carrot-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-icing.jpgPin

I’ve been getting tons of emails from parents asking for cake recipe ideas for 1st birthday parties. I still find it amazing how one’s family’s social calendar completely changes after one has a kid. Our weekend schedules are packed with kids’ birthday parties whereas we used to get invited to them about twice a year. Birthday parties for little ones can be loads of fun, but the last thing a parent wants on the ride home is their little one on a sugar high from all the birthday cake.
These carrot cupcakes are delectable. They’re made with agave nectar instead of sugar. Agave nectar comes from the agave plant. It is a sweet liquid with a consistency a bit smoother than honey. Agave is also low on the glycemic index and is metabolized by your body slower than sugar so it has a less severe effect on blood sugar fluctuations. You can find it at any health food store and I bet you’ll find many ways for it to replace sugar in your kitchen.
Instead of baking one big cake, I prefer to decorate a platter with tons of cupcakes. I think this is ultimately more fun for the kids (and parents) since they all get their own cupcake they can decorate with nuts, sprinkles or whatever suits their fancy. It’s also a good way to manage portion control. Anyway these are a blast to make for a birthday or any special occassion and heavenly tasting to eat!


carrot-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-icing.jpgPin

Carrot & Pineapple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

No ratings yet
Author: Catherine McCord
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 1/2 Cups AP Flour
  • 3/4 Tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 Tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 Tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 Tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 Cup agave or honey
  • 1/2 Cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 Cup Carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 1/4 Cup Pineapple, drained, crushed in juice

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a medium sized bowl.
  • Using a mixer, beat the agave, oil and eggs until thoroughly combined.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
  • Add the carrots and pineapple and beat until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  • Line 14-1/3 cup muffin cups or mini muffins with paper liners.
  • Scoop batter into cups, filling 3/4 full.
  • Bake for 30 minutes for regular 1/3 cup muffins or 15 minutes for mini cupcakes.
  • Cool (cupcakes can be made 1 day ahead, cover and store at room temperature).
  • 10 Spread top of each cupcake with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese icing and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 200mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!

About the Author

Catherine is a mama of three. A Kentucky girl living in California. Here’s what I know: all kids can be great eaters and mealtime must be easy. I create simple, healthy recipes the whole family will love.

Comments

  1. I want to make these. They look delicious. I’m sure the agave nectar is better for us than sugar, but I really don’t want to invest in agave nectar this week. Any ideas how much sugar I could use to replace the agave nectar? Thanks for all of your great recipes. I use Weelicious regularly, have been since my kids were really small. Now they are 9 and 11…

  2. Hi, we’ve just discovered weelicious. We’ve made several recipes this week. We love these “cupcakes,” even without the frosting. So moist! I even subbed 1 1/8 cups of whole wheat flour for the all purpose and replaced 2/3 of the 1/2 cup of oil with applesauce. Still moist and delicious!

  3. […] Carrot and pineapple cupcakes with cream cheese icing […]

  4. […] This Carrot Pineapple cupcake recipe is a god send for parents whose children are especially susceptible to sugar. Using agave instead of white processed sugar, these treats remain sweet but they are less likely to cause the “sugar high” that causes so many problems in children. The peeled and shredded carrots and pineapples add texture which some children have an aversion to, but pureeing these may alleviate this problem while preserving the flavor. Source Weelicious […]

  5. Carrot & Pineapple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing | Cupcake Ideas, Cupcake Recipes, Cupcake Pictures says:

    […] This Carrot Pineapple cupcake recipe is a god send for parents whose children are especially susceptible to sugar. Using agave instead of white processed sugar, these treats remain sweet but they are less likely to cause the “sugar high” that causes so many problems in children. The peeled and shredded carrots and pineapples add texture which some children have an aversion to, but pureeing these may alleviate this problem while preserving the flavor. Source Weelicious […]

  6. […] This Carrot Pineapple cupcake recipe is a god send for parents whose children are especially susceptible to sugar. Using agave instead of white processed sugar, these treats remain sweet but they are less likely to cause the “sugar high” that causes so many problems in children. The peeled and shredded carrots and pineapples add texture which some children have an aversion to, but pureeing these may alleviate this problem while preserving the flavor. Source Weelicious […]

  7. […] This Carrot Pineapple cupcake recipe is a god send for parents whose children are especially susceptible to sugar. Using agave instead of white processed sugar, these treats remain sweet but they are less likely to cause the “sugar high” that causes so many problems in children. The peeled and shredded carrots and pineapples add texture which some children have an aversion to, but pureeing these may alleviate this problem while preserving the flavor. Source Weelicious […]

  8. […] This Carrot Pineapple cupcake recipe is a god send for parents whose children are especially susceptible to sugar. Using agave instead of white processed sugar, these treats remain sweet but they are less likely to cause the “sugar high” that causes so many problems in children. The peeled and shredded carrots and pineapples add texture which some children have an aversion to, but pureeing these may alleviate this problem while preserving the flavor. Source Weelicious […]

  9. […] a dedicated “smash cake.” My sister is an excellent baker and agreed to try her hand at this healthier recipe (bonus: it looks delicious!). I’m really not into anything “themed,” so I think […]

  10. […] this recipe, any cupcakes will do but I got adventurous and made carrot & pineapple cupcakes with cream cheese icing. That’s right, scratch-made cupcakes and scratch-made icing. I wouldn’t blame you if you […]

  11. […] Carrot and Pineapple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing […]

  12. I would use the same oven temperature. Check the cake after 30 minutes to see if it is ready!

  13. Hi! I made the cupcakes and they were delish..i want to make a 8 in. round ” smash” cake for my daughter’s first birthday. Any idea on how long to bake the cake? same temperture? Thank you. I love that you have provided sooo much delish recipes without suger! aimee

  14. […] Recipe Source: Weelicious […]

  15. fondos…

    […]Weelicious ™ – Fast, Easy & Fresh Homemade Home Made Baby Food Babyfood Recipes, Toddler Food and recipes for the entire family! » Blog Archive » Carrot & Pineapple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing[…]…

  16. These just came out of the oven and my 2 year is eating his 2nd one. He likes his without frosting and I like mine with. I used egg replacer (allergies) and substituted applesauce since I didn’t have pineapple. They taste great!

  17. Does anyone know if this recipe makes enough for two 9-inch layers? If so, how long would you bake them for?

  18. I made this cake for the first time the day of my daughter’s 3rd Birthday party. I made two 8in layers for a two layer cake with a bit extra for 5 cupcakes leftover. It was a heavy cake but very moist. Everyone loved it! The icing was really good as well. I am thinking about making it again for my son’s 1st Birthday in August. This was the 1st cake I ever made from scratch, icing and all. Thanks!

  19. Looks really good! and healthy too! Could I substitute half the amount of sugar instead of Agave??

  20. Baking in a 6″ pan, I had the same problem, where it burnt on the outside and was raw in the middle. Ick–I am so glad I practiced before my son’s birthday. I really liked the idea of using agave nectar, but all of that expensive agave ended up in the garbage when the cake flopped. I have an oven thermometer inside, so I know my oven temp is accurate. I also made sure to only put 2 c. of batter in the pan, according to Wilton’s instructions. Maybe this only works well for mini cupcakes. I don’t know how you made it work, but I am really disappointed.

  21. Was the oven set at 350? Maybe your oven can be off, try setting it at a lower temperature like 325 and see what happens.

  22. Wow, thanks so much for this recipe. My dad is borderline diabetic and his birthday is Tuesday.

    I was searching everywhere for an agave cream cheese icing, and your site had both a great carrot cake and icing recipe!

    I made this cake for today’s dinner. It looks and smells delicious! I don’t have kids, but your blog is great. 🙂

  23. Great Idea, I made these for my son’s 1st B-day but since I used the same muffin tins I make muffins in the leftover oil made the bottoms of the cupcakes burn a bit… hmm, maybe it’s just my baking skills, in any case the TOPS tasted great! My husband even liked them..

    Thanks for all the great ideas – I love your site!

    Sarah

  24. Hello, love your recipes. I am going to try them out. I have a question regarding agave. Where can I purchase Agave Nectar? Is it available at local supermarkets or do I have to go to a Speciality store?

    Thank you.

    Pam

  25. This recipe was SO easy to make, very healthy and turned out one DELICIOUS dessert! I actually made it into a cake for my husbnd and myself (my 7 week old son can have some via me!) My husband actually commented, “Um you better save this recipe!” And the whole thing is sugar free! I want to try it with egg replacers since I think my young one may be developing an allergy to eggs. Do you have any favorite brands you recommend for egg replacers? Otherwise, I love this cake…just sweet enough, moist and like I said, EASY! I plan on making this for our next potluck dinner or family get-together. by the way…love the website…keep up the excellent work!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating