Carrot-Blueberry Cupcakes with a Homemade Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting

These Carrot-Blueberry Cupcakes are a delicious dessert recipe that can easily be made gluten-free and vegan. Plus a simple homemade Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting.

Carrot-Blueberry Cupcakes with a Homemade Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting!  

This little stunner was created for those of us who can’t choose between a muffin or a cupcake and want the best of both worlds.

It has the earthy hits of cinnamon and carrots that is so reminiscent of a classic carrot muffin, but with the sweet frosting of a homemade cupcake. And then we take it up a notch and add in California Giant Berries blueberries for a juicy pop of sweetness. I just adore these berries and i’m telling ya, there is always a way to add berries into any dish, from savory to sweet.

And I am thrilled to be partnering with California Giant Berries again to showcase just how easy it is to add a few more servings of fruit and antioxidants into your day…and it can even be in cupcake form ;)

So, here we are - blending the two, healthy muffin with sweet delicious cupcakes, so you never have to settle :)

---

You Can Watch The Full Cooking Video Here!

 A Big Thank You To California Giant Berry Farms For Partnering With Us On This Delicious Recipe Video! Your Support Means The World And I’m So Glad We’re Able To Showcase Just How Delicious Your Berries Are All Year Long! 

Carrot-Blueberry Cupcakes With Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 10-12 cupcakes 

For the batter:

1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup coconut sugar 

2 large eggs, or two flax eggs if vegan

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup carrots, shredded

1 cup California Giant Berries Blueberries 

For the frosting:

Zest of 1 orange 

8 oz cream cheese or vegan cream cheese 

1/2 cup butter or vegan butter, room temp

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract, optional

Start by preheating your oven to 350F and line a muffin or cupcake tin with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients - including the spices. In a larger bowl, stir in the wet ingredients and the carrots (not the blueberries). 

Now slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk. Once the mixture has been evenly combined, gently fold in the blueberries - careful not to break them. Pop in the oven to bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the center is cooked through. 

While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting by adding all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric whisk (or manually with a spatula) to beat the ingredients together. Once it is well combined and the cupcakes have cooled, frost each one evenly. Enjoy!