If you love carrot cake, you are going to love my recipe for gluten free carrot cake cupcakes! These cupcakes are topped with a homemade cream cheese frosting that is as good as your grandma's!
For the best cupcake recipes, check out my Gluten Free Cupcakes resource guide!!
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One of my favorite recipes that I converted to gluten free is my Grandma's homemade carrot cake. I remember her carrot cake was made from scratch, and it was so moist and delicious! I knew I had to recreate her recipe in a cupcake you all!
Carrot cake cupcakes are a type of cupcake that you can make all year long. Carrots are always available, and they add some healthy stuff into your dessert without tasting healthy.
Why these cupcakes are great:
These cupcakes are a "healthier" cupcake and have lots of carrots, chia seeds, and no-refined sugars. They are topped with a thick and creamy cream cheese frosting that tastes so good on these carrot cupcakes!!
If you love cupcakes as much as I do, here are a couple of my favorite cupcake recipes on Fearless Dining for you to also try: Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes with a Lemonade Drizzle and these Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes.
How to shred carrots for baking:
My favorite way to shred carrots for baking is in my food processor. This is quick and easy. You can also use a grater.
Once you have the shredded carrots, I use a paper towel and squeeze the carrot shreds to get the extra moisture out. This will help prevent soggy cupcakes.
Ingredient notes:
- Gluten free flour blend - I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan gum - If your blend doesn't contain it, you will need to add it.
- Non-dairy milk - Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
Substitutions:
- Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds. (*Note this will make your cupcakes a bit more dense as these make the cupcakes hold more moisture.)
- Add more almond flour (1 cup gluten free flour blend to 1 cup almond flour). You may need to reduce the liquids to ⅔ cup almond milk and ¼ cup coconut oil.
- Add nuts like walnuts or pecans.
You can also add different seasonings to this recipe. I have made this gluten free carrot cake cupcake recipe with added cardamom. (I omitted the nutmeg and allspice when I added cardamom.)
If you love coconut that tops this cupcake, you will want to also try my Gluten Free Coconut Cupcakes recipe!
Recipe step by step directions:
Step 1: Add all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk to blend. Add in your wet ingredients and shredded carrots. Mix well.
Step 2: After mixing the ingredients, you will have a semi-thick gluten free carrot cake batter, like in the picture.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until "just barely mixed." Do not over mix your batter or your cupcakes will turn out dense.
Step 4: This is what your cupcake batter should look like
Step 5: Line a muffin tin with parchment paper liners and fill each ¾ full of batter.
Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool before frosting.
You can also use this recipe to make a sheet cake, layer cake, or a gluten free carrot roll cake.
Make the frosting by adding the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and butter to a mixer. Mix until the frosting is fluffy. Add it to a pastry bag and squeeze the frosting onto each cupcake. Sprinkle with unsweetened shredded coconut and enjoy!
If you want to try another incredible light and fluffy cupcake recipe, my Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes are out of this world good!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Place paper liners into a muffin tin and fill each cup with the cupcake batter. Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes until done. Remove the cupcakes to a cooling rack.
You can definitely make this gluten free cupcake recipe dairy-free. You can use a dairy-free cream cheese like Daiya or Kite Hill to make the frosting.
This recipe is easy to make nut-free by using a different non-dairy milk.
These cupcakes will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
More delicious cupcake recipes:
- Filled cupcakes like this Gluten Free Lemon Curd Filled Cupcakes recipe is all the rage!
- Intense mocha flavors in these Gluten Free Mocha Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream make them hard to resist!
- These Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes make the best birthday cupcakes!
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ cup almond milk * see note
- 1 ½ cups shredded carrot
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cups coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 3 ounces apple sauce
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
For Frosting
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese * see note
- ¼ cup softened butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Grate carrots with a grater, or a food processor.
- Add wet ingredients to a bowl. Mix well then add carrots and mix to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.
- Add paper cupcake liners to a muffin tin and fill each ¾ with the cake batter.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and take cupcakes out of the muffin tin. Put them on a cooling rack and allow them to cool all of the way.
- In a mixer, add all frosting ingredients and mix until fluffy.
- Put the frosting into a frosting bag and squeeze the frosting out onto each cupcake.
- *Optional: sprinkle coconut on top of each cupcake.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter and use a dairy-free cream cheese like Kite Hill.
- Do not use imitation vanilla.
- I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your donuts grainy.
- Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- If you want your cupcakes to have a domed style top, bake at 425º F for the first 5 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350º F.
- These cupcakes will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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Wren
I haven't made this recipe yet, but I'm confused about the mentions of almond flour. There is no almond flour in the recipe, but there are a couple notes saying that there is almond flour in the recipe. Confused!
Sandi Gaertner
It took me a moment to find where almond flour was mentioned. I think the sentence you saw was before I revamped the recipe. I had taken out all other references but missed that one sentence. Sorry Wren.
Missy
Hi! I had extra carrots and found out that my fiancé never had carrot cake before so I had to fix that. I’ve been gluten free for a while now but he’s just getting used to the change (since I do all the cooking). Anyway, these cupcakes were INCREDIBLE! My fiancé loved them so much and so did my roommate. I love the chia seeds and I added the flaxseed in as well from your substitution list. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank you so much for the sweet treat!
Sandi Gaertner
You made my day coming back to tell me how much you all liked this recipe. Thank you so much!
Alene
How do you think they would do frozen, without the icing, of course. There are only two of us, and I wouldn't want that many cupcakes hanging around. I'm afraid they would be my breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Alene, if you freeze without the frosting they will hold up very well. I freeze mine so I have a treat on-hand when I want.