19 Carrot Dessert Recipes That Go Beyond Cake
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
If you're bored with serving the same classic carrot cake, then you have come to the right place. We've gathered more than a dozen of our favorite carrot dessert recipes, and yes, a few are traditional carrot cake recipes, but most are fun riffs on the format. (We even have one recipe known as the "Oddball Carrot Cake.") They are perfect ways to end a big Easter meal, but equally welcome year-round at all sorts of occasions, from showers to birthdays. Grab your box grater, or for those lucky folks, food processor attachment—and get to shredding, because these sweet treats are loaded with carrots.
Carrot-Pineapple Cake
Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Many will say canned pineapple is the secret to a good carrot cake. For those that agree, this is the recipe for you.
Mini Carrot Cakes
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Grab your piping bag and star tip because these Mini Carrot Cakes are almost too cute to resist. The best part? They don't require a fancy cake pan to pull off, simply punch out the cake rounds from a sheet pan. (And enjoy the scraps as a chef's treat.)
Best Carrot Cake
We don't call it the "best" for nothing. Three layers of moist, nutty cake are moistened with a buttermilk glaze and stacked with tangy cream cheese for an excellent way to end the meal.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
A lot easier to transport than a layer cake, these cupcakes still pack the same carrot-filled bite. We use walnuts as a garnish, but the South's favorite nut (pecans) work just as well.
Apple-Pecan Carrot Cake
Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Not only is this cake filled with grated apples, but we use apple pie spice to enhance the apple flavor and drizzle the cake with an apple cider caramel. It doesn't get more autumnal than that.
Carrot Cake With Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones
The candy carrot decorations are easily our favorite part of this cake. Well, aside from the sweet maple twist on the classic cream cheese frosting.
Carrot Cake Bars
A finishing sprinkle of toasted coconut chips is the small detail that really sets this carrot dessert recipe apart from others. The pro move? Add a little flaky salt, too; it helps balance the sweetness of the cake and frosting.
The Ultimate Carrot Cake
Candied carrot curls are the pièce de résistance on this towering carrot cake made a little untraditionally with grated apples, pecans, and a brown sugar cream cheese frosting. This recipe only proves that some traditions are meant to be broken.
Carrot Cake Cheesecake
If you love cheesecake and carrot cake, don't compromise, and make this dessert that combines both. We swap a classic graham cracker crust for a layer of carrot cake under an impossibly fluffy cheesecake.
Carrot Cake Quick Bread
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
If you want all the flavor of a carrot cake, but none of the hassle of baking (and frosting) multiple layers, this recipe is the solution. As the name alludes, it comes together quickly, and when finishing with a beautiful white drizzle, looks just as stunning as a layer cake.
Carrot-Walnut Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This cake comes together in one-bowl, a fact that alone should convince you try it at least once. It also contains double the carrot content, from both shredded carrots and carrot juice.
Erika Kwee's Spiced Carrot Cake with Candied Pecans and Caramel Sauce
Erika Kwee tests recipes for a living, so you know her version of carrot cake is foolproof and deeply considered. For a fresh take on the format, the cake is topped with candied pecans and a rich brown sugar caramel.
Oddball Carrot Cake
Courtesy Ecco
This cake earns its name from the yellow frosting used to coat the layers. You can achieve the look with a little food coloring, or for a more natural approach, using carrot juice.
Carrot Bundt Cake
Loops of cream cheese frosting, carrot chips, and crystalized ginger, help make this humble Bundt cake a stunning showstopper.
Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream
Coconut makes its way into every part of this cake, from the sponge itself, to the buttercream made with coconut milk, and the garnish on top. In fact, this cake contains two types of flaked coconut for added flavor and texture.
Tropical Carrot Cake
Banana, pineapple, and coconut add sunny tropical flavors to this carrot cake.
Easter Carrot Cake Trifles
We use boxed cake mix to make these trifles extra easy to pull off. That said, if you accidentally break a carrot cake layer, or find yourself with cake scraps, this is a great recipe to put them to good use.
Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes with Buttermilk-Vanilla Glaze
We can't explain why, but mini baked goods are just somehow better. Is it because they are inherently cuter? These mini Bundts sure are pretty cute, and they taste as good as they look, too.
Carrot Cake Muffins
A muffin might not technically be a dessert, but if serving Easter brunch this year, they might just be the perfect sweet way to end the meal.
Related: 6 Secrets To The Best Carrot Cake
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