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Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes that are easy to make and incredibly moist. They’re loaded with puréed carrots, shredded coconut, walnuts, and pineapple. These fly off the platter at parties! These are naturally dairy free and can be made with dairy free or regular cream cheese frosting.

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes on cake stand

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Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot cake is such an under-rated cake when it comes to the cake world. It often gets outshined by chocolate cake, Funfetti cake, or even everyone’s favorite – yellow cake with chocolate frosting. But there’s something to be said for carrot cake, especially this gluten free carrot cake cupcake recipe.

This year, my husband wanted his favorite gluten free carrot cake for his birthday cake. Except a big carrot cake is just way too much for us to eat – it’s much better for a crowd (perfect for Easter).

Instead, I halved that recipe (and tweaked the amount of walnuts) and then turned it into these gluten free carrot cake cupcakes. You guys, I’m incredibly pleased with the results! We also served them at my daughter’s birthday party and they were a hit.

gluten free carrot cake cupcake on platter

As I mentioned, I tweaked the amount of walnuts called for in this recipe. A straight-half of the original recipe would have called for 3/4 cups of chopped walnuts. That’s the amount I used the first time I turned the carrot cake into cupcakes and I thought it was just a bit too much for cupcakes.

Half a cup of walnuts was a much better ratio, especially since there’s also carrot pureé, shredded coconut and crushed pineapple. That’s a lot in one little cupcake! And don’t worry, if you need nut-free, you can omit the walnuts altogether.

I frosted my gluten free carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese frosting can also be made dairy free which would make these cupcakes completely dairy free! The only thing with the dairy free cream cheese is that it’s a bit softer so it doesn’t pipe as well. It’s perfectly fine for spreading.

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Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes cut open on marble slab

I decorated my cupcakes with some extra chopped walnuts. You can do the same, you can leave them unadorned and go strictly with frosting, or you could even try your hand at making some cute little carrots. The walnuts are nice and easy though 😉

And please don’t think that these gluten free carrot cupcakes are just for Easter. As I mentioned earlier, we had them for birthday parties but they’d be great at bridal showers, weddings, or even baby showers too! Enjoy!

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close up of gluten free carrot cake cupcake

close up of gluten free carrot cake cupcake

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes

4.75 from 139 ratings
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes that are easy to make and incredibly moist. They're loaded with puréed carrots, shredded coconut, walnuts, and pineapple. These fly off the platter at parties! These are naturally dairy free and can be made with dairy free or regular cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 52 minutes
Servings: 20
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Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 3/4 cup carrot pureé*
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 3/4 cup avocado oil or canola oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened (8 Tablespoons)
  • 4 1/2 C powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

To Make the Cupcakes:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 20 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray.
  • If making your own carrot purée, see notes and make that first and let them cool.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the puréed carrots, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the shredded coconut and crushed pineapple. 
  • Let the batter sit/rest for 5 minutes.
  • Scoop the batter into the 20 prepared cupcake tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes. 
  • Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting with cream cheese frosting.

To make the Frosting:

  • Add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together until smooth, about 1 minute.
  • Add the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is incorporated. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
  • Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cooled. 

Notes

  • To make my own carrot purée, I cooked sliced carrots in the microwave in about 1/4 cup of water. Once soft, I used my immersion blender to purée them. Cool before adding to the egg mixture.
  • I frosted these cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and decorated them with finely chopped walnuts.
  • To make the cream cheese frosting dairy free, use 8 oz. dairy free cream cheese, 1/4 cup shortening, and 1/4 cup vegan butter.
  • Decorating Tip used to frost these cupcakes: Ateco 856

Disclaimers

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.

Did you make this?Mention @whattheforkfoodblog or leave a comment rating below!

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Sincerely,
Shay

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Recipe Rating




  1. Kristin says:

    5 stars
    I took a shortcut and bought puréed carrots in the baby food aisle LOL. The recipe is super delicious and was a big hit!

  2. Cindy says:

    Could almond flour be used for these? I can’t wait to try this!

  3. S Simons says:

    I made these but added cloves, ginger, and nutmeg in addition to the cinnamon

  4. Maddy says:

    These came out so good. I subbed the egg for applesauce because my little one has allergy for eggs and cupcakes came out perfect. Very fragile but still delicious. Thank you for this recipe. Definetly going to make it again

  5. Amanda says:

    These were absolutely fabulous! I made them for my boyfriend’s birthday because he loves carrot cake and he said it was the best carrot cake he ever had. The cake was moist and delicious, and the frosting was perfect. I can’t believe they are gluten free! I made a few mini cupcakes and the rest normal size cupcakes. It was hard to get the icing on the mini’s but the icing went on fine with the larger ones. I put walnuts in half of the batter and none in the other. Personally, I liked the cake without walnuts better, but still sprinkled walnuts on top of the icing on all of them. I was really blown away by this recipe. Thank you!! I will definitely be making them again.

  6. Ling says:

    4 stars
    I tried another recipe somewhere for gluten free carrot cupcakes and this one is the best so far! The cupcakes were not too heavy, and the coconut and pineapple creates a little more structure or air tiny air pockets to the gluten free flour, which makes this mimic the texture of cupcakes made out of regular wheat flour. I think the pineapple and coconut makes a big difference!

  7. Daren Sachet says:

    I pureed half of the carrots and grated the other half, very good. Also only used half of the sugar and the cupcakes were still nice and sweet. I used fresh pineapple chunks pureed with the carrots. For frosting, a vegan coconut cream buttercream is lovely. Thanks for a great recipe.

  8. Karen says:

    Your carrot cupcake recipe is to die for. Never made it before. It took 3 carrots for the purée for me. I used your best cream cheese frosting for my Italian cream cake which was better than the frosting that came with it. Your chocolate cake is my go to cake. Can’t say enough good things about your recipes. Thanks Shay.
    Karen

  9. Katherine says:

    Eggs are not listed on the ingredient list. I guessed and added two. Forgot about it and had to add them after I mixed the wet and dry ingredients, so I whisked them in a separate bowl and dumped them in.

  10. Becci says:

    I have done this twice and they have baked with a sunk in middle and spread out over the top of the pan. I used coconut oil instead on canola/avocado and omitted the shredded coconut. What am I doing wrong.
    New to gluten free baking.
    (They still taste good 🙂)

    • Shay says:

      Did you use melted coconut oil? Also, you’ll want to make sure your oven is at the correct temperature with an oven thermometer and make sure your baking soda isn’t expired. Hope that helps!

  11. Gabriela says:

    sooooo good!. Thank you for this recipe, my husband loved it.

  12. Grace Yolanda says:

    Add some apples sauce instead.

  13. Emily Merrill says:

    5 stars
    Would this recipe work for a cake version instead of a cupcake? I made the cupcakes and they were delicious.

  14. Melissa Bruno says:

    Has anyone used another 1:1 blend with success? I have Cup4Cup and Pamela’s on hand…hoping to get some feedback. Thanks!

    • Sharon says:

      Hi Melissa, I haven’t used either of those flours with this recipe but of the two, I’d probably recommend Pamela’s. My experience with Cup4Cup tells me that it might make these cupcakes a little too gummy.

  15. JJ says:

    5 stars
    Hello,
    just wondering if this recipe would work with any flour blend or must I definitely use the Bob’s?
    The cupcakes look delicious btw☺️

  16. Nancy says:

    5 stars
    Could you replace the nuts in the cake with raisins, or just omit the nuts altogether? I have to be out free. Thanks

  17. Mischa says:

    Can these be made without the coconut and pineapple? I’m allergic. If I omit them, do I need to tweak the recipe in any way? Thanks!

    • Sharon says:

      Hi Mischa, you can definitely omit the coconut but I haven’t tried this without the pineapple. The pineapple adds moisture to the cupcakes so if you omit it, they might not be as moist. You could try adding a little shredded carrot to make up for it.

  18. Jereann Zann says:

    Carrot cake cupcakes are such a great idea! They look absolutely delicious and I love that they’re dairy free too! I have a baby shower I’m hosting soon that these will be perfect for!

  19. I’m probably one of the only people on the planet who really doesn’t like cake, but carrot is my one exception. I love moist, rich carrot cake and these cupcakes look perfect!

  20. Madison Haycock says:

    So perfect for Easter dessert! They look absolutely delicious!

  21. Amanda says:

    I love that you placed these cupcakes on a pedestal. That is exactly where these beauties should be! They look delicious.

  22. Kristina says:

    YES perfect for Easter, but YESSSSS I have a big baby shower coming up, and these tasty bites just may be on the menu!

  23. K.C. says:

    I’m sure there must be some kind of a happy dance for carrot cake cupcakes. These look yummy!

  24. Leslie says:

    I have already decided. First, I’d lick off the icing and then eat the carrot cake. And not feel a bit self-conscious!!

  25. jenna urben | the urben life says:

    I only recently started to appreciate carrot cake! Your cupcakes look perfect and delish 🙂

  26. Judy says:

    How much carrots are cooked in the 1/4 cup water before pureeing them? That seems to make a difference how watery the purée would be. Or do you drain them before pureeing? Thanks!