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Carrot Cake Cupcakes {Paleo, Nut Free}

These dreamy carrot cake cupcakes are made with coconut and tapioca flour and sweetened with maple syrup, making them both paleo and nut free.   They're topped with a sweet creamy paleo vanilla "buttercream" that tastes just like real thing! 
Author: Michele Rosen
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Nut Free, Paleo

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

Frosting:

Instructions

For Cupcakes:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin pan with parchment liners.
  2. In one bowl, combine with coconut and tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices, set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla until very smooth.
  4. Stir dry ingredients into wet mixture slowly until a very thick batter forms. Due to the coconut flour, batter will seem more like a dough. Stir in grated carrots and raisins, and pineapple if using.
  5. Scoop batter into muffin cups all the way up, to get them nice and round, you can actually roll them into balls loosely with your hands.  I made 14 cupcakes, so you'll likely have to bake them in 2 batches. 

  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins or until they rise and are set in the center.
  7. Remove from oven and allow to sit 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  8. While cupcakes cool, make the frosting.

Buttercream Frosting:

  1. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the shortening and coconut oil until smooth and fluffy. Add in the honey and beat on low until combined, then add tapioca, vanilla and sea salt and beat until creamy.
  2. Frost cupcakes immediately, OR store frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use. Frosting will harden in the fridge, but you can let it sit for 5 minutes at room temp, then re-beat before frosting the cupcakes. Frosting can also be made ahead of time following this method.
  3. Frost cupcakes using a piping bag or with an offset spatula. Store leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator after the first day for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*A thick creamy raw honey works best for this frosting to keep it thick.  If you're using maple syrup and the frosting is too thin, you can add up to 2 additional Tbsps of tapioca flour to thicken it.  

**If you can have dairy, grass fed butter can sub in for the coconut oil and palm shortening.  Vegan butter will also work well.  

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal
Carbohydrates: 31g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 22g
Saturated Fat: 16g
Cholesterol: 46mg
Sodium: 155mg
Potassium: 208mg
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 13g
Vitamin A: 3505IU
Vitamin C: 1.6mg
Calcium: 53mg
Iron: 1mg