Moist and delicious aren’t often words that go hand in hand with gluten free. But these easy gluten free carrot cake cupcakes topped with a homemade coconut cream cheese frosting are nothing short of amazing!
Like a lot of Americans, I have a problem with portion control. But I still love sweets, so the perfect compromise for me is cupcakes! I don’t indulge often, but when there’s a holiday they’re the perfect bite-sized portion of saccharine sweet ecstasy.
I’m not a self professed foodie, but I do fancy myself a pretty mean baker. My baking plans were recently thrown for a loop when I went to make a dessert for my mom and she requested something special to deal with her newfound gluten sensitivity.
Knowing that my mom is a fan of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, I decided to try my hand with making some simple swaps like traditional all-purpose flour for a gluten-free mix. Going in I was hopeful but skeptical about how this recipe would turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised at how light and flavorful these Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting turned out.
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cups coconut oil, warmed to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups carrots, shredded
- 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour mix
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly spray two cupcake pans or line with cupcake liners with cooking spray.
- Cream together sugar and eggs until smooth. Then stir in coconut oil and vanilla.
- Mix the dry ingredients together until blended, then combine the dry mix with the wet mix.
- Fold in shredded carrots to mix.
- Evenly distribute batter among cupcake tins and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool while preparing frosting.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
- ½ c. butter, softened
- 4 c. powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 2 tsp. clear vanilla extract
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- Slowly beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
- Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until desired consistency, then add in vanilla and milk.
- Fold shredded coconut into frosting and pipe onto cupcakes with desired tip.
If you liked this Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, you’ll love these other cupcake recipes!