These adorable Mini Gluten-Free Carrot Cakes are perfectly decorated for Easter!
Alright, so, here’s the thing—I thought it would be a genius idea to wake up at 4 a.m. and tackle an entire weekend’s worth of blogging in one day. You know, because family was coming over and there was zero wiggle room. Spoiler alert: It was a bad idea. By the time I got to these mini gluten-free carrot cakes, I was running on fumes, covered in coconut shreds, and chucking plastic Easter eggs around like it was my job. But hey, out of that chaos came a recipe that’s not only delicious but also ridiculously easy!
These little carrot cake “baskets” are a fun spin on carrot cake cupcakes, with a little extra magic thrown in. The cream cheese frosting isn’t just on top—it’s stuffed inside, too. Because why not go all in? You’ll scoop out the middle of the cupcake (and obviously eat the scraps for “quality control”), then fill it with frosting before crowning it with more. It’s the kind of dessert that looks like you spent hours, but really, it’s just a clever trick that tastes amazing. And, they’re 100% gluten-free!
By the end of the day, I had created six simple, cute carrot cakes. They’re perfect for Easter—edible “plastic grass” and all. Just don’t ask if I picked my own coconut or sourced eggs straight from the Easter bunny.
Are These Mini Gluten-Free Carrot Cakes Healthy?
It’s totally fair to say these mini cakes are a slightly healthier alternative to classic carrot cake recipes, but they’re still intended to be a sweet treat. With ingredients like sugar, butter, and mini candy eggs, it’s best to enjoy them in moderation or for special occasions.
That said, there are still some nutritious ingredients tucked into this recipe. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, potassium, and biotin, while coconut flour contains fiber, protein, and iron. So it’s not all for nothing!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
These little gluten-free cakes are delightfully Instagrammable in addition to being delicious. When fully assembled, they look like Easter baskets, complete with green plastic grass (that’s actually coconut shreds) and Easter eggs (that are actually chocolate candies). They have serious potential to become the talking point of your holiday table.
This is also a fun recipe to involve the kids with, since it requires some crafty decorating. It’s the perfect way to introduce little ones to helping out in the kitchen, and they’ll have fun being included.
How To Make Ahead And Store
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container. They will last around 2-4 days when stored at room temperature. You can also put them in the fridge to get a few extra days out of them.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re all about cute finger foods, you can do double duty by making a plate of Easter Chick Deviled Eggs to bring to your Easter get-together. And for even more crowd-pleasing sweets, try these Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Truffles and this Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Dip.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1/2 cup coconut flour (45 grams) sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 1/4 cups grated carrot about 4 small carrots
For the Coconut Topping:
- 1/2 tablespoon water
- green food coloring
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
For the Icing:
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- Cadbury mini eggs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with 6 muffin liners. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the sifted coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together the eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Stir in the coconut flour mixture, and then beat it to make sure that the lumps are completely gone.
- Stir in the grated carrots until all the carrots are mixed in and coated in the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins and let stand 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before assembling.
- To make the green coconut topping, mix the water and desired amount of green food coloring in a small baggie.
- Mix the water and desired amount of green food coloring in a small baggie. Add in the coconut and swirl around until all the coconut is covered. Lay out on a paper towel to dry and set aside.
- To make the frosting, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Beat in the vanilla. Turn the mixer down to low and gradually beat in the powdered sugar.
- Turn the speed back up and beat frosting for an additional 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Using a small spoon, scoop a little circle out of the center of each mini carrot cake.
- Spoon the icing into a piping bag and fill the hole with frosting, swirling it just over the top of the cake as well.
- Sprinkle with the green coconut flakes and decorate with Cadbury mini eggs.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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