Mini Carrot Cupcakes – Healthy and easy to make

These homemade mini carrot cupcakes are easy to make, delicious, and healthy! They are made from scratch with all-purpose gluten-free flour, brown sugar, and cream cheese frosting.

I love to spend time in the kitchen with my daughter, and since she was little, we have made cakes together. Now that she has grown, we cook a wider variety of dishes, from bread to main courses and desserts.

Carrot cake is a part of the traditions in the spring season celebrations. So I was on a mission to find a recipe that makes it healthier than the traditional recipe without losing its delightful taste.

Then, I had an idea, an old cake recipe (my mom’s recipe), and I added almost the same ingredients as my mom’s cake recipe. Why almost? Because I substitute some ingredients for a healthier option. For example, I use all-purpose gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour; I use brown sugar instead of white sugar, and so on. So, I decided to use my own cake recipe and adapt it to make cupcakes!

What is the difference between white all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and all-purpose gluten-free flour?

All-purpose white flour is usually made from a combination of hard and soft wheat. It is refined to create a softer consistency making it easier to bake with. The refining process also takes away the majority of its nutrients. Bleached flour is even whiter and softer than regular all-purpose white flour.

Whole Wheat flour maintains its nutrients from wheat, making it a good source of fiber, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. But it’s a little bit tricky to work with.

All-purpose Gluten-Free Flour uses a mix of flours that don’t contain gluten. Gluten helps rise and keep risen our baked goods. Most all-purpose gluten-free flour uses Xanthan gum as a substitute for the gluten we find in wheat flour. Nowadays, we can find all-purpose gluten-free flours that give me the same results in my baking recipes as the regular ones.

I have transitioned from all-purpose white flour to whole wheat flour to gluten-free flour. I like to bake with gluten-free flour because the mix of different kinds of flour brings even more nutrients to our food.

I try to cook with gluten-free flour as much as possible, but it can be adapted to regular flour.

If you prefer to use whole wheat flour to make this recipe (that is how I made them before I changed to gluten-free flour), add two extra tablespoons of liquid (I add milk) for a softer consistency.

What do you need to prepare these Mini Carrot Cupcakes?

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Kitchen Utensils

• Stand Mixer or Hand mixer
• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Grater
• Mini muffin pan
• Dessert Decorator
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mini Cupcake wrapper

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup All-purpose Gluten-free flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (I used gluten-free)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup milk 2%

How to prepare these mini carrot cupcakes?

Shred 3/4 of a cup of carrots. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix all dry ingredients (flour, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda) in a bowl.

Mix butter and sugar well. Mix all dry and wet ingredients (milk, egg, and vanilla extract), alternating them in the bowl. After mixing everything well, add the carrots and mix with a spatula so it doesn’t disappear in the mix.

Line the muffin pan with cupcake wrappers. Fill 2/3 of the way up.

Bake them at 375°F for 15 minutes.

How do I make this Cream Cheese Frosting?

I tried this healthier recipe, and I like it!

Ingredients

• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 2 tablespoons of Greek Vanilla Yogurt
• 3 tablespoons of Honey
• 1 teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
2. Use a dessert decorator (optional) to pump the frosting on the cupcake.
3. Decorate with shredded carrot (optional)

I hope you enjoy this delicious and healthy recipe. You may also like “Mini Fruit tart with Oatmeal Crust.”