Baking directly in the muffin tin without the liners is my favorite way to bake these! They bake up perfectly, they get a nice edge that contrasts the rest of the muffin, and they should look very beautiful without the paper! Downsides of paper liners: they take longer to bake, and these are very moist muffins, so if you’re making them a day ahead, the oil may saturate the paper liners.

Can I make these in a mini muffin tin?

Love that idea! Just reduce the bake time to 10 minutes and check on them from there.

Can I made these cupcakes dairy-free?

The carrot cake cupcakes, as written, are dairy free. For the frosting – I’ve never tried it, but I would imagine using dairy-free butter and vegan cream cheese would work for the frosting (like this recipe).

Can I use a different oil for this recipe?

I prefer a neutral-tasting oil for this, so canola oil or vegetable oil. I also loved coconut oil in these, but they didn’t stay as soft once they cooled. (See the notes of the recipe for my full comments on our experiences testing other oils!)