These carrot cake cupcakes are not my recipe. The recipe is from Elana’s Pantry, otherwise known as The Queen of Grain-Free Baking. I don’t experiment a lot with my own baking. I favor baked goods made with high quality (read: expensive!) ingredients, and I don’t like to waste them.
Plus, Elana’s recipes are fail proof. I have never made a recipe off her site that I didn’t absolutely love.
The only way I changed her recipe here was to add 1/3 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut. And, I didn’t use her suggested frosting.
I decided I wanted a frosting low in sugar, and that I wanted to add pineapple to the frosting, since the carrot cake recipe doesn’t have any in it. I am a “kitchen sink” type of carrot cake girl– bring on the raisins, walnuts, coconut, and pineapple. However, I know that grain free baked goods are a delicate balance of wet and dry ingredients, and Elana’s recipes have been tested to derive perfect proportions.
The first time I made this, I just “crushed” pineapple in my food processor, and added it to the cream cheese. It was good, but the frosting wasn’t very thick. I decided to partially oven-dry the pineapple on my next trial, and the result was better than expected. The pineapple became even sweeter, which meant needing less honey in the frosting.
Alex would like this carrot cake in the house at all times. I make 2 small cakes (divide the recipe into 2 smaller pans), and freeze one for when the first one runs out. I’ve made it at least 5 times since I first discovered the recipe last summer- when I made it for Jack’s birthday in Portland. The recipe for the frosting is enough to generously ice both cakes. I also freeze the leftover frosting, and it defrosts beautifully.
Carrot cake just screams spring, doesn’t it? Healthy Easter dessert?
Contents
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- nutmeg freshly grated, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 eggs whisked
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 1/2 cups carrots grated
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped, optional
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F. Add cupcake liners to a muffin tin and set aside. This recipe makes 12 perfect cupcakes.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger and grated nutmeg.
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the wet ingredients (eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, and honey or maple syrup).
- Add the dry ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the egg mixture, and stir to combine. Then add in shredded carrots, walnuts, and coconut (or raisins). Stir to evenly mix in the additions.
- Evenly divide the carrot cupcake batter equally between the cupcake liners.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20-24 minutes, until a golden color set in the center. After the cupcakes have fully cooled, frost them with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Notes
Pineapple Carrot Cake Cupcakes
If desired, use crushed pineapple in the batter to give your cupcakes a tropical twist. This is my favorite carrot cake variation! First, add 1 16-ounce can of crushed pineapple into a bowl lined with cheesecloth or a thin dishtowel. Squeeze excess moisture out of the pineapple. Then, add the pineapple in to the batter along with the grated carrots, walnuts, and coconut.How to Frost Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
I suggest using this tangy Cream Cheese Frosting for these easy carrot cake cupcakes. Use a piping bag to add a generous swirl of cream cheese frosting to your cupcakes or just use a knife to spread it on each one. This frosting can be made sugar-free with powdered monk fruit sweetener or with regular powdered sugar.How to Store Gluten-Free Cupcakes & Tips
Once the cupcakes have fully cooled, add unfrosted cupcakes to an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months. If the cupcakes have been frosted, place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for 1 hour prior to packing them in a freezer safe container. Frosted cupcakes can also be frozen for up to 6 months. Allow cupcakes to defrost at room temperature prior to frosting or serving. Can I use an egg replacer? Because this recipe calls for so many eggs, I do not suggest using an egg replacer or trying to make these vegan carrot cake cupcakes. Bake as a Cake: This batter can be prepared in a cake pan. Hop on over to my Gluten Free Carrot Cake recipe for instructions!  ÂNutrition
Maybe I should recommend this recipe to Natawan– for her bakery. I imagine her fresh pineapple would blow away even the store bought pineapple I buy here in Malaysia!
These cupcakes look great! I’ve never made any recipes from Elana’s Pantry before, but I’ve always wanted to 🙂
PS: In the first sentence, you misspelled Elana’s Pantry… just thought you’d like to fix it.
ANYWAYS, I want to buy her cookbook now!!
They are amazing. I am still making that carrot cake on a monthly basis.
Thanks for catching that one! I can’t believe no one has pointed it out before. Yes, buy her cookbook. It’s great.
This Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting sounds absolutely delicious! I love the idea of combining the tanginess of cream cheese with the sweetness of pineapple. Can’t wait to try it on my next cake! Thank you for sharing this recipe!