These are the softest, fluffiest gluten free carrot cake cupcakes, perfect for any occasion!
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Signs of spring!
The snow is officially gone…the grass is slowly coming back to life with hints of green, and we can finally feel the warmth from that glorious sunshine in the sky! We couldn’t be more excited, and with the promise of spring, I decided to try out a new little carrot cake cupcake in the kitchen for our spring Easter celebration this year.
The Method :: The Cupcakes
These carrot cake cupcakes will be quite possibly the lightest, fluffiest cupcakes you’ve tasted! Instead of a rich, dense batter, I wanted a light and fluffy cake, and boy this batter didn’t disappoint! You’ll cream the wet ingredients before adding the dry ingredients and carrots, and the result is a fluffy, creamy cupcake batter that rises beautifully, springs back to your touch perfectly, and is so moist and flavorful.
The Method :: The Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting and carrot cake…it’s like peanut butter and jelly – they just go together! This thick, rich frosting has a mild cream cheese tang that goes perfectly with the sweet warmth of the carrot cake muffin. Simply cream the cream cheese ingredients and either spread or pipe the frosting onto your cooled cupcakes!
How’s the “spice” for kid palates?
Traditional carrot cake does use those beautiful warm spices for the staple flavor you think of when you think of carrot cake. You can use just the cinnamon if you wish, but this version, as written is very mild on the nutmeg and cloves, so the kids will probably just feel like it tastes like a sweet cinnamon, or pumpkin cupcake. My 6 year old was calling these cinnamon muffins most of the day. If you like a stronger spice, start with what is here, and increase to your taste!
Make ahead, and freezer tips!
Because I wanted to get these cupcakes up for you well before Easter this weekend, I was able to test them out in the freezer for you! My cupcakes are neatly tucked away in the freezer, ready to thaw out to have after Sunday dinner. My suggestion would be to cool the cupcakes completely, and freeze them unfrosted. I did freeze a few frosted since they were ready from these photos, but you’ll have to freeze them solid before putting them in a freezer bag or container. It is much easier to just freeze the unfrosted cupcakes in a freezer bag, and then frost them quick before you serve them.
Add In Options!
From raisins to crushed walnuts, the sky is the limit, and everyone has their idea of what “makes” a carrot cake! These little cupcakes are a blank slate for you (my personal preference), so you can add all the little options you want! Crushed toasted walnuts sprinkled on the frosting makes a great addition, or you can mixed the crushed nuts into the batter with the carrots. Golden raisins would be pretty in the batter too!
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the GF Carrot Cake Cupcakes ::
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar ACV
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk or whole milk
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup coconut sugar or organic brown sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 ½ cups Namaste GF Flour Blend fluff it up before measuring
- 1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of cloves
- 1 cup finely shredded carrot you’ll need about 2 medium carrots
For the Cream Cheese Frosting ::
- 4 oz softened cream cheese
- ¼ cup softened unsalted butter or palm shortening
- 3/4 cup organic powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp full fat coconut milk or whole milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the GF Carrot Cake Cupcakes ::
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cup liners or silicone muffin liners.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of ACV into a small liquid measuring cup, and then add coconut milk until you hit the ½ cup mark. This is your buttermilk for the cupcakes. Set this a side to add later. You can also start melting your coconut oil here.
- In a medium mixing bowl, blend the eggs and coconut sugar using hand beaters until smooth.
- With the hand mixer still running, pour in the melted coconut oil and blend until smooth. Add the coconut milk/ACV mixture to the wet ingredients, and blend until combined.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, including the carrots, and use your hand mixer to blend on low until the batter is combined well.
- Scoop the cupcake batter into your muffin pan, and bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees for 22 minutes, until the tops spring back to your touch, and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting ::
- Blend all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl until smooth. When the cupcakes are cooled you can frost them how you wish!
These sound fabulous. Could I use almond flour or something else?
Love your recipes!
Im also wonderng about flour swaps and may try them out. We are on our last of this flour and they are currently not shipping to Canada.
I finally got around to getting the namaste flour (great price at Costco) so I could make these.
THESE ARE SOOOO DELICIOUS!! Probably my favorite GF cupcake I’ve ever had. I left out the cream cheese to make dairy free and just added more Palm shortening to the frosting 👍
So glad to hear that Olivia!
SO good! The texture is amazing! Gluten free stuff these days are pretty good already with all the options we have available to us, but these blew it out of the park. My husband, who has a wheat allergy, was convinced this was full of wheat.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed them Hayden! Thank you for the feedback!
I so badly want to try these as carrot cake is my absolute favourite!! I can’t do refined sugar though and wondered about other options. Could one do maple syrup or even dates, somehow? Would you mind replying to my email? I lose my place easily 😉
I would just use the coconut sugar in the cupcakes
and then mix yogurt cheese (strained greek yogurt)
with some honey for the frosting. Probably what I’ll
do too as we’re all struggling a bit with tooth decay and
Trying to minimize sugar where we can.
Sounds good Jasmine!