These Carrot Cupcakes are a delicious twist on traditional cupcakes. Featuring an incredibly moist and fluffy cake made with grated carrots, warm spices, and a hint of sweetness from sugar. This wholesome treat is the perfect way to indulge your sweet tooth while sneaking in some veggies!
Jump to:
- WHY CARROT CUPCAKE RECIPE SPECIAL?
- THE SECRET TO MOIST CARROT CUPCAKES?
- ARE CARROT CUPCAKES HEALTHY?
- CARROT CUPCAKES INGREDIENTS
- HOW TO MAKE CARROT CUPCAKES
- 💭 COOKING TIPS FOR CARROT CUPCAKES
- DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
- 🍲 MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
- STORING LEFTOVER CARROT CUPCAKES
- Please Review and Rate
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
This recipe is a great way to use up any extra carrots you may have on hand, or simply to add a healthy and nutritious twist to your usual baking routine! The grated carrots add the perfect level of sweetness to the cupcakes. Plus, they help make the cupcakes moist, making each bite a deliciously satisfying experience!
WHY CARROT CUPCAKE RECIPE SPECIAL?
Moist and fluffy texture: Using grated carrots and apples in the batter gives our cupcakes a moist and fluffy texture that is satisfying and scrumptious!
Perfect flavor: Adding warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg enhances the flavor of our cupcakes, giving them a warm and cozy taste that is perfect for all seasons!
Naturally sweet: The carrots and apples in this recipe also add their naturally sweet flavor to the cupcakes, perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth while adding some nutritional value.
Family-favorite: Not only will adults love this recipe, but so will kids! It's the perfect way to sneak some extra veggies into their diet!
THE SECRET TO MOIST CARROT CUPCAKES?
Apples! We'll add apples to the batter in this recipe, slowly adding moisture to the cupcakes as they bake. Apples are made up of about 85% water which helps keep our cupcakes moist and tender through the baking process.
Apples also contain a natural fiber called pectin that helps baked goods retain moisture. Pectin absorbs water and holds it in the cupcakes, which can prevent them from drying out.
ARE CARROT CUPCAKES HEALTHY?
Carrot cupcakes are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth while getting a great dose of vitamins and minerals from the fruit and veggies in this recipe.
Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which helps maintain healthy vision, and vitamin C, an antioxidant that boosts your immune system and reduces inflammation in the body. Vitamin C also promotes healthy skin, while fiber is great for digestion.
The apples in this recipe are another healthy addition. Antioxidants and flavonoids in apples help promote heart health, while their fiber content also helps with digestive health, like carrots.
CARROT CUPCAKES INGREDIENTS
You only need simple ingredients to make these delicious carrot cupcakes at home. Let's look at some of the main ingredients to make them:
Carrots: Of course, we'll use some carrots to make our carrot cupcakes! Carrots will add a unique earthy flavor and natural sweetness to our cupcakes which pairs perfectly with the warm spices and nuts in this recipe.
Nuts: This recipe will use some toasted walnuts and pecans for their rich and nutty flavor. Toasting also gives them just the right amount of crunchiness which perfectly complements the moistness in our cupcakes.
Apples: This is my secret ingredient! Adding apples will not only make the cupcakes naturally sweeter and more delicious, but it will also help keep our cupcakes moist and tender through the baking process. This will give you absolutely irresistible and incredibly moist carrot cupcakes!
Spices: We'll add warm and aromatic spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg to our batter. This will give our cupcakes a slightly nutty and spicy taste that brings out the carrot and apples flavors.
HOW TO MAKE CARROT CUPCAKES
Making carrot cupcakes is easier than you think, and my recipe will give you incredibly moist cupcakes!
The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but let's look at the main steps to making this treat.
Step 1:
Preheating your oven to 180C/350F, then line cupcake pans with paper liners. As the oven is preheating, sift and stir flour with salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl and set it aside for later.
Step 2:
Next, in a separate large bowl, whisk the egg, vanilla, and sugar together until it's well combined and light in color. Add the vegetable oil and mix it well again, then add the flour mixture from the previous step and mix it gently until everything is thoroughly combined.
Step 3:
After that, add in the carrots, apples, pecans, and walnuts. Fold all the ingredients together gently, careful not to deflate the air bubbles, as this will help keep our cupcakes light and fluffy.
Step 4:
Scoop the batter in equal amounts into the cupcake pans and bake for 18 minutes.
Step 5:
Once they're done, remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan and let them rest on a wire rack until completely cooled.
Optional: Pipe some ermine frosting on top to take them to the next level!
Your delicious Carrot Cupcakes are ready to be served!
💭 COOKING TIPS FOR CARROT CUPCAKES
There are a few tips and tricks that you can keep in mind when making these carrot cupcakes to ensure they come out perfectly every time!
- Measure all your ingredients accurately: This is especially important for baking, as small changes in the amounts of certain ingredients can drastically alter the texture and flavor of your cupcakes.
- Ensure your carrots are finely grated: If the carrot shavings are too large, the cupcakes may become dense and heavy.
- Don't overmix the batter: Overmixing will deflate the air bubbles in the batter, giving our cupcakes a light and fluffy texture.
DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
Carrot cupcakes are a versatile treat that can be tweaked to match any flavor palette. Here are a few ideas for delicious variations you can make with these cupcakes:
Pipe frosting: You can pipe some delicious frosting, such as ermine frosting on top to take your cupcakes to the next level!
Make it citrusy: Add some grated orange rind or a splash of orange juice for an extra burst of citrusy flavor.
Add some coconut: Add unsweetened coconut flakes for a subtle nutty, and sweet flavor.
Add berries: Sprinkle some raisins or cranberries over the top for a pop of color and sweetness.
Make it decedent: Drizzle melted white or dark chocolate over the cupcakes for an extra layer of indulgence.
🍲 MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
STORING LEFTOVER CARROT CUPCAKES
You can store leftover carrot cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature without frosting. If you want to store them for longer, you can freeze them!
To do that, place your cupcakes on a baking sheet and let them freeze for 30 minutes. After that, transfer them into a freezer-safe container or bag. You can freeze them this way for up to 3 months! Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Please Review and Rate
If you have tried this CARROT CUPCAKES recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cupcake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
- ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
- 1 cup grated carrots, packed after squeezing liquid out of it
- ¾ cup grated apple, not packed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Sift flour with salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a bowl, beat the egg, vanilla, and sugar until well combined and lighter in color.
- Add oil to previous mixture and mix well.
- Add the flour to wet mixture and mix gently.
- Add the carrot, pecans, and walnuts, and fold gently.
- Scoop in cupcake liners and bake for 18 minutes. You may have to rotate the pan 11 minutes after baking.
- When a toothpic inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- The calories counted are for a cupcake without the frosting.
- Any type of apple will work in this recipe.
- Avoid using brown sugar, it might make the cupcakes a little soggy after a short time.
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