butter and sugar. Let me know if I answered your question.
Best,
Gemma.
Thank you for reply! I’ll try this recipe very very soon…. this cupcakes must be delicious <3<3<3
Hi gemma,
I tried this carrot cupcake recipe substituting the flour for wheat flour,sugar for honey and also added oats and still came out absolutely delicious And I could enjoy it with no guilt. Thank you so much for your fabulous recipe. I also made your Best Ever Carrot Cake normally and everyone in my family went nuts over it.
Hi Zarah,
I am loving the great ideas of the bold bakers, adding such interest to these recipes, thank you,
Gemma 🙂
I made the small batch carrot cake cupcakes last night-they were amazingly good! My younger daughter has Celiacs disease so I actually used gluten free flour and they still tasted great! She does not have a dairy sensitivity so the flour was the only ingredient I had to sub out. I made the flourless choc cake ones too-delicious! Love the frosting recipes too. I don’t like the sourness of cream cheese frosting but yours was just right! I love your cooking clips too!
Hi Erika,
Than kyou so much for your kind comments,I am delighted you had a good result with the gluten free flour.
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma I’m Alyssa from the Philippines I made these cupcakes last night and they turned out great except for the Flourless Chocolate Cupcake which were salty (my fault) ? I wonder what could you suggest to make my cupcakes edible? Can I make cake pops from it to lessen its salty taste? I hope you can help me.. Thank you for the future response!?
Hi Alyssa,
You could add ingredients to reduce the level of salt, hard for me to know as I cannot judge the level of saltiness!
Gemma 🙂
Yummy yummy yummy! Awesome cupcake Gemma . I made them today and kids loved it! Thank you so much for these recipes. Could you share the recipe for toffee cake? Ate them at TGIF Fridays and it was so flavour full please help Gemma 😉
Hi Laiju, yes toffee cake, yum!
I will add this to my list, thank you for your kind comments,
Gemma 🙂
How much baking soda?
Hi Karen,
Do you mean in the Carrot Cupcake recipe? There is no baking soda in this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
Hey Emma! 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe!
However, when making the frosting, I just cant seem to get that almost solid frosting you seem to get. I’ve measured out everything (in grams) and mixed according to your guide but it’s just way to liquid-y.
Do I need to have it chilled for a long period of time before piping it out?
Hi Andre,
I think this has something to do with your cream cheese. I have noticed that the block of cream cheese which I can get here in the US is no longer available in Ireland, and the tub one is softer and harder to handle for icing. I have had to add another tablespoon of icing sugar to this in order to stabilize it.
Buy the best you can too, it helps,
Gemma 🙂
Alright i’ll try it out! But just with butter and cream cheese seems to be quite solid but after adding more and more icing sugar it becomes way to unstable for icing and you noticed won’t it become more unstable with even more icing sugar? 🙂
Hi Andre,
You need the icing sugar to make it a frosting! I am a bit mystified honestl,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma, I baked mine for 30 mins and it still seems to look undercooked. I followed all instructions right. Can you help me?
Hi Anne,
It sounds like your oven is not at the right temperature! These will cook easily in the time if the recipe is followed, can’t figure out what else it may be,
Gemma 🙂
also can you tell me some oils that i can use instead of flavorless oil
Hi Elizabeth,
Well, if you use a heavily flavored oil you will taste it in the bake!
You may be able to use melted butter, but it will need to be real butter,
Gemma 🙂
gemma: these cupcakes are divine you do all these recipies so perfect im making all these spring cupcakes for easter.
Hi Elizabeth,
Good, I am happy to hear that,
Gemma 🙂
Can I use your Best Carrot Cake Recipe and make cupcakes with it and bake them for 17 minutes ???
Hi Mitchell,
Yes you can, it is a denser mixture so may take a little longer to bake, when the top of the cake is firm to the touch, it is done,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma
Would be OK to use salted butter?
Thanks
Hi Sinead,
It was always used in Ireland, where until recent times all butter was salted. Do not add any further salt though,
Gemma 🙂
Gemma I was wondering why do we need flavorless oil and can we use something else instead of flavorless oil?
Hi Evelyn,
You could use melted butter, though I did not try this. We use a flavorless oil so that you do not taste it in the cake. Olive oild for example would be too strong, but flax-seed oil might work!
Gemma 🙂
Hi, Gemma! Just wanted to let you know that in the video you put in baking soda, but the recipe on here (your website) you left it out. What difference does it make leaving the baking soda out?
Hi Jocy,
Well spotted, thank you for letting me know, I will add this to the recipe.
Soda will make just a little difference to this recipe, adding just a little more rise, and making the tecture a little spongier!
I hope you had success with yours,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma! Your recipe is amazing!!! My cupcakes are just great…
You’re a great cook!!! ????
Hi Tessa,
Thank you for your too kind comments! I appreciate your kind support,
Gemma 🙂
This is really looking yum kids will love it. Your cup cake images forcing me to make it on this weekends lol, but on serious note thanks for sharing such and nice recipe.
Hi Rayan,
Thank you for your kind support,
Gemma 🙂
Hi how many smart points are they each for the carrot ones x
Hi Aoife,
I did not calculate this! A small cupcake wil lhave about 200 calories if that helps,
Gemma 🙂