Description
My plant-powered, whole grain, vegan Carrot Spice Cupcakes are naturally sweetened with a touch of agave nectar and raisins, and chock-full of shredded carrots and baking spices.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/3 cup canola oil, expeller pressed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup plain, unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1/3 cup agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds (see note)
- 1 ¾ cups shredded carrots (about 3 medium)
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Frosting:
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- Plant-based milk, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the canola oil, vanilla, plant-based milk, agave, flaxseeds, and chia seeds and beat with an electric mixer or whisk vigorously for 2 minutes, until very smooth and fluffy.
- Stir in the carrots.
- In another bowl, blend the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add to the wet ingredients, a small amount at a time, stirring only to combine. Fold in the raisins and pecans.
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Pour batter into muffin pans that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, or lined with muffin papers that are also sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake the cupcakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool fully.
-
Using an electric mixer, whip vegan cream cheese with coconut palm or brown sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, and enough plant-based milk to make a moist but thick mixture. Frost the tops of each cupcake when cooled.
Notes
*Chia seeds, when combined with liquid, create a gel that can help provide some of the binding power that eggs tend to lend to dishes.
*You may substitute chopped dates for the raisins, and walnuts, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts for the pecans.
*To make this gluten-free, substitute a gluten-free flour blend (such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour) for the white whole wheat flour, and ensure all other ingredients are gluten-free.
Recipe is adapted from The Plant-Powered Diet by Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 278
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 258 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
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