Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Hello + Happy Friday!!
While we’ll be celebrating indoors, Easter is still coming! Out of all the cake flavors, Carrot Cake has always been one of my personal favorites. Being a November baby, it was still the one I always picked.
I gravitate towards all things vanilla and cinnamon more so than any flavor profile, including chocolate! (gasps) In addition to the flavors, I love that you can pack on the carrots and it adds a natural sweetness to the cupcakes and or cakes! Since Easter is approaching I knew I had to do a vegan Carrot Cake Cupcake!! (and I’m just so glad I did)
I love this recipe for countless reasons! It’s quick, easy, affordable, packs flavor, is packed with carrots, packed with applesauce versus eggs, it features 1/2 less oil then other recipes, less sugar, is buttery soft, perf for Easter, and you can’t tell it’s vegan at all!
If you love all things carrot cake, you have to try this recipe for vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes with cream cheese icing!!
Why this recipe is great:
Quick
Easy
Affordable
Packed with carrots
Packed with applesauce versus eggs
Contains 1/2 cup less oil than most recipe
Buttery Soft
Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 14 Cupcakes 1x
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 and 1/3 cups white flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 3/4 cup apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 package (8 ounces) vegan cream cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups organic powdered sugar
- Optional: 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. This recipe makes 14 cupcakes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg.
- Set aside. In a bowl whisk together the organic sugar, brown sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and applesauce until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix just until combined, about 15 seconds.
- Gently fold in the shredded carrots. Fill prepared cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter.
- Bake cupcakes at 350° F for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Cool cupcakes in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat together cream cheese and butter for 90 seconds, or until smooth.
- Add the vanilla and mix until combined, about 15 seconds. With the mixer on low, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer frosting to a frosting bag fitted with desired tip. Frost the cooled cupcakes and serve at room temperature.
Notes
*If you don’t want to make the icing, simply buy a vegan ready made option and whip up with 2 tbsp of cream cheese *You can also skip some of the spices if needed!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: Dessert
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
