It’s as if carrot cake and apple cake decided to get together and have babies. These apple carrot cupcakes are the best of both, and the cream cheese frosting is amazing!

Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

These apple carrot cupcakes are what happens when you can’t decide between carrot cake and apple cake; they’re the best of both, combined. They are a little sweeter than a muffin, but with all of the texture and flavor from apples, carrots, coconut, and pecans, and topped with cream cheese frosting.

For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our Guide to Apples.

If you like carrot cake, you are going to love this apple carrot cupcake twist.

(Or not. Skip the frosting if you are being virtuous. You can pretend they’re muffins, nobody will know. But watch out, skipping the frosting just may give you an excuse to eat more of these apple carrot cupcakes than you should. Not that I would know anyone who would do that. Ahem.)

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How to Adapt This Recipe

This recipe yield about 2 dozen cupcakes, so if you do not want that many tempting you, you can bake it as written and share them, or you can cut the recipe in half.

If you want to make this as a cake, you can make the batter as instructed, and pour it into two greased 9-inch round cake pans or one 9×13 cake pan and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes.

Don’t like coconut? Leave it out. Want to use walnuts instead of pecans? Go for it!

Keeping, Storing and Freezing Cupcakes

These cupcakes should keep for 2 to 3 days, frosted and covered. You can freeze them for longer if you have leftover cupcakes, but it’s best to freeze them unfrosted. Thaw on the counter, frost, and serve.

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