Old-fashioned carrot cake cupcakes are made with pineapple, shredded coconut, and pureed carrots. They’re topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting and are super moist and very easy to make.
This is the best carrot cake cupcake recipe with pineapple! My mother-in-law passed down this recipe; we make it for every special occasion.
The cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and flavorful thanks to the pureed carrots, shredded coconut, and crushed pineapple. The cream cheese frosting completes this delicious treat. Try my super moist carrot snacking cake topped with maple syrup frosting!
Carrot cake is usually topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting like red velvet cake. The combination of these two is unbeatable. The salty and tangy cream cheese frosting balances out the sweetness of the cupcakes perfectly.
These delicious carrot cake cupcakes are my favorite because they have pineapple and shredded coconut. It uses corn oil, making them very moist and pureed carrots too!
I’ll cover everything you need to know to make these cupcakes. The recipe card with ingredient measurements is at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Homemade Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredient Notes
All-Purpose Flour: Make sure to measure the flour correctly. I like to use King Arthur Organic All-Purpose Flour.
Granulated Sugar: This adds the sweet to the cupcakes.
Baking Soda: This recipe uses Baking soda as a leavening agent. It reacts with the acidic ingredients (such as pureed carrots and pineapple) to create carbon dioxide gas, which helps the cupcakes rise and become light and fluffy.
Ground Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds a warm and slightly spicy flavor to the cupcakes. It pairs well with the sweetness of the carrots and pineapple, creating a delicious balance of flavors.
Corn Oil: It’s essential to use corn oil as it’s the best for this recipe. However, you can use sunflower or canola oil if you don’t have corn.
Organic Eggs: Act as the binding agent, holding all the ingredients together. They also add moisture and richness to the cupcakes, making them soft and fluffy. It’s best to use room-temperature eggs when possible.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract enhances the sweetness of cupcakes and adds depth to their flavor profile.
Pureed Carrots: You will need to steam and then puree fresh carrots for this recipe. They give the cupcakes a subtle carrot flavor.
Sweetened Shredded Coconut: Shredded coconut adds texture and a slightly sweet flavor to the cupcakes. It also pairs well with the other tropical flavors in the recipe, such as pineapple.
Canned Crushed Pineapple: The crushed pineapple adds moisture and a tropical flavor to the cupcakes.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Puree 5 large carrots or about 2 cups roughly chopped. First chop, then boil, then puree in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
- Sift the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Add the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and beat with a hand mixer on low speed.
- Fold in the pureed carrots, shredded coconut, and drained pineapple using a spatula or a wooden spoon.
- Scoop the cupcake batter into a lined cupcake pan.
- Bake until the edges have pulled away or until the toothpick comes out semi-clean. I baked my cupcakes for about 15 minutes, but baking time will vary as every oven is different, so check on them often.
- Let the cupcakes cool while you make the creamy cream cheese frosting.
How to Puree Carrots
- Peel and chop the carrots into chunks.
- Steam or boil them until they are soft and tender (around 20 minutes).
- Transfer the carrots with a tablespoon of carrot water to a food processor or blender.
- Puree until smooth and the consistency is thick. Add more carrot water if you need it.
Cupcake Liners
Let’s talk about paper liners. There are so many adorable liners out there. For this recipe, we used these tulip liners. Here are some more options:
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Cream cheese frosting is very easy to make with just 4 ingredients. It’s light and fluffy and pairs perfectly with classic carrot cake cupcakes.
Ingredients
Unsalted Butter: Make sure the butter is soft, and you use good quality butter for the best results.
Cream Cheese: Make sure the cream cheese is super soft before beating with an electric mixer.
Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor and enhances the other flavors in the frosting. Use a pure vanilla extract.
Confectioners Sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, this adds all the sweetness to the frosting.
Directions
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Turn the mixer to low, add the sugar, and beat until combined.
- Continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add to a piping bag and pipe over the cooled cupcakes.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat for a healthier version of these cupcakes.
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter or sprinkle over the top.
- You can use canned pureed carrots if you cannot access fresh carrots. Just make sure they are plain and not seasoned in any way.
- Substitute the crushed pineapple with mashed bananas for a different flavor profile.
- Add 1/2 cup grated carrots for more texture and carrot flavor.
- Make mini cupcakes by using a mini cupcake pan. Please note that the cooking time will be much less when making mini cupcakes.
How to Store
Refrigerate: Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freeze: You can also freeze the cupcakes (without frosting) for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! They can be frozen before frosted. If you plan on freezing them, wait to frost before serving. Also, let them defrost before frosting and serving. Freeze in an airtight container. You can also leave these in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before frosting.
It takes about 3-4 days before they are appropriately stored in the refrigerator. Make sure they’re covered well.
The key to moist cupcakes is using the right amount of liquid and fat in the batter. Oil, butter, and eggs always help to moisten. In this recipe, the pureed carrots and crushed pineapple add moisture and flavor to the cupcakes. Additionally, corn oil is used as it has a higher fat content than butter or other oils, making for a more moist cupcake.
The secret to fluffy cupcakes lies in the mixing process. Overmixing the batter can lead to denser cupcakes, as it develops the gluten in the flour. Mix the dry and wet ingredients until combined to achieve light and fluffy cupcakes.
It’s also crucial to use room-temperature ingredients, as they blend more smoothly and evenly. Lastly, a proper leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder is essential. They release carbon dioxide when heated, creating air pockets that make the cupcakes rise and become fluffy.
Yes, you can use applesauce as a substitute for oil in this recipe. However, the cupcakes may not turn out as moist and fluffy. But if you don’t mind sacrificing taste for a healthier option, give it a try.
Serving Cupcakes
These cupcakes are great to serve year-round. I love to serve them around Easter or for any of these occasions:
Serve them with ice cream or a fresh fruit platter for dessert. For a fun drink pairing, try my carrot mimosa.
More Cupcake Recipes You’ll Love!
- Chocolate Toffee Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Spice Sunflower Cupcakes
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Classic Vanilla Cupcakes
- Lucky Charms Cupcakes
- Funfetti Cupcakes
Let me know if you make these moist carrot cake cupcakes by leaving a comment and review below! We would love to hear your thoughts!
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Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup corn oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup pureed carrots, You'll need about five large carrots to make this much pureed.
- 1 cup shredded coconut , sweetened
- 3/4 cup crushed canned pineapple, drained
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 tbsp butter, Unsalted salted or salted, room temperature.
- 6 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Puree 1 1/3 cup carrots (first chop, then boil, then puree) and set aside.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Add the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and beat on low with an electric mixer.
- Fold in the pureed carrots, shredded coconut and drained pineapple.
- Scoop batter into either a lined cupcake tin, about 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake until the edges have pulled away or until the toothpick comes out semi-clean. About 15 minutes, but check often as every oven varies!
- Let the cupcakes cool on a cooling rack before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth.
- Add in the sugar and beat until combined.
- Add to a piping bag and pipe over the cooled cupcakes.
Notes
How to Puree Carrots
- Peel and chop the carrots into chunks.
- Steam or boil them until they are soft and tender (around 20 minutes).
- Transfer the carrots with a tablespoon of carrot water to a food processor or blender.
- Puree until smooth and the consistency is thick. Add more carrot water if you need it.
Nutrition
How much cinnamon?
I made this a few days ago and the result was amazing! It’s so moist and tasty everyone at home really loved it. I highly recommend for you to try this one out!
For whatever reason, carrot cake as cupcakes is so, so good!! I think I prefer them as cupcakes! And, that cream cheese frosting is my favorite!
These cupcakes look so, so good! And that frosting! 🙂
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I recently made these for my husbands birthday party and they were such a hit! I even had strangers asking for the recipe. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
These cupcakes look amazing! I looove carrot cake and can’t wait to try these!