Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Jump to Recipe

These gluten-free, paleo carrot cake cupcakes are the perfect addition to your Easter baking menu, or the next birthday, or just as an after-school snack! They are healthy enough to eat at any time! I used almond flour and coconut flour to make these cupcakes grain-free and paleo-friendly. The shredded carrots and honey add all the sweetness you need. And the smooth cream cheese frosting adds a touch of tartness to balance out the sweet cupcake! You’ll love these healthy, light carrot cake cupcakes!

 

 

It seems like there are always two classes of people: those who love chocolate cake and those who don’t. Those who don’t usually like any other type of flavor except chocolate. I definitely fall in the chocolate category. That’s not to say I don’t like other flavors, but give me a moist chocolate cake, and I’m good! My husband, on the other hand, doesn’t chocolate cake at all. He’s definitely in the latter category. His favorite cake is carrot cake. It’s all he ever requests for his birthday cake, so I’ve dabbled in making healthier carrot cakes over the last few years. I rarely ever ate, let alone baked, carrot cakes before meeting him. I always thought it was the old person cake flavor haha!  While it’s still not my favorite, carrot cake has definitely grown on me over the years.

As I was thinking about what seasonal desserts I can make for Easter this year, I realized carrot cake cupcakes were a must! Cupcakes are perfect because you get the perfect portion of cake…not too much, not too little. Add a little cream cheese frosting, and these cupcakes are the perfect Easter dessert! They’re perfectly light and moist! If you’re a carrot cake lover then you’ll love these cupcakes!

Also, let’s just take a moment and discuss the elephant in the room…

I am not a cupcake decorating expert haha! I wish I was because then these cupcakes would look even more fantastic,  but let’s be real: I am not and never will be a good cake or cupcake decorator. Trust me, I’ve tried in the past and it always comes out looking a little sad and deflated. BUT, just keep in mind that these cupcakes taste way better than they may look! In other words, don’t judge a cupcake by its appearance. 🙂

 

 

How do you make cupcakes from scratch?

These cupcakes are super easy and simple. First of all, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• carrots
• eggs
• vanilla
• plain greek yogurt
• honey
• milk
• baking soda
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• ginger
• salt
• almond flour
• coconut flour

The first step is to preheat that oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with muffin cups.

The next step is to shred the carrots. I used a KitchenAid attachment that makes shredding carrots super easy. You can always use a salad shooter or grate them by hand. This is the most time-intensive step.

From here, you’ll need to squeeze the water out of the carrots, so wrap the shredded carrots in a thin towel or cheesecloth and squeeze the water out. Place the carrots in a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add the eggs, vanilla, yogurt, honey, and milk and mix until well combined. If you’re using a stand mixer, keep it going while you add the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. If you’re hand mixing, add the spices and then continue to stir until everything is combined.

Add the almond and coconut flours and mix well.

Carefully pour the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30-35 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, whip up the cream cheese frosting. When the cupcakes are cooled, fill a plastic bag with the frosting. Cut off the tip of the bag and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

For a fun, extra garnish, sprinkle some shredded carrots onto the frosted cupcakes.

Next step: enjoy!

 

 

What makes these carrot cake cupcakes healthy?

These cupcakes are healthier than your regular cupcakes for several different reasons.

• No refined sugar: I used honey instead of refined white sugar in these cupcakes to make them a little healthier. While honey is still a type of sugar and should be used in moderation, our bodies tend to recognize honey better than refined sugar. Personally, I get swollen hands and feet when I eat white sugar, but I don’t have these kinds of reactions with sweeteners like honey. Personally, I feel better about eating honey (especially raw organic honey that I know has been produced in a way that preserves its nutritional value) because it’s something created by nature. It’s not a man-made food substance. It’s a whole, nature-made product, which I really like!
• No refined grains: I used almond flour and coconut flour to add more nutrition to these cupcakes. Both of these flours add a good source of protein. This addition of protein is going to help you feel more satisfied after that first cupcake, instead of feeling like you need another and another one. It’ll curb your sweet-tooth craving instead of making it worse.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger: don’t underestimate the power of a little spice! Spices like cinnamon are powerful in helping keep those blood sugar levels in check and reducing inflammation.
• Carrots: let’s not forget the whole reason for these cupcakes! The addition of carrots is a great way to sneak more veggies into your or your kids’ diet. They are also rich in antioxidants and beta-carotene, which your body converts into Vitamin A to help improve eye health and boost the immune system. They are also helpful in reducing inflammation.

Now that you know these carrot cake cupcakes are healthy, give them a try!