Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting are full of fresh flavors including warm cinnamon spices and a bright pop of fresh orange. Naturally sweetened they're also packed with fiber, protein, antioxidants and vitamin A. Tastes good and good for you!
They also contain a secret ingredient that makes them super moist.
One of my favorite parts of testing a recipe, particularly a healthy one, is sharing the extras with friends and family. I brought a batch of these healthy cupcakes to my hairdresser Yvonne and her text message to me was a sign that this recipe was ready to publish:
Frosting Options
As you can see, the frosting is fabulous. But you can also skip the frosting and these turn into Carrot Cake Muffins. I love serving them at brunch alongside an egg casserole, smoked salmon, and a fresh fruit and veggie platter.
Or, if you'd rather go with a store bought frosting, Miss Jones frostings are a good alternative with simple ingredients.
The Right Shred
Something incredibly important for this recipe is to finely grate the carrots. Do not use pre-shredded carrots from the produce section at the grocery store or do a thicker shred. Larger strands of carrots won't properly soften up when they bake and you'll end up with a weird noodley carrot texture in your final cupcakes. It's worth taking the extra time to bust out your box grater.
The Secret Ingredient: Tahini
Tahini offers a creamy, nutty flavor while being packed with nutrients like healthy fats, plant-based protein, and essential minerals like calcium and magnesium. Its smooth texture and versatile taste make it a perfect addition to both sweet and savory dishes. It's also a big help in making these carrot cupcakes moist yet fluffy.
Granulated Sugar Alternatives
There are many alternatives to sugar available today. My personal favorite is Lakanto Golden Monkfruit Sweetener with Allulose. It has a good flavor and doesn't taste artificial.
Optional Add-Ins
Traditional carrot cake is often made with chopped nuts and dried fruit. Feel free to add in a half cup of add-ins like chopped walnuts, pecans, dried raisins or cranberries to the cake batter when you fold in the shredded carrots.
I also like to top the cupcakes with additional chopped walnuts.
How to Make Healthier Carrot Cake Cupcakes
The full detailed instructions are on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. But first, let's quickly run through the steps and what you'll be looking for at each step, visually.
Time needed: 1 hour and 35 minutes
If you're making the frosting, I start by making the frosting base first, then making the cupcakes, then finishing the frosting. If you're not frosting the cupcakes and going for muffins instead, hop straight to step 3.
- Prepare the Frosting Base
Combine millet flour, milk, granulated sugar substitute and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium high heat until the base gets thick like the consistency of pudding.
- Transfer the frosting base to a heat-safe bowl
Cover the bowl and let it cool at least an hour or two until the base gets to room temperature. The consistency will thicken as it cools.
- Combine the dry ingredients
Make sure any big chunks of almond flour are broken up.
- Combine the eggs, pure maple syrup, granulated sugar substitute, tahini, orange juice and zest and vanilla in a large bowl
All of these ingredients must be room temperature to ensure smooth sailing in the next step.
- Slowly add the melted coconut oil
Slowly drizzle melted coconut oil into the bowl and whisk constantly so that it fully incorporates. If any of the ingredients in the previous step were cold, the oil will harden and won't fully mix with the other wet ingredients.
- Fold in the carrots
Just like Moira Rose. If you're adding chopped walnuts or raisins, add that at this stage, too.
- Add the dry to the wet ingredients
Fold the combined dry ingredients into the wet until you get a sticky dough.
- Scoop the Dough
I use a 2.75oz disher to scoop the dough and then roll it between my hands until it's smooth. It will be tacky but still roll-able.
- Place the scoops in a lined muffin pan
Feel free to make your scoops larger or smaller. Using the 2.75oz scoop, I end up with 18 cupcakes and use two separate muffin tins.
- Bake the cupcakes
Bake at 350F for 22 - 24 minutes. The tops of the muffins will spring back when you press the top with your finger. Then let them cool on a wire rack for at least two hours before adding the frosting.
- Finish making the frosting
Once the frosting base has cooled, beat the butter on medium high speed for 2 to 3 minutes in a stand mixer. The butter will look lighter in color.
- Add in the frosting base and vanilla
While the stand mixer is on medium speed, add in the cooled frosting base a tablespoon at a time until it is all incorporated. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Then add the vanilla and beat the frosting for another 2 minutes until fluffy and looks smooth like frosting. If yours does not look like the photo below, check out the notes section in the recipe card below. - Frost the cupcakes
I like to use a piping bag with a star tip. You can also spoon the frosting on and smooth it with the back of the spoon or an offset spatula. You can also sprinkle chopped walnuts on top, too, if you'd like!
These cupcakes stay moist and delicious for up to three days if kept at room temperature in an airtight container.
Whether as cupcakes or muffins, these are a great option to serve at Mother's Day or Easter.
Print
Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 50
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 18 cupcakes
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes are naturally sweetened, packed with nutrients and made irresistibly moist with a secret ingredient.
Ingredients
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 ½ Tablespoons (30g) millet flour
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar alternative
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup softened cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups (224g) super-fine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup (56g) coconut flour
- ½ cup (43g) unsweetened finely shredded coconut
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Wet ingredients:
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120g) pure maple syrup
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar alternative
- ⅓ cup (77g) tahini
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ cup (58g) fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (75g) melted and cooled unrefined virgin coconut oil
- 3 cups (300g) finely shredded carrots
- ½ cup of chopped walnuts or raisins *optional
Instructions
Prep the Frosting
- Combine 1 ½ Tbs millet flour, ½ cup granulated sugar alternative, a pinch of salt, and ½ cup milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk constantly over the heat until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a thin pudding. Depending on various factors, this can take up to 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture, which will serve as the base of your frosting, has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a heat safe bowl. After 5 minutes and the steam has subsided, cover the bowl.
- Allow the frosting base to cool completely to room temperature which takes approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours. Alternatively, you can make this mixture a day or two in advance, store it in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature before proceeding with the next steps. While the frosting base cools, prepare the cake.
Make the Cakes
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl including 2 cups almond flour, ½ cup coconut flour, ½ cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Make sure any big chunks of almond flour are broken up.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 4 large eggs, ½ cup pure maple syrup, ½ cup granulated sugar alternative, ⅓ cup tahini, 1 teaspoon orange zest, ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. All of these ingredients must be room-temperature to ensure smooth sailing in the next step.
- Slowly drizzle ⅓ cup melted and cooled coconut oil into the egg mixture and whisk constantly so that it fully incorporates.
- Next, fold in 3 cups of finely shredded carrots and any additional nuts or raisins.
- Next, add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and use a spatula to mix until a soft, sticky dough forms.
- Scoop the dough into large, smooth balls (about 2.75 oz each) and place them in cupcake liners set in a standard muffin pan.
- Bake the cupcakes at 350F for 22 - 24 minutes. The tops of the cupcakes will spring back when you press the top with your finger. Then let them cool on a wire rack for at least two hours before adding the frosting.
Finish the Frosting
- Once the frosting base has cooled, add ½ cup of softened unsalted butter and ¼ cup softened cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat for 3 minutes until lightened in color and appears fluffy.
- Lower the mixer speed to medium and slowly add the cooled frosting base mixture, one heaping spoonful at a time. Make sure each spoonful is fully incorporated before adding the next, mixing until everything is well combined.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so everything is evenly mixed, then add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high, whipping the frosting for around 2 minutes until smooth, light, and airy. If you run into issues, check out the frosting troubleshooting guide below.
- Use the back of your spatula to work out any air bubbles, then you can use it to top your cupcakes either with a piping bag or by scooping it on with a spoon or knife.
Notes
- If your frosting looks curdled, split, or grainy, the butter or flour mixture was likely too cold. Do not worry. Just keep whipping. It may take a few minutes, but it usually smooths out with patience.
- If the frosting is soft and runny, it is probably too warm. Pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes, then whip again until it reaches the right consistency.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 306
- Sugar: 12.4 g
- Sodium: 309.5 mg
- Fat: 19.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.7 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 6.1 g
- Cholesterol: 58.4 mg
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