Soft and squidgy gluten free carrot cake cupcakes are the stuff dreams are made of! Lightly spiced tender little cakes are topped with a sweet-tangy cap of cream cheese frosting for the best finishing touch.

Carrot cake cupcakes are your favorite gluten free carrot cake or mini carrot cake turned into irresistible little cakes! All the classic carrot cake flavors you love are here, from a trio of spices that infuse the cupcake with warmth to the moist texture that characterizes a traditional carrot cake. And I admit that sometimes I make these cupcakes just to have an excuse to finish them with big dollops of cream cheese frosting, which is, in a word, incredible.
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Why I Love These Cupcakes
These deliciously cute carrot cake cupcakes are made with oat flour, which gives them a tender crumb and a wholesome heartiness I love. They’re sweetened just enough, warmly spiced, and topped with a fluffy cloud of homemade cream cheese frosting that’s as lush to eat as it is simple to make. These cupcakes are a little rustic, a little homey, and a lot delicious. Packed with shredded carrots, you can also add nuts to the cupcakes if you like or keep them plain and simple. There's so much to love!
- Gluten free. Each bite is naturally gluten-free, thanks to the oat flour, but I promise that no one will be able to tell.
- Beautifully balanced. These cupcakes are perfectly moist, gently sweet, and warmly spiced.
- Adaptable. Want more cupcakes? Double up on the recipe. Like a bit of crunch? Add nuts! Want a simpler frosting? Dust the cupcakes with powdered sugar! You have options.
Ingredients Needed
I've outlined what you'll need to bake up a batch of carrot cake cupcakes below. Don't forget to scroll to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Vegetable oil - You can use any oil of your choice here, including coconut oil, olive oil (for a richer flavor), or avocado or canola oil.
- Granulated sugar
- Salt - Fine sea salt or table salt works fine.
- Eggs - Large eggs at room temperature are best.
- Spices - A combination of ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- Oat flour - Learn how to make oat flour or use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (like my homemade gluten free flour blend). If you can't eat oats, sorghum flour or brown rice flour are good substitutes.
- Rising agents - Baking powder and baking soda (check to make sure they're fresh!)
- Carrots - You'll need about 1 ½ cups of finely shredded carrots.
- Frosting - Unsalted butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Here's an overview of how you'll make this recipe:
Baking Tip: Make the Creamiest Frosting
It's SO IMPORTANT to bring the butter and cream cheese to soft room temperature before you start beating the frosting. This will help them to blend seamlessly together to create the smoothest frosting. While we're on the topic of smooth frosting, make sure to sift the powdered sugar into the bowl to remove any lumps. You'll be rewarded with gorgeous, smooth frosting!
Tips and Variation Suggestions
- Refrigerate the cupcakes before frosting. At room temperature, the cupcakes are fairly soft. To help them hold together when you add the frosting, chill the cupcakes for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Make sure to use a gentle hand when adding the frosting.
- Add other spices. You can add ¼ teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and cardamom to give the cupcakes a more deeply spiced flavor.
- Stir in nuts. For a little crunch to offset the softness of the cupcakes, add ½ cup of chopped walnuts to the batter when you add the carrots.
- To make refined sugar-free: Use ⅔ cup of maple syrup or coconut sugar instead of the granulated sugar.
- To make dairy-free: Substitute your favorite non-dairy butter and non-dairy cream cheese in the frosting.
- Frosting alternatives. You can add a simple vanilla buttercream frosting to the cupcakes if you don't care for cream cheese frosting. Or sift a little powdered sugar over the tops of the cakes for a simple finish.
- Add maple syrup. For a touch of maple flavor in the frosting, add a little maple syrup, 1 teaspoon at a time, when you add the powdered sugar.
Proper Storage
It's best to keep the cupcakes in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting. You can eat them straight from the fridge or let them sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes to soften the frosting. I love them either way!
- Fridge - Store the cake, tightly covered or in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - I don't recommend freezing the assembled cupcakes, but you can freeze just the baked cupcakes. Cool the cupcakes completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or sealable bag. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cupcakes completely in the fridge before adding the frosting.
More Gluten Free Cupcake Recipes
If you try this gluten free carrot cupcakes recipe, please let me know! And if you have any questions, always feel free to reach out in the comments or by email. I hope you love it! ❤️
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup oat flour or gluten free flour (120 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 ½ cups shredded carrots finely grated
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 block of cream cheese)
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
Make the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the ¾ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 2 large eggs.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 cup oat flour with the ¾ teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and spices. Stir this mix into the wet ingredients. Fold in the 1 ½ cups shredded carrots.
- Divide the batter equally among the muffin cups and let it rest for up to 20 minutes. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out the cupcakes to cool completely.
Make the frosting
- In a large bowl, cream the ½ cup unsalted butter and cream 8 ounces cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the 3-4 cups powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency and sweetness.
- Frost the tops of the cupcakes.
Notes
- Refrigerate the cupcakes before frosting. At room temperature, the cupcakes are fairly soft. To help them hold together when you add the frosting, chill the cupcakes for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Make sure to use a gentle hand when adding the frosting.
- Add other spices. You can add ¼ teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and cardamom to give the cupcakes a more deeply spiced flavor.
- Stir in nuts. For a little crunch to offset the softness of the cupcakes, add ½ cup of chopped walnuts to the batter when you add the carrots.
- To make refined sugar-free: Use ⅔ cup of maple syrup or coconut sugar instead of the granulated sugar.
- To make dairy-free: Substitute your favorite non-dairy butter and non-dairy cream cheese in the frosting.
- Frosting alternatives. You can add a simple vanilla buttercream frosting to the cupcakes if you don't care for cream cheese frosting. Or sift a little powdered sugar over the tops of the cakes for a simple finish.
- Add maple syrup. For a touch of maple flavor in the frosting, add a little maple syrup, 1 teaspoon at a time, when you add the powdered sugar.
Marianna says
I'm glad you found the need to implement carrot cake, I feel like the concept is great but the realisation something... not so much :D Can't wait to try it, the only thing is I can't have oat and certified GF sweet rice flour is basically impossible to get here in Italy, what will you suggest? I was thinking using a mix of sorghum and buckwheat with a part of amids
nicole says
Hi Marianna - do you have a g-f all purpose blend that you use? If so you could just sub it here for all the flour quite easily. But otherwise I think sorghum/buckwheat would work; both have pretty distinctive flavors but I think the carrots and apple would stand up to them well. Let me know how it turns out!
helen Spiridakos says
Like the new format.......!!!
helen Spiridakos says
What a beautiful first photograph to illustrate the luscious cake! Well done and inviting recipe....even sounds healthy!
nicole says
Healthy-ish :)