Chocolate Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated carrots
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, or to taste
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, or to taste (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease or line muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk carrots, eggs, milk, applesauce, canola oil, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a separate bowl; stir into carrot mixture until just combined into a batter. Fold chocolate chips and cranberries into batter. Spoon about 2 tablespoons batter into each prepared muffin cup.

Bake in the preheated oven until cupcakes are fluffy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.