We're all looking for ways to eat healthy while still enjoying delicious food. Many of us are turning to elimination diets as a way to shed some pounds. Others have to eliminate certain food groups because of allergies. Enter these gluten free and vegan carrot cupcakes.

Vegan gluten free carrot cupcakes on baking rack.

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Ingredients
How to Make These Cupcakes
How do They Taste?
Storage
📋Recipe

Ingredients

Gluten-free and vegan diets have recently seen a surge in popularity thanks to an increase in the production of tastier ingredients like non-dairy milk alternatives and gluten-free flours.

These carrot cupcakes combine traditional baking ingredients like baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon, with alternative ingredients like flaxseed, coconut sugar, almond milk, and gf flour to turn them into a gluten free and vegan treat.

flax eggs - 3 tablespoon flaxseed meal + ½ cup hot water
coconut oil - melted
maple syrup
organic cane sugar
coconut sugar
sea salt
baking soda
baking powder
cinnamon
almond milk - plain and unsweetened
grated carrot
gluten free flour blend - I use Bob’s Red Mill
almond flour
gluten free oat flour
toasted pecans + whole pecans for topping - optional
vegan butter - use sticks, rather than the spreadable tub
vegan cream cheese - out of the fridge for 1 hour
sifted powdered sugar

How to Make These Cupcakes

Step #1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line your cupcake pan with baking cups.
Prepare your flaxseed meal and hot water in a large mixing bowl, whisk until combined. Then, add coconut oil and maple syrup. Whisk until combined. Then, add sugars, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk again.

Step #2

Add almond milk and stir. Add grated carrot, stir again. Then, add almond, oat and GF flour blend, stir. Your batter should be relatively thick, but pourable. If it’s too thick, add up to ¼ cup more almond milk.

Step #3

Carrot cupcake batter with pecans in bowl.

If adding chopped pecans, add them and stir to combine.

Step #4

Carrot cupcake batter in red silicone muffin mold.

Divide the batter evenly among your cupcake liners. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. (I find 17 minutes in my oven is perfect).

Step #5

While the cupcakes are baking, make your frosting! In a large mixing bowl, add vegan butter and beat or whisk until light and fluffy. Then, add vegan cream cheese and mix again until creamy. Add sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, until thick, spreadable and as sweet as you like it! You may need more than 3 cups powdered sugar if the frosting doesn’t seem thick enough.. but be careful you don’t add too much!

Step #6

Vegan Gluten Free carrot cupcakes with vegan cream cheese frosting on rack.

Remove cupcakes from the oven and let them rest until completely cooled. Once cool, frost away! I like to frost my cupcakes, and then sprinkle a little more cinnamon over top. Then, top each cupcake with a whole, toasted pecan. Serve!

Notes:

In the pictures the frosting is drizzled on the cupcakes in small amounts, but usually I love to load them with the frosting; it's so good! So feel free to do that.
You can also have a look at how these are made in the recipe card video below.

How do They Taste?

The abundance of freshly grated carrot makes these cupcakes super moist while also amping up the fiber and vitamin content. Finally, snacking on a gluten-free, vegan cupcake that tastes amazing is possible.

These Vegan GF Carrot Cupcakes receive the perfect mixture of spice and crunch from the cinnamon and toasted pecans. With natural sweeteners like maple syrup and organic cane sugar, they fulfill that sweet tooth craving without being too overpowering.

Topped off with the decadent, vegan cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes are a wonderful way to splurge a little while still following a healthy lifestyle. You will be surprised how moist and delicious these cupcakes are!

Storage

Store covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Vegan Gluten Free carrot cupcakes in lime green polka dot cupcake holders.

Did you enjoy this unique cupcake recipe? If you've given it a try, please share your experience with others so they know how truly superb they are. If you haven't yet tried them and are looking for a new way to satisfy that sweet tooth with a gluten and/or vegan diet, get in the kitchen and make these. You'll be glad you did.