Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes

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Impress your family with these easy vegan carrot cake cupcakes that are sweet, moist, and bakery-beautiful! They’re egg-free and milk-free with a simple vegan cream cheese frosting. Kid-friendly, great for a special occasion or any time of year!

I can’t think of a dessert I adore more than vegan carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They’re packed with grated carrots and crunchy walnuts, then topped with a decadent vegan cream cheese frosting even dairy-lovers can’t resist.

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In general, I’m a sucker for all carrot cake recipes. There’s just something about the combination of warm spices and sweet carrots in the texture of a cake that’s irresistible! And a vegan carrot cake cupcake takes everything I love about carrot cake and repackages it into a beautiful individually-sized dessert! Yes, please!

If you’re looking for the world’s best carrot cake cupcakes, look no further! They’re quick and easy, soft but indulgent, and ready in just 45 minutes. Just remember, these cupcakes disappear quickly. My vegan friends love them!

👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Easy-to-find basic ingredients
• Perfect treat with wholesome ingredients
• Silky smooth cream cheese icing
• Quick and simple
• Flavor of traditional carrot cake
• Dairy-free & vegan!
• Healthier than traditional recipes
• Perfect for a special occasion!

🥘 Ingredients

This vegan carrot cake cupcakes recipe is made with simple ingredients found at your local grocery store! Find the full recipe and nutritional information at the bottom of this post.

• White Whole Wheat Flour: White whole wheat flour is 100% whole wheat flour made from white wheat instead of red wheat. It has all the benefits of whole wheat flour but with a light color, mild flavor, and sweet taste.
• Baking Soda & Powder: Leavening agents cause the cupcake batter to rise in the oven.
• Salt: This won’t make cupcakes salty. Au contraire, my friend. A little bit of salt enhances sweetness.
• Cinnamon: The warmth of cinnamon is key!
• Vegetable Oil: Oil keeps muffins and cupcakes super moist. I recommend a neutral flavored oil like vegetable or canola oil, but if you don’t mind olive oil in baked goods, then go for it! Coconut oil works great too.
• Coconut Sugar: The caramel-like sweetness of coconut sugar is divine in these perfect vegan carrot cupcakes! It tastes similar to brown sugar but less sweet. If you like less sugar, reduce to 3/4 cup. You can also use maple syrup if you don’t have coconut sugar.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: Applesauce binds and moistens the batter. No need for flax eggs or an egg substitute.
• Vanilla Extract: A teaspoon of vanilla extract for a warm, sweet note!
• Grated Carrots: Fresh carrots add texture and a natural sweetness. I like to grate them, but if you like more texture, shredded carrots work great too. I use a food processor with a grating attachment but a box grater works great too!
• Walnuts: Optional, but highly recommended! The bitter and nutty taste of walnuts pair so well with these healthy vegan carrot cake cupcakes with applesauce.
• Vegan Butter: Butter reduces the tang of the cream cheese a little bit.
• Vegan Cream Cheese: Use your favorite brand for this recipe.
• Powdered Sugar: To sweeten the frosting and give it a silky texture.

📖 Variations

• Mix-Ins: Swap out the walnuts for pecans or add dried raisins or shredded coconut. Sometimes I like to add fresh ginger.
• Gluten Free Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Gluten-free carrot cupcakes are simple! Just swap the white whole wheat flour with a gluten free all-purpose flour blend. I recommend Bob’s Red Mill’s 1:1 All Purpose Gluten Free Flour.
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes With Pineapple: Add 1/2 cup of drained crushed pineapple. Keep in mind that canned pineapple contains plenty of moisture which can make the cupcakes dense.
• Vegan Carrot Cake Muffin Recipe: Skip the vegan cream cheese frosting! Enjoy these vegan carrot muffins for breakfast or a healthy snack.

🔪 Instructions

This carrot cupcake recipe takes 15 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to bake. Here’s how to make them step-by-step!

Combine Dry Ingredients: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat together the vegetable oil and sugar until well combined. Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix again. There’s no need for a hand mixer, but feel free to use one if you prefer.

Mix Batter: Add the flour mixture to the oil mixture and mix until smooth. 

Add Carrots: Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts.

Fill Cupcake Pan: Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full of cake batter.

Bake Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

Make The Icing: To make the icing, beat together the vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until silky smooth.

Frost Cupcakes: Fill a piping bag with the a large star tip. Pipe the icing on top of the cupcake.

Garnish with grated carrots, shredded coconut, and walnuts.

❓ Recipe FAQs

💭 Expert Tips

• Don’t overmix the batter! Overmixed batter equals tough cupcakes, and nobody wants that. So just mix until combined and smooth. Don’t over-beat or fluff. 
• Spray your muffin liners with a vegan cooking spray. This prevents them from sticking to the liners.
• Keep in mind that vegan cream cheese frosting doesn’t remain stiff or in place as long as buttercream at room temperature. So if you make these ahead of time, bake the carrot cupcakes as you normally would, but don’t add the icing until ready to serve. 
• If you’re serving them at a special occasion that may last several hours (like Easter), you can add some corn starch to the icing to make it firmer for longer at room temp.
• Let the vegan butter and vegan cream cheese come to room temperature first. This ensures they will mix together into a smooth icing with no lumps. Refrigerate to stiffen the icing.
• I usually just use whole wheat pastry or white whole wheat flour. If you’re strict about using only cake flour or plain flour for baking (or I even know some people who swear by spelt flour for muffins), just play with your applesauce ratio. If it’s too liquid-y, add more flour. Likewise if it’s too thick, add more applesauce. 

🧁 More Cake And Cupcake Recipes!

• Healthy Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• Snowman Cupcakes
• Low Sugar Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes
• Vegan Pound Cake
• Peach Cupcakes
• Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
• Reduced Sugar Desserts
• Vegan Oat Flour Cake Recipe

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