8 Store-Bought Carrot Cake Mixes, Ranked Worst To Best

I'd like to applaud whoever first came up with the idea to put carrots into a cake. The sweet-savory dessert is a favorite of many (especially when topped with cream cheese frosting), and though younger me gagged at the thought of vegetables in cake, my more refined palate loves knowing I'm getting at least a little bit of my daily veggie intake when I dive into a slice. 

Carrot cake (or even carrot cake cupcakes) earned its spot as a beloved special treat, which makes this next statement near criminal: I had to seriously hunt to find enough carrot cake mixes for this taste test. The majority of the above came from Amazon, and it seems many baking companies are capitalizing on the "healthy" allure of the treat — many of the mixes I found had plenty of health claims to make them more attractive to consumers. I took none of those into consideration during my taste test. This ranking focuses strictly on flavor and texture, and each mix was so different from the next that they were fairly easy to put in an order. 

Unfortunately, the carrot cake mix from Bake Me Healthy got an easy last-place spot on this list. To start with, the cupcakes were pretty unattractive — the tops didn't smooth out after baking, and nobody loves to look at a lumpy cupcake. They were also incredibly dense, and though I preferred carrot cakes with tighter crumb structures, this was more akin to a really dense bread than a cake. 

Moreover, I don't have many (or any) positive things to say about how these taste. The flour used lent a bitter flavor to the cakes, the carrots weren't at all distinguishable, and I got a lot of protein powder and artificial sweetener flavors. In other words, these were unable to check off any of the boxes required to boost it out of last place here. Unless you don't have the means to make your own plant-free carrot cake, I wouldn't recommend this one. 

Up next is the Ultimate Carrot Cake mix from Sweet Logic, a keto-friendly mix that boasts only 1 gram of sugar per serving. Its packaging is certainly attractive enough to appeal to consumers, but unfortunately, what you get doesn't match the hype. The biggest thing working in this cake mix's favor is that it produced gorgeous cupcakes. The tops were even and slightly domed, with a uniform, tight crumb structure inside. 

Unfortunately, I can't give it many points in the flavor department. The sweetener in the mix left a very off-putting aftertaste, and the flour also gave a strange flavor that I couldn't quite put my finger on — it was a little bitter. Despite having an attractive crumb structure, I got a weirdly granular mouthfeel in every bite. I can see these being a passable substitute if you haven't had typical carrot cake in forever, but otherwise, I'd pass. 

Surprised to see a popular store brand only scoring the third-to-last place? Honestly, so was I. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of the Duncan Hines baking mix brand (or its Dolly Parton spinoffs), I can generally expect reliably palatable results. What I got with this mix didn't do justice to the well-earned glory of the carrot cake. 

On the plus side, the tops of these cupcakes were stunning. They got large and domed, with nice, open cracks running through them. As far as flavor goes, though, I didn't get much of the spice-forward complexity that I expect in carrot cakes; instead, what I got was an unpleasant, astringent, burnt flavor, though the cupcakes weren't burnt at all. That was the biggest thing working against this cake mix; still, since it didn't have the oddly off-putting flavors of the previous two mixes, I was able to put it in sixth place. 

I've previously called Betty Crocker's cake mixes better than those by Duncan Hines, and that verdict held true in this taste test, as well. Even so, Betty Crocker's carrot cake mix was only moderately better than the previous one and doesn't deserve too many accolades here. 

The first cake mix ever released by Betty Crocker was a ginger cake, and I suspect the company tried to inject some of that legacy bake into this cake mix — it had a very strong ginger flavor, which is part of the reason that it didn't earn a higher place on this list. I love ginger, but it overwhelmed the other flavors here, and those averse to ginger probably won't find a huge affinity for this mix. This mix also produced some of the lightest cupcakes of the bunch. They felt incredibly airy and had a loose crumb structure that didn't hold up as well as the more substantial mixes below. 

The carrot cake mix from XO Baking Co. wasn't a bad mix, and it only got fourth place because a couple of the following gluten-free mixes are more impressive. But if you happen across this one, it's not a bad buy, and I'd even suggest that some of my complaints would be mitigated by adding cream cheese frosting. 

The cupcakes were incredibly moist (which I loved), and they also had a tight crumb structure that made each cupcake feel a little weighty. While I got some cinnamon, I thought the cupcakes could have used more flavor, and the texture was a little odd — the carrots felt kind of chewy. Still, this is a perfectly palatable addition to your pantry if you have gluten-free requirements in your household (though I'd suggest shopping the following two before going for this one). 

I was impressed by Stellar Eats' carrot cake mix, which is gluten- and dairy-free, plant-based, and paleo-friendly. It has a lot going for it right off the bat. Once I tasted it, it seemed criminal that my bottom choices were as unpalatable as they were — clearly, it's possible to make a good carrot cake mix that accommodates plenty of dietary preferences.

Stellar Eats' mix tastes exactly how I'd expect a homemade substitution-heavy carrot cake to taste. That's a compliment — I've done a lot of allergen-friendly baking throughout my career, and many of the recipes I've worked with are quite good. It's not a perfect dupe, but I liked the spiced flavors present, and the crumb was loose without being airy. I can't say the carrots were super noticeable, but at least they didn't lend an odd texture to the cake. If you need to make a fully grain-free carrot cake that doesn't compromise too much in terms of flavor and texture, you won't go wrong with this one. 

Mom's Place's carrot cake mix did an incredible job at baking up a sumptuous, tasty, hearty carrot cake, and it just so happens to be gluten-free. I liked the carrot cake mix from the brand much more than its red velvet cake mix; while I could tell that one was gluten-free (and not in a good way), this mix made a very convincing dupe for its glutinous counterpart. 

The resulting cupcakes oozed that classic carrot cake flavor — spices and all — without being too heavy or too light on one tasting note. Texturally, it was perfect, and I adored how moist the end result was. Honestly, I don't think these need frosting, though you should feel free to argue with me there. They struck a good balance in every respect. If you need a gluten-free carrot cake mix, this is my top recommendation; if you have no such dietary restrictions, you should absolutely go with the following. 

Well, Chrissy Teigen, congratulations — you've formulated the best carrot cake mix of the bunch, and earned a very well-deserved top spot on this list. This cake mix was also the most labor-intensive of all. It includes a small packet of dried carrots that need to be rehydrated (via stovetop or microwave) before being blended into the rest of the mix. The box also included instructions and ingredients for a cream cheese frosting and a caramel drizzle, and though I didn't make either of those for this taste test, they're definitely valuable additions. 

Flavor-wise, these knocked it out of the park. Cinnamon — which, in my opinion, should be the dominant tasting note of carrot cake — was present in abundance here. Rehydrating the dried carrots was the right move. It made them stand out and created a genuinely homemade feel throughout the cake. I thought the crumb could have been a little lighter, but it was very moist, and the whole thing was very flavorful. Good job, Cravings crew!

When ranking these mixes, the two factors I primarily considered were flavor and texture. I gave preference to carrot cakes that felt substantial, which is a large part of why Duncan Hines' and Betty Crocker's mixes only got middling spots on this list. To make the ranking as fair as possible, I didn't add frosting to any of the carrot cakes, even though Cravings' mix instructed to do so. 

I also gave preference to carrot cakes with at least some flavor complexity to speak of, without showcasing the offbeat textures occasionally found in bakes relying heavily on substitutes. That didn't give an automatic advantage to "regular" cake mixes; after all, Mom's Place's gluten-free mix ranked higher than two major store-bought mixes.