I really love carrot cake. I know, I know. I’m all about chocolate and cookies and rich desserts. How can I like a dessert with a root veggie in it?
Unexpected, I know.
I think I had a lot of carrot cake as a child and so there’s something super nostalgic about it for me. Plus, I mean, that cream cheese frosting!! Who can say no to that?!
I used to meticulously eat the cake part, forking between the frosting layer lines, so that I could save the icing for last.
It was especially creepy because as I was doing this weird icing ritual, I’d be singing in my head “Save the Best for Last” by Vanessa Williams (totally just googled who sang that and then listened to it all over again).
Anywho… cream cheese icing was my jam.
So is that why the cream cheese icing on these cupcakes is almost the same size as the cupcake itself? Maaaaybe. Whether you pile it high or skimp a little on the icing, you’re going to LOVE these healthier carrot cake cupcakes!
Ingredients to make healthy carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting:
- butter
- coconut sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- blanched almond flour
- oat flour
- baking powder
- ground ginger
- ground cinnamon
- salt
- carrots
- walnuts
- cream cheese
How to make healthy carrot cake cupcakes:
Whisk.
Whisk together the butter (ghee or coconut oil works too), coconut sugar, vanilla, and eggs.
Add the almond flour, oat flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Whisk until everything is combined.
Fold.
Fold in the shredded carrot and walnuts.
Bake.
Place paper liners in your muffin tin. Use an ice cream scooper to scoop the batter into each muffin tin until they’re almost all full. They don’t expand or rise too much, so feel free to make them pretty full.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Allow to come to room temperature before icing them.Â
Make the cream cheese frosting.
In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the icing ingredients. Whip them on high until fluffy, about 1 minute.
Transfer the icing to a plastic baggie and cut off one corner. Squeeze the bag to ice each cupcake in a circular motion. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
More gluten free carrot cake recipes:
- Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
- Carrot Cake Bliss Balls
- Macadamia Nut Carrot Cake Cookies
- Healthy Carrot Cake Bars
Recipe
Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes are perfectly sweet, gluten free, moist and delicious!! Topped with cream cheese frosting, they are perfect!
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons oat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- ground cinnamon, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Whisk together the butter, coconut sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt.
- Whisk until everything is combined.
- Fold in the shredded carrot and chopped walnuts.
- Place liners in your muffin tins.
- Use an ice cream scooper to scoop the batter into each muffin tin until they’re almost all full. They don’t expand or rise too much, so feel free to make them pretty full.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow to come to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the frosting ingredients: butter, cream cheese, agave nectar, and vanilla.
- Whip them on high until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the frosting to a plastic baggie and cut off one corner.
- Squeeze the bag to frost each cupcake and sprinkle the tops with ground cinnamon.
- Store in the fridge.
Nutrition Info:
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 347
- Sugar: 9.8g
- Sodium: 313mg
- Fat: 30.8g
- Saturated Fat: 15.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13.9g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 5.9g
- Cholesterol: 105mg
Enjoy!! xo
Can honey sub for the agave?
Yes! You can use honey or maple syrup instead of agave nectar! Enjoy!! xo
do you happen to have the calories/macros for these?
Hi Rachel!
I just updated the recipe with nutritional facts! xo
Will the cupcake still holdup without the walnuts in it? Have some nutty friends with allergies!
haha it should still work without the the walnuts! Enjoy!! xo
Can I sub butter for ghee?
Hi Sarah! Yep! You can use butter or coconut oil instead of ghee. xo
Hi Lindsay! Can I use unsalted butter instead? Will it make a huge difference?
Unsalted butter will work! I don’t think it’ll make a difference. Enjoy!! xo