These Easter-themed mini carrot cupcakes are the ultimate Easter afternoon tea treat. Moist cinnamon-spiced carrot cakes are crowned with tangy lemon cream cheese icing, coconut “grass,” then topped with festive Easter bunny sprinkles. Fun, easy to make, and loved by kids and adults alike, these bite-sized cupcakes can be made ahead and frozen, making them perfect for stress-free Easter entertaining.
Pastels, bunnies, and carrots – a dream theme?
I’ve always had a soft spot for themed baking, and Easter might just be my favourite of all. While Christmas sparkles with glitter and Valentine’s Day is all about hearts, nothing quite compares to the loveliness of soft pastels and sweet little bunnies. It’s the perfect excuse to lean into those delicate colours, and what better way to do it than with a batch of mini carrot cupcakes? Topped with pale green coconut “grass” and the cutest pastel bunnies, they’re almost too adorable to eat.
Why You’ll Love These Easter-themed Mini Carrot Cupcakes
- Perfect for Easter entertaining – Ideal for Easter afternoon tea, dessert tables, or school holiday baking.
- Light, moist, and full of flavour – Classic spiced carrot cake with a soft texture in every bite.
- Fluffy and tangy lemon cream cheese icing (the best thing about carrot cake!)
- Fun and kid-friendly – Decorated with coconut “grass” and pastel Easter bunny sprinkles, they’re a hit with all ages.
- Easy make-ahead recipe – Bake in advance and freeze, then ice when ready to serve.
What Do I Need?
- Digital scales for accurate measurements (essential for baking success)
- Mini cupcake cases with a 40mm base diameter
- Open star piping tip (I’ve used an 864 but 1M or similar works too)
- Mini muffin tin
- Stand mixer, mixer bowl and paddle attachment
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Chopping board and knife
- Grater
- Zester
- Mini icecream scoop (optional)
- Wire cooling rack
- Disposable piping bag
- Pastel bunny sprinkles
- Airtight container for storage
Other delicious Afternoon Tea recipes to make
Smoked Salmon Finger Sandwiches
How to make my Easter-themed Mini Carrot Cupcakes
Read through the whole recipe before you get started.
Preheat the oven to 160 C fan / 320 F fan.
Place the cupcake cases in a mini muffin tin and set aside.
Roughly chop the grated carrot, walnuts and orange zest. Leave everything on your chopping board for now. TIP: Use the back of the spoon to break up the brown sugar.
Place the flour, soft brown sugar, white sugar, salt, bicarb and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
In a separate large bowl, combine the vegetable oil with the sour cream, eggs and the vanilla extract. Mix well with a fork then add the carrots, walnuts and zest. Stir until all the carrot is coated with the wet mixture.
Add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture and stir until all the flour has been incorporated.
Fill each cupcake case three-quarters full with the batter. Use a mini ice cream scoop to make it easier and ensure consistency with the size. The scoop I used measures 4cm in diameter.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven then transfer to a wire rack to cool (bottom side up). Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Make the coconut ‘grass’
Mix a drop of lime food colouring together with either ¼ tsp coconut or vegetable oil. Add the shredded coconut and mix until you achieve a colour similar to grass. Set aside while you make the icing.
Make the lemon cream cheese icing
Fit a medium disposable piping bag with a large open star tip (I’ve used an 864). Snip off the end and set aside.
Place the softened butter and the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Restart the mixer on the lowest setting and add the sifted icing sugar one tablespoon at a time until all has been added. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and increase the speed to medium. Beat for 1 minute until fluffy. Stop and scrape down the sides. Beat again for 30 seconds.
Place the piping bag inside a tall glass and turn over the top third to make a cuff.
Fill with the lemon cream cheese icing, pull up the cuff, twist the bag and squeeze until the icing reaches the tip.
Ice the carrot cakes
Position the piping bag just above the surface of the cupcake then pipe a large blob of icing. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
Garnish
Sprinkle a small amount of coconut grass on the top of the icing. Gently press so it sticks a little then clean up any bits that have fallen on the cake.
Top with a bunny sprinkle.
Serve on a tiered stand, plate or platter.
Frequently Asked Questions about my Easter-themed Mini Carrot Cupcakes
How can I make these ahead of time?
Un-iced: Bake the carrot cakes 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container lined with baking paper in the refrigerator.
Iced: Bake, ice and add the coconut grass the day before required then store overnight as above. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving, then finish with the bunny sprinkle.
Freeze: Freeze un-iced cupcakes for up to 1 month. Place in an airtight container lined with baking paper and write the date on top. Defrost overnight in the fridge (keep in the container) then follow the instructions for icing and garnishing.
Easter-themed Mini Carrot Cupcakes
14
cupcakes20
minutes25
minutesKey equipment (see blog post for more)
Mini cupcake liners 40mm base
Piping tip open star 864 or similar
Digital scales for accurate measurements
Delicious cinnamon-spiced mini carrot cakes are crowned with tangy lemon cream cheese icing, coconut “grass,” then finished with Easter bunny sprinkles.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Carrot Cupcakes
100 g 100 grated carrot (about 2 large or 3 medium)
Zest from half an orange
35 g 35 walnuts, roughly chopped
85 g 85 plain / all purpose flour
65 g 65 soft brown sugar
65 g 65 white sugar
pinch fine table salt
1/4 tsp 1/4 bicarb soda
1/2 tsp 1/2 cinnamon
65 g 65 vegetable oil
20 g 20 sour cream
1 large 1 egg
1/2 tsp 1/2 vanilla extract
- Coconut grass
20 grams 20 shredded coconut
1 1 drop Colour Mill lime food colouring (oil based)
1/4 tsp 1/4 coconut oil or vegetable oil
- Lemon cream cheese icing
100 g 100 Cream cheese
60 g 60 unsalted butter, softened
80 g 80 Icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp 1 freshly squeezed Lemon juice
- Garnish
Pastel bunny sprinkles
Directions
- Read through the whole recipe before you get started.
- For the mini carrot cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 160 C fan / 320 F fan.
- Place the cupcake cases in a mini muffin tin and set aside.
- Roughly chop the grated carrot, walnuts and orange zest. Leave everything on your chopping board for now. TIP: Use the back of the spoon to break up the brown sugar.
- Place the flour, soft brown sugar, white sugar, salt, bicarb and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the vegetable oil with the sour cream, eggs and the vanilla extract. Mix well with a fork then add the carrots, walnuts and zest. Stir until all the carrot is coated with the wet mixture.
- Add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture and stir until all the flour has been incorporated.
- Fill each cupcake case three-quarters full with the batter. Use a mini ice cream scoop to make it easier and ensure consistency with the size. The scoop I used measures 4cm in diameter.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven then transfer to a wire rack to cool (bottom side up). Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Make the coconut ‘grass’
- Mix a drop of lime food colouring together with either ¼ tsp coconut or vegetable oil. Add the shredded coconut and mix until you achieve a colour similar to grass. Set aside while you make the icing.
- Make the lemon cream cheese icing
- Fit a medium disposable piping bag with a large open star tip (I’ve used an 864). Snip off the end and set aside.
- Place the softened butter and the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Restart the mixer on the lowest setting and add the sifted icing sugar one tablespoon at a time until all has been added. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and increase the speed to medium. Beat for 1 minute until fluffy. Stop and scrape down the sides. Beat again for 30 seconds.
- Place the piping bag inside a tall glass and turn over the top third to make a cuff.
- Fill with the lemon cream cheese icing, pull up the cuff, twist the bag and squeeze until the icing reaches the tip.
- Ice the carrot cakes
- Position the piping bag just above the surface of the cupcake then pipe a large blob of icing. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.
- Garnish
- Sprinkle a small amount of coconut grass on the top of the icing. Gently press so it sticks a little then clean up any bits that have fallen on the cake.
- Top with a bunny sprinkle.
- Serve on a tiered stand, plate or platter.
- How to store or make ahead
- Un-iced: Bake the carrot cakes 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container lined with baking paper in the refrigerator.
- Iced: Bake, ice and add the coconut grass the day before required then store overnight as above. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving, then finish with the bunny sprinkle.
- Freeze: Freeze un-iced cupcakes for up to 1 month. Place in an airtight container lined with baking paper and write the date on top. Defrost overnight in the fridge (keep in the container) then follow the instructions for icing and garnishing.