A delicious recipe for four carrot cake cupcakes that comes together in 25 minutes.
If you need just a few carrot cake cupcakes, this is the recipe for you. This recipe makes four carrot cake cupcakes, and comes together in just 25 minutes. I developed a small batch cream cheese frosting that makes about 3/4 cup of frosting, which is plenty of frosting for four cupcakes. Feel free to use store-bought frosting though!
As a small batch recipe developer, I focus on recipes that make 2-3 servings. This small batch carrot cake cupcakes recipe is no exception. The recipe can be doubled if needed – there is a slider bar on the recipe card (if you click the “jump to recipe” button), and you can slide it to the number of servings you’d like to make. The ingredients will automatically adjust for you.
These are fantastic for a low-key Easter situation, or even a little treat to keep around throughout the week. Let the cupcakes cool completely, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to four days. They may get a little squishy as they sit, but they’ll still taste great!
Ingredients for Small Batch Carrot Cake Cupcakes
For the Cupcakes (Makes 4)
- 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt (or 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt)
- 2/3 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. Ginger Powder
- 1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Large Egg
- 3 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 3 tsp. Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
- 1/2 t cup Grated / Shredded Carrot
- Baking Spray
For the Cream Cheese Frosting (Makes 3/4 Cup)
- 3 oz. Cream Cheese
- 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 tsp. Vanilla
- pinch of Salt
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar (Confectioner’s Sugar)
- optional: 2 tbsp. Milk (for a creamier frosting)
Ingredient Notes + FAQs
Vegetable Oil can be substituted with plain Greek yogurt or applesauce for a lighter cupcake.
How to Make Four Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Step One: Combine the Dry Ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Whisk together until well blended, then create a small well in the middle of the bowl.
Step Two: Add Wet Ingredients and Sugars. In the well, add the egg, brown sugar, granulated (white) sugar, and oil. Use a fork or whisk to stir the ingredients together until well combined and smooth. Stir in vanilla until fully combined.
Step Three: Add Carrots. Add shredded carrots to the bowl. Use a spatula to gently fold the carrots into the wet batter until just combined. (Over-mixing could make the cupcakes dense.)
Step Four: Divide Batter into a Muffin Pan. Spray baking spray into four wells of a muffin / cupcake pan, or line four wells with cupcake liners. (You can spray the liners if you’re feeling extra cautious, too). Divide the batter equally amongst the wells, filling them 3/4 full with batter.
Step Five: Bake. Bake the cupcakes at 350 F for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center of the cupcakes, and comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about five minutes, then transfer them to a wire baking rack to finish cooling.
If you’re making your own frosting, do it while the cupcakes cool. They’ll take about half an hour in total to cool completely, but the frosting can rest during this time. Frost the cupcakes when they’re ready, and enjoy!
To Make Cream Cheese Frosting, combine 3 oz. cream cheese and 3 tbsp. unsalted butter in a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat them together (about 1-2 minutes). Beat in 1/4 tsp. vanilla and a pinch of salt. Mix in 1/2 cup powdered sugar until combined, followed by another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. For a creamier frosting, mix in 2 tbsp. milk.
I originally published this recipe back in 2018, when my parents were about to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. My dad looooves carrot cake, and now that it’s just the two of them at home, I wanted to create a recipe that would be just enough for them to enjoy, without making them freeze a bunch of cupcakes and have a lot of extra frosting. They love sharing a small, sweet treat with a cup of coffee in the evenings, and I love that.
I’ve now been lucky to experience over forty-five years of their love firsthand, and it’s nothing short of beautiful and admirable beyond words. They were both public school teachers, and taught in the same school for over thirty years together. They raised three of us crazy children, and never once let us experience a major disagreement between them. To say I admire my parents is the understatement of the year.
How to Store Leftovers
- Store leftover carrot cake cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days (this applies to frosted or unfrosted cupcakes).
More Small Batch Dessert Recipes
We made carrot cake for my dad’s birthday about ten years ago, and my brother grated carrot for me as I mixed all of the ingredients together. We were sitting in my aunt’s kitchen, crushing some wine and laughing on Thanksgiving Eve (my dad is a late-November baby). I love to think about those moments with my family, because those are the times my heart is the most full. Carrot cake holds a special place in my heart solely because of that moment, as well.
So, in a way, these small batch carrot cake cupcakes come full circle for me. They represent a sense of love, and a sense of togetherness. That’s why I made sure to publish the recipe for you, too. To share the love. 🙂 Feel free to tag me on social if you make these and love them, or give them a star rating below if you have time. If you need to make more than four cupcakes, there is a little slider bar in the recipe card below (near “servings), and that can be adjusted to fit however many cupcakes you’d like to make. I
xx Sara
*recipe updated April 17, 2020*
Small Batch Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt or 1/4 tsp. sea salt*
- 3/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. Ginger Powder
- 1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Large Egg
- 3 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 3 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup Grated Carrot grated on the large holes of a box grater
- Baking Spray
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 3 oz. Cream Cheese
- 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- pinch Salt
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 tbsp. Milk optional, for a creamier frosting
Instructions
To Make the Cupcakes:
- Combine the Dry Ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour, 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt, 3/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. Ginger Powder, and 1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg. Whisk together until well blended, then create a small well in the middle of the bowl.
- Add Wet Ingredients and Sugars. In the well, add 1 Large Egg, 3 tbsp. Light Brown Sugar, 2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar, and 3 tbsp. Vegetable Oil. Use a fork or whisk to stir the ingredients together until well combined and smooth. Stir in 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract until fully combined.
- Add Carrots. Add 1/2 cup Grated Carrot to the bowl. Use a spatula to gently fold the carrots into the wet batter until just combined. (Over-mixing could make the cupcakes dense.)
- Divide Batter into a Muffin Pan. Spray Baking Spray into four wells of a muffin / cupcake pan, or line four wells with cupcake liners. (You can spray the liners if you’re feeling extra cautious, too). Divide the batter equally amongst the wells, filling them 3/4 full with batter.
- Step Five: Bake. Bake the cupcakes at 350 F for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center of the cupcakes, and comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about five minutes, then transfer them to a wire baking rack to finish cooling.
To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, combine room temperature 3 oz. Cream Cheese and 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter. Use a hand mixer to beat until combined, then beat in 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract and pinch Salt (about 1/8 – 1/4 tsp.) until somewhat creamy.
- Beat in half (1/2 cup) of the powdered sugar until combined, followed by the remaining 1/2 cup. For a creamier frosting, beat in 1-2 tbsp. Milk. Frost the cupcakes once they are completely cooled.
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Yum! I love these carrot cake cupcakes SO much. Thanks for the small batch recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it, Kate! 😄
It’s so much easier to just enjoy a couple, and not have the rest lying around to tempt you! I so hope you enjoy them!! <3
This is perfect for me. I am the only one in the house that likes carrot cake. Woo Hoo….all for me…and I don’t have to share either.
Ha! It’s meant to be!! <3
I love the idea of small batches! Because if I make a big batch, I’ll eat it all. I can’t wait to try your recipe! My thighs thank you! 🙂 Your cupcakes look so delicious!
Hahaha. Thank you so much! The smaller quantities without giving up the taste is a good move in my book!
I agree on how romantic it is cooking at home for a Valentine’s dinner. And after, sharing a delicious carrot cake cupcake. They are so pretty with that high dome and the frosting! Also my parents have a lot to teach me, the celebrated their 50th last year :-).
Congratulations to your parents on their 50th! 😀 How amazing!! And I’m so glad you feel the same about home cooking on Valentine’s Day. It’s so romantic!
I completely understand you rationale for making a small batch of carrot cupcakes, but when it’s this delicious, why would you want, to? I agree with you about a home cooked meal being the best for Valentine’s Day. I think it’s so much more romantic to stay home rather than go out and fight crowds. I completely appreciate your parents relationship, too. I only ever heard my parents argue once when I was growing up. It’s a very high bar they’ve set as role models.
My son has always loved cupcakes. I am sure he will love this Carrot cake cupcakes even more!
I hope he does, Maggie! We LOVE them around here!
These cupcakes are adorable! What a great, classic recipe. I’m with you that carrot cakes are amongst the best cake flavors so I’ll have to give these little cuties a try soon!
These cupcakes are adorable! What a great, classic recipe. I’m with you that carrot cakes are amongst the best cake flavors so I’ll have to give these little cuties a try soon!
I hope you do, Lizzy! And thank you!
I LOVE small batch recipes! I’m the only one in my house that loves carrot cake, so making these for myself is perfect!! Cant wait to try it!
I love small batch recipes, too! I hope you love this one, Kylee! Let me know how it goes!
I really like the idea of small batch cupcakes! Just enough to have a nice treat, without a bunch of leftovers hanging around. These carrot cake cupcakes look so delicious too!
Love these cupcakes! Carrot cake is one of my favourite cake recipes but never made it as cupcakes. Great idea! Love your cream cheese frosting too!
Wow!! These carrot cake cupcakes are simply amazing. Thanks for sharing such a lovely recipe.
Thank you for showing us how to make a small batch of cupcakes. Sometimes you just need a quick fix.
This is brilliant! My hubby and I need small batch dessert recipes so we can get *ahem* a little smaller! Saving this recipe. Thanks!
Maybe I shouldn’t have looked at this recipe. I am going to be obsessed with making these this week, because there is nothing like carrot cake. Your photos are stunning!
Your carrot cupcake pics are precious! And love that its small batch friendly! Thanks so much for sharing :).
Thank you for such a great recipe! It’s only my hubby and I so I hate to waste. So delicious!
YES! I am so glad to have found this. Tomorrow is Easter and I used all but one egg in my overnight breakfast bake and then decided that I wanted carrot cake cupcakes! Plus, 4 is the perfect amount for us! Thanks!!
I’m so glad you found it too, Hannah! I hope you love them!!
I love this recipe. I’m alone and love carrot cake so a small batch version is really great for me. Made this exactly as written because baking shouldnt be altered lol and it was perfect!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
These were just what I was looking for—a small batch of cupcakes for my friend’s birthday. They were delicious, although a bit salty. If I make again I would do a quarter tsp salt. Nonetheless the flavor was great and my friend loved them. Thank you for this recipe!
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! If you are using table salt or sea salt instead of the kosher salt, 1/4 tsp. is perfect for next time!
These are delicious!! I used 1/4 a teaspoon of salt because I used sea salt and I personally thought it was perfect. I did cream cheese frosting from the store but will probably make my own next time if I can find a small batch recipe (or if you could make one!) this made four perfect cupcakes for me and my husband and we both looked forward to eating the last two all day yesterday 🤣 such a great recipe Thank you!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Lauren! Thank you!
Good recipe! I was able to make this vegan with no issues.
The batter was a bit thicker, so I prob should have loosen it a bit with more liquid. Of course not the recipe’s fault, it was obviously cuz I changed the recipe a bit to make vegan. I was sure this wasn’t going to work, but nope it worked and came out delicious! I did add toasted walnuts and raisins. Maybe next time to make a slightly thinner batter I’ll use a bit of pineapple as well. I used a vegan vanilla icing and add a bit of lemon juice and spoonful of kite hill plain yogurt to give it that cream cheese feel. Since I didn’t have vegan cream cheese. Oh and instead of 2-3 cupcakes I made i think 8 -9 mini cupcakes. It’s easier to veganize recipes when it’s a smaller batch and there isn’t a bunch of eggs. Came out very moist and tasty! Best