Scrumptious yet easy vegan carrot cake cupcakes with lots of beautiful spices, walnut pieces and the dreamiest cream cheese frosting. Just like your corner bakery!
These delightful treats are just like your traditional carrot cake but in cupcake form! They are moist, tender and have soooo much nostalgia!
Simple ingredients to make these vegan carrot cake cupcakes
I’m a huge fan of using everyday pantry staples in my recipes. For this, you’ll need:
- Plain or all-purpose flour
- Coconut or brown sugar
- Plant-based milk
- Grated carrot (coarse or fine)
- Apple cider vinegar because this makes the cupcakes more tender
- Sunflower oil
- Chopped walnuts
- Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
- Baking powder
No weird ingredients and you probably have already everything to make these today!
Preparing the vegan carrot cake cupcake batter
Honestly, recipes with multiple steps such as whisking aquafaba until it’s fluffy really intimidates (okay, annoys) me. For this recipe, simply add all the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix. Add the wet ingredients then mix again!
The batter should be quite rough and shaggy like below. We’re making rustic carrot cake cupcakes so a thick batter is perfect!
When you spoon your batter into your cupcake liners, I’d recommend using an ice cream scoop. It allows you to get evenly sized cupcakes and it’s just easier (and less messy)!
Making the vegan cream cheese frosting
Cream cheese frosting is slightly different from a conventional buttercream.
Normally with buttercream, you whip the butter until it’s light and fluffy then add the sugar. This creates an airy, relatively stable and kind of firm frosting.
However, when you whip cream cheese in the same way, it only softens and becomes loose. Butter has more fat than cream cheese so it will always be more firm. To make the cream cheese frosting, I’d recommend until creaming it or mixing it. If you must, you can lightly (and quickly) whip it using a stand mixer or hand held beaters.
My tips for making a firmer cream cheese frosting
Cream cheese frosting will never have the same shelf-stability as buttercream, whether it’s vegan or not. However, if you need to keep the frosting at room temperature for an occasion, I’d recommend that you:
- Add a little more icing sugar to the frosting.
- Add a little corn flour (starch) to the frosting. This absorbs any additional liquid (from the cream cheese and butter) and makes it more firm.
Dare I say, I LOVE these vegan carrot cake cupcakes without frosting or a minimal smear of it. But it’s up to you!
I hope you enjoy this recipe xo
Check out my other vegan classic cake recipes
- Easy Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Apple Crumble Tea Cake
- Vegan Cookies and Cream Cake
- Vegan Gingerbread Cake
- Blood orange, almond and syrup cake
Or my vegan cake recipes with a twist:
Vegan carrot cake cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (290g) plain or all-purpose flour*
- 1 cup (160g) brown or coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup (60g) walnuts, chopped roughly
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- Pinch of any good-quality salt
Wet ingredients
- ~1 3/4 cups (190g) finely or coarsely grated carrot, (around 2-3 medium carrots)
- 1 cup (250mL) plant-based milk, such as almond, soy or coconut
- 1/4 cup (65mL) light-tasting vegetable oil, such as sunflower or rapeseed
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
To decorate (optional)
- 1/2 cup (120g) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (115g) vegan butter
- 1 cup (100g) icing sugar, or more for a firmer frosting
- 1/4 cup (30g) walnuts, chopped roughly
- Extra cinnamon, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a cupcake tray with liners.
To make the cupcakes:
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix until combined or until there are no more big lumps. Add all the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter amongst your cupcake tray.
- Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer can be inserted into one and it comes out clean. The cupcakes will still be moist from the carrot.
- Cool the cupcakes in the tray for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.
To make the frosting:
- Add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl or stand mixer. Cream until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until just combined. If you overmix the frosting, it will become loose and may not hold up. Add more icing sugar for a firmer frosting.
- Use a piping bag with a star nozzle to pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Alternatively, use a knife to spread the frosting on the cupcakes. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped walnuts and dust with ground cinnamon.
- Serve immediately. Alternatively, store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Please leave a comment below if you made this recipe, have any questions or thoughts! Your comment will help other readers and Rainbow Nourishments.
How much apple cider vinegar? X
One tablespoon xo
2 teaspoons of cinnamon or tablespoons? X
Oooh, sorry typo! I’ll fix xo
So, in the regular version you need 290g flour but the GF version needs 420g and no extra liquid??
Also, you’ve written 1 cup of milk but said that’s 150mls…
😀
Ooh sorry about that! The gf notes were placed there automatically but Ive just updated it all!
Oh awesome! Thanks
Where can I find vegan cream cheese in Australia ?
I love Miyoko’s cream cheese which used to be in Woolies/Coles but is now in some health food stores. The major stores have Made with Plants vegan cream cheese and Sheese (but has some additives). I’m still trying to find a good local brand for it!