My incredibly easy carrot cake cupcakes start with a boxed mix for a super moist and flavorful treat that’s ready to go in about 30 minutes! I doctor up a box of carrot cake mix with shredded coconut, walnuts, and crushed pineapple, then top these cupcakes with a simple cream cheese frosting. They taste totally homemade, but take almost zero effort!
Top Reader Review
This recipe is amazing not just the outcome but the way it’s set up I don’t have to jump back and forth to the measurements and directions (the measurements are found under the instructions as well) amazing!
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Doctored Carrot Cake Cupcakes Made with a Boxed Mix
Carrot cake is my favorite dessert for Easter, and this cake mix hack has become the secret star of my dessert table every Spring. By upgrading a box of carrot cake mix with extra add-ins — like pineapple, nuts, and coconut — they end up looking and tasting like they came from a professional bakery.
I prefer to make carrot cake cupcakes instead of a full cake, because they’re a lot easier to make, they’re extra-portable, and they’re already perfectly-portioned for everyone at the party! My 3-ingredient cream cheese frosting is a deliciously tangy topping for these cupcakes, but a container of pre-made frosting works just as well. Trust me, no one will know the difference!
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One Simple Trick!
Before folding your walnuts, pineapple, coconut, and raisins into the carrot cake batter, toss them in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of the dry cake mix (reserved from the box) until they are lightly coated. This simple trick helps them stay in place inside the cupcake batter, instead of sinking to the bottom.
Carrot Cake Mix Cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- Cupcake Tin
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake Cupcakes:
- 26.5 ounces carrot cake mix (2 boxes)*
- 2 cups water
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup crushed walnuts
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup crushed pineapple well-drained
- ½ cup raisins (optional)
- ½ cup crushed walnuts for topping (optional)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional):**
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature (2 bricks)
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-count cupcake pan with a nonstick baking spray or line the wells with cupcake wrappers.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs.26.5 ounces carrot cake mix, 2 cups water, ⅔ cup vegetable oil, 6 large eggs
- Fold in the walnuts, coconut, pineapple, and optional raisins.1 cup crushed walnuts, ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, ¼ cup crushed pineapple, ½ cup raisins
- Fill the wells or cupcake wrappers ¾ of the way full. Bake for 19-21 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes and then move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.16 ounces cream cheese , 1½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ cup crushed walnuts
- Spread the cupcakes with frosting and top with some crushed walnuts.
Notes
- If you’d like to add fresh carrots, I recommend replacing one of the other mix-ins (or reducing the total amount of mix-ins) to compensate for the extra moisture.
- Put the crushed pineapple in a fine-mesh strainer and press it with the back of a spoon (or squeeze it in a paper towel) until no more juice comes out.
- Optionally, toss the walnuts and coconut in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant before adding them to the batter.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients just until the flour streaks disappear, then gently fold in your chunky extras to avoid tough cupcakes.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake tins as the batter will rise in the oven. Fill them ¾ of the way.
- If the cupcakes will be piped and the frosting is too soft, add another ½ cup of powdered sugar to the frosting and blend it in well.
- This recipe will frost 24 cupcakes with a spreading method or a piped rosette. If a fluffy swirl (similar to what was used in the photos) is desired then double this frosting recipe. I used a Wilton 1M tip to frost my cupcakes.
How to Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes from Box Mix Step-by-Step
Mix the Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-count cupcake pan with a nonstick baking spray, or line the wells with cupcake wrappers. Remove 2 tablespoons of your dry cake mix and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 26.5 ounces (2 boxes) of carrot cake mix, 2 cups of water, ⅔ cup of vegetable oil, and 6 large room-temperature eggs. Mix just until there are no longer dry flour streaks — we don’t want to over-mix.
Add the Mix-ins: Toss 1 cup of crushed walnuts, ½ cup of sweetened shredded coconut, ¼ cup of crushed pineapple, and ½ cup of raisins in the reserved 2 tablespoons of cake mix, then gently fold them into the batter. This will help prevent them from all sinking to the bottom.
Bake the Cupcakes: Fill the wells or cupcake wrappers ¾ of the way full (I like to use a cookie portion scoop to do this). Bake in the preheated oven for 19-21 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes and then move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Make the Frosting: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together 16 ounces (2 bricks) of room-temperature cream cheese, 1½ cups of powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. If the frosting feels too soft to pipe, add another ½ cup of powdered sugar and blend it in well. Or simply use a container of pre-made frosting.
Frost the Cupcakes: Spread cream cheese frosting on top of the carrot cupcakes, and top with some crushed walnuts, if desired.
How to Store and Freeze
The frosted cupcakes will keep well covered in the refrigerator for 3 days. Unfrosted, these carrot cake cupcakes will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can easily make the cupcakes ahead of time and then frost them just before serving.
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