Carrot Cake Cupcakes

gluten free - dairy free - soy free - corn free - nut free option

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There is something about Spring that gets me in the mood to bake, bake, bake!

Celebrating Easter and Christ's resurrection is such a holy time and we adore hosting picnics and brunch in celebration. I wanted to make something that embodied spring harvest and the Easter holiday to bring to the table this year and my Carrot Cake Cupakes were born.

Sweet, moist and OH SO DECADENT, these are HANDS DOWN the BEST cupcakes I've EVER made to date. They taste like traditional cupcakes and will be gobbled up by even the pickiest little bunny in the patch. 

The added touch of these dyed chocolate carrots were work but SO SO worth it. They add such a festive touch and hold up quite nice.

The cupcake itself is packed with carrots and cinnamon goodness and are SO moist and flavorful. The mix of coconut sugar and brown sugar help cut down on the refined sugar of a traditional cupcake, and while you could omit the brown sugar, it does help the cupcake have the traditional carrot cake flavor.

The cream cheese frosting is so spot on and I'm so thankful Miss Jones Baking Co. makes a dairy-free, high quality, low ingredient organic frosting. You can't have carrot cake without cream cheese frosting. That would just be WRONG. Wouldn't it? Yes. Yes it would be. (also, not sponsored but its the only frosting I keep in my cupboard so I have to give them praise.)

Grey couldn't keep his sweet little hands off of these, which you'll see below and we are excited to make them again soon. 

Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes

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INGREDIENTS:

Dry

• 2 C. All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (I use Bob' Red Mill One to One)
• 1 3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
• 3/4 tsp. Cream Of Tartar
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon (Ceylon Cinnamon for boosted health benefits)
• 3/4 c. Coconut Sugar
• 1/2 c. Organic Brown Sugar
• 2 C. Grated Carrots (I whipped up 1/2 bag of baby carrots in my Ninja)

Wet

• 1/2 c. Avocado Oil
• 3 Organic Eggs
• 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 c. Dairy Free Milk (I used almond)

For the carrot toppers

• Dairy Free White Chocolate or DF White Melts (I get these online)
• Orange Food Coloring (You can get dye free, as we opt for)
• Green Food Coloring (You can get dye free, as we opt for)

​DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake tins with parchment cupcake liners.
• In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, adding your carrots in last.
• Add in wet ingredients and mix very well until a smooth batter forms.
• Pour batter in liners about 3/4 full and bake for 21 minutes.
• Once cupcakes are in the oven, prepare your carrot toppers.
• Melt two small bowls of dairy free white chocolate or melts over the stove top or in the microwave until nicely melted. Add 2-3 drops of orange dye in one bowl and green in the other, adding dye until you reach desired color. 
• Lay out a piece of parchment on a small cookie sheet.
• Spoon each colored melted candy into a small ziploc bag, cutting a small hole in each so that the candy may be piped onto the parchment.
• Pipe the orange in a zigzag pattern, making a carrot shape. Pipe the green at the top, making sure it overlaps the orange to form one piece. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.
• Once cupcakes are done, allow to cool COMPLETELY before frosting. Frost with dairy free cream cheese frosting and add solid candy carrot a top each cupcake.

Share and enjoy!

Happy Easter beautiful friends!