Easter Bunny Carrot Cupcakes (Printable Version)

Moist spiced carrot cupcakes with creamy cheese frosting and cute bunny decorations for spring celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cupcakes

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
11 - 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
14 - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

15 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
17 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
19 - Pinch of salt

→ Decoration

20 - 24 large marshmallows for ears
21 - Pink sanding sugar or edible pink glitter
22 - 12 mini marshmallows for bunny tails
23 - 24 candy eyes
24 - 12 pink candy-coated chocolates for noses

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract until well combined and emulsified.
04 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Fold grated carrots and chopped nuts into batter until evenly distributed throughout.
06 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.
08 - Beat softened cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, then beat until fluffy and light.
09 - Apply frosting generously to each cooled cupcake using an offset spatula or piping bag.
10 - Cut each large marshmallow diagonally. Dip sticky sides into pink sanding sugar or edible glitter to coat the inner ear texture.
11 - Press two marshmallow ears onto each cupcake. Add candy eyes, a pink candy chocolate nose, and a mini marshmallow tail to complete the bunny face design.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cupcakes stay genuinely moist thanks to the applesauce and oil combo, so they actually taste homemade and tender rather than dry or artificial.
  • Kids go absolutely wild decorating these, turning kitchen time into pure joy instead of a task you're rushing through.
  • Cream cheese frosting never gets old, and when you whip it with a touch of butter, it becomes so smooth you'll be sneaking tastes straight from the bowl.
02 -
  • If your frosting looks separated or grainy, your cream cheese or butter was too cold—start over with softened ones because trying to rescue it wastes time and energy.
  • The finely grated carrots matter more than the size—carrot shreds that are too large make cupcakes taste less integrated and more like you just dumped vegetables into cake batter.
  • Room temperature makes an actual difference; cupcakes served straight from the fridge taste a bit too dense, and letting them sit on the counter for 15 minutes transforms them back to their intended texture.
03 -
  • Use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners evenly; it saves time and means every cupcake finishes baking at roughly the same moment.
  • Cut your marshmallows with a slightly damp knife—it prevents sticking and makes your ear shapes clean instead of ragged.
  • If you're baking without nuts for allergies, add an extra quarter cup of carrots to keep the same moisture level.
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