These Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are moist and flavorful with carrots, pineapple and coconut. The creamy frosting goes perfectly with the cake.

I've been wanting to make the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting from the Silver Palate Cookbook for a while now, so I decided to make it into cupcakes and decorate with nut free marzipan carrots.
I came up with this idea the day I saw the marzipan carrots, and then two days later the Recipe Girl posted these mini carrot cheesecakes with cream cheese frosting. I guess great minds think alike!
These cupcakes are really good! They taste very similar to my mom's recipe for Pineapple Carrot Bread that we make at Christmas, except this recipe has coconut.

After Bob tried the Tres Leches Coconut Cupcakes and these, he said that in one day I had made two of the best cupcakes he's ever had! That's quite an endorsement for these recipes!
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Cook the Carrots
For this recipe, the carrots need to be cooked and pureed before being added to the cake batter.
To do this, the carrots should be washed, peeled, and ends trimmed.

The carrots can be cut into chunks and steamed in a steamer basket until fork tender.

The carrots can be pureed in a food processor to a smooth consistency.

Make the Batter and Bake
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes, so you'll need two 12-cup muffin pans.
First sift the dry ingredients together. Then add the oil, egg and vanilla, beating well to combine. Finally, fold in the coconut, carrots, and pineapple.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups. I use liners to ensure they will easily come out of the pan.

Bake the cupcakes.

Remove the cupcakes from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool for 3 hours before frosting.
Frost and Decorate the Cupcakes
I use an Easy Cream Cheese Frosting for these cupcakes. It's super smooth and creamy.

You can leave them plain or decorate them, like with small sugar decorations like this bunny and chick.

A very cute way to decorate them is by adding Nut Free Marzipan Carrots on top.

This recipe was originally a carrot cake recipe, so you prefer a cake, you can bake it in two 9-inch cake pans. I once did 12 cupcakes and then baked a single layer cake and placed the mock marzipan carrots around the perimeter.

Gluten Free Option
I have made these Carrot Cake Cupcakes using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour, and the results are fantastic! Perfectly moist and delicious.
Looking for More Spring Cupcakes?
Check out these other cupcake recipes perfect for spring:
Tres Leches Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream
Baby Bluebird Cupcakes
Mexican Chocolate Black Bottom Cupcakes
Samoa Cupcakes with Easy Dulce de Leche Buttercream
Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes
Blueberry Vanilla Cupcakes with Blueberry Ganache
Looking for More Pineapple Recipes?
Check out these other recipes featuring pineapple:
Mini Pina Colada Cheesecakes
Banana Split Cake {no bake}
Pineapple Carrot Bread
Huli Huli Hawaiian Chicken
📖 Recipe

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 2 12-cup muffin pans
- 24 cupcake liners
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups corn oil (or Canola)
- 4 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups shelled walnuts (chopped (omitted))
- 1½ cups shredded coconut
- 1⅓ cups pureed cooked carrots
- ¾ cup drained crushed pineapple
For the Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 6 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Juice of ½ lemon (optional)
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Place muffin liners in two 12-cup muffin tins.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in the walnuts (if using), coconut, carrots, and pineapple.
- Pour the batter into the muffin cups. Set on the center rack of the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
- Cool the cupcakes on a rack for 3 hours or covered with foil overnight before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl.
- Slowly sift in the confectioners' sugar and continue beating until fully incorporated. The mixture should be free of lumps.
- Stir in the vanilla, and lemon juice if desired. Frost cupcakes.
Mary Ann says
So, so cute! I absolutely love those little carrots. What a great Easter treat!
Leslie says
Love love love them. So cute and so Easter!
priscilla joy says
Those are so adorable! What cute Easter treats. Happy Easter Meghan!
Kerstin says
They are super cute!! I'm glad you found an alternative to the marzipan made with almond paste. I love all the pictures - Happy Easter 🙂
Maria says
How fun and cute! Great treats you have here!
Aggie says
What great pictures!! And an even better sweet treat!!
Liz M. says
The carrots are so clever, and that chick is adorable! Great ideas!