Vegan Carrot Cake Cup Cakes (Halloween Edition)
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Hey friends!
I hope everyone had a *fantasticccc* weekend! It is finally 'chilly' in the 305 (Miami, Fl) and that automatically puts me in a much happier, festive, fall-ish mood. 🙂
Tomorrow is HALLOWEEN !!!! And although I don't have any big plans, I have been busy cooking up a spooky storm.
Today's recipe is so easy and simple - I had it done in less than an hour! All you need is a food processor and a blender, and maybe these adorable halloweenish cupcake holders from Amazon (affiliate link).
So, I wanted to make Halloween cupcakes and the color orange automatically came to mind... And then I thought CARROTS! Truth be told, I had never ever made carrot cake before, nor used carrot PULP in any of my recipes so I figured this was a great opportunity to experiment.
This recipe was inspired by your every day carrot cake, turned cupcakes with cashew icing on top! And maybe some sugar free, oil free, homemade chocolate chips. ( I will be posting a recipe for that soon, I promise)
For these cupcakes I used the left over pulp from juicing carrots. No worries, you can also simply grate some carrots and use that instead. However, if you have a juicer, I encourage you to try making them with the pulp!
This recipe was such a hit that I am probably going to make these cupcakes again soon, after halloween, ... andddd mayyyybe with the same cupcake liners.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the pictures and the recipe. And if you make it, let me know by leaving a comment below or tagging me with a picture on our instagram (@sproutingzeneats).
All righty guys and gals, HAVE FUN!
* carrot cake cupcakes adapted from this recipe here.
Vegan Carrot Cake Cup Cakes (Halloween Edition)
Ingredients
Ingredients for cupcake:
- 1 cup of walnuts
- 1 cup of dates
- 2 cups of carrot pulp (from juicing) or you can sub for 2 cups grated carrots
- 1 tsp of cinnamon powder
- a dash of nutmeg
- a pinch of salt
- sugar free vegan chocolate chips (optional)
For icing:
- 1 cup soaked cashews
- 6 dates (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1 tsp of lemon
- pinch of salt
- water to blend ( I used about 6 tbs of water, you might need less or more)
Instructions
- Place all cupcake ingredients in a food processor and process until evenly mixed and a dough consistency forms. ( Try to squeeze as much juice out of your pulp or grated carrots as you can, or else the mixture will be too wet.. You can use a nut milk bag to really squeeze out the excess juice or if you have a dehydrator, you can dry it there for an hour or two.)
- Remove mixture from food processor and add chocolate chips (optional) and mix by hand. Then, get about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of mixture and place it in cupcake liners, pushing down with your hands until the dough is evenly pressed into the liner. Do this step until all dough is used up. You should be able to make 6 to 8 cupcakes. (or more if you use smaller cupcake liners) Set in fridge to harden.
- Time to make the icing – place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Place inside of a piping bag and set aside in the freezer for a few minutes to allow the icing to harden. (it makes it easier to decorate cupcakes when it is thicker.)
- Using piping bag, decorate the tops of your cupcakes as you please. You can sprinkle cinnamon or grated carrots on top of icing to add a little bit of color. If you have left over chocolate chips, sprinkle them on top as well.
- And that’s it! Time to eat up. Enjoy.
Notes
- These are best served right away so that icing can be nice and fresh, however they will last in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Icing may begin to darken as time passes but still tastes delicious.
