Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes (Gluten Free option)
Perfectly spiced and moist, these carrot cake cupcakes are topped with a luxurious cream cheese frosting, AND sprinkled with candied walnuts for an extra sweet crunch!
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
- 1¾ cups gluten free flour can sub all-purpose if desired. This links to my favorite store bought gluten free flour blend that works best with all of my recipes, or see "Ingredients Needed" section for further info.
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar *if you want a sugar free option, this links to my favorite sweetener, you can substitute it 1:1 in place of regular granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- pinch of ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup walnuts
Candied Walnut Ingredients
- 1½ tsp vegan butter or neutral oil
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- ½ cup walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese
- 4 cups powdered sugar *if you want a sugar free option, this links to my favorite powdered sweetener, you can substitute it 1:1 in place of regular powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- small pinch of salt
- ½-1 cup cornstarch this is optional IF you want a thicker frosting but don't want to keep adding sugar endlessly
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- First up are the cupcakes. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Then add in the non-dairy milk, neutral oil, and vanilla extract. Lastly, add in the carrots and walnuts and mix all until just combined.
- Pour or spoon the batter into the cupcake liners trying to get it even across all 12. They should fill about ¾ of the way up. Bake for 25-28 minutes (26 is my sweet spot). Let cool 10-15 minutes in the pan before transferring to a cooling rack to cool fully before frosting.
- While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, make the candied walnuts. Put the butter and sugar into a small pan over medium heat. Let it heat up for about a minute until combined, then add in the walnuts. Cook for 3-5 minutes until they are coated – don’t let it burn! – then transfer the mixture to parchment paper to cool fully before chopping.
- Finally to make the frosting, use the vegan butter and vegan cream cheese straight from the fridge so they are cold. Use a hand mixer to beat until they are soft, then add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing fully as you go.
- Once the cupcakes and walnuts are cooled, you can assemble your cupcakes.
- Eat and enjoy!
Notes
NUTRITION INFO
Total amount: 12 cupcakes
Serving size: 1 cupcake ** nutritional info does not include frosting or candied walnuts.
Per serving amounts:- Calories - 257
- Grams of fat - 12.8
- Grams of carbs - 30.5
- Grams of protein - 5.4
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!