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Sprinkling coconut over a cupcake.

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sandi Gaertner
An easy gluten free carrot cake cupcake recipe with a cream cheese frosting.
4.89 from 17 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Course Gluten Free Cake Recipes, Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 364 kcal

Equipment

  • Muffin pan

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
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea 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 melted
  • 3 ounces apple sauce unsweetened
  • 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
 

  • Move your oven rack to a middle position. Set the temperature of the oven to 350º F to preheat your oven.
  • Add the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and sea salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend the dry ingredients together.
  • In a smaller bowl, add in your eggs, coconut sugar, apple sauce, melted coconut oil, non-dairy milk ,and shredded carrots. Mix well with a whisk.
  • 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.
  • After mixing the cupcake ingredients, you will have a semi-thick gluten free carrot cake batter, like in the picture. For best results, I do not recommend using a standing mixer because it tends to overmix your batter, making your cupcakes denser.
  • Line a muffin tin with parchment paper cupcake liners and fill each 3/4 full of batter. You can use a large cookie scoop to drop the batter into the cupcake sections or spoon the batter in with a large spoon.
  • Optional: Let the batter sit for 10-15 minutes. This can eliminate some of the grittiness that some gluten free flour blends can have.
  • Bake your gluten free carrot cake cupcakes at 350º F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool before frosting.
  • Make the frosting by adding the room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and unsalted butter (softened) to a standing mixer.
  • Mix the frosting on low speed and gradually increase the speed to high until the frosting is nice and fluffy. The cream cheese helps make this frosting the creamiest!
  • Frost your cupcakes any way you like. Add the cream cheese frosting to a pastry bag, choose a medium-sized star tip, and squeeze the frosting onto each cupcake.  

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
  3. To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter and use a dairy-free cream cheese like Kite Hill or VioLife.
  4. Do not use imitation vanilla.
  5. I highly suggest using almond flour and not an almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your donuts grainy.
  6. Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
  7. 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.
  8. These cupcakes will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 5gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 193mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 3gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 3104IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 1mg
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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.