Heavenly (and Healthy) Carrot Cake Muffins — gluten free option

By Ann Fulton

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Deliciously wholesome way to start the day. Perfect for snacking too – or add frosting and call them cupcakes!

 

These muffins are a big-time favorite in our house. I have even passed these healthy treats off as carrot cake cupcakes with a smear of buttercream icing on top.  

Sometimes, I use my gluten-free flour blend, and no one knows the difference.

This batch is getting candles stuck in them for a birthday breakfast. I think they will bring a smile to the birthday boy’s face!

Heavenly (and Healthy) Carrot Cake Muffins–gluten free option
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend or whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil or melted coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 ½ cups grated carrots
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup pecans, walnuts or nut of choice (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix first seven ingredients together in large bowl.
  2. Combine egg, oil, milk and vanilla in small bowl.
  3. Mix carrot, pineapple, raisins and (optional) nuts in medium bowl.
  4. Add egg mixture to carrot mixture and mix well. Then add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  5. Divide batter among 12 greased muffin tins (I like to use a large ice cream scoop) and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
  • In a hurry? Combine dry ingredients ahead of time. I often prepare what I can in advance, even the day before. Doing so makes the actual task that much faster.
  • Make quick work of shredding the carrots by using the shredder blade of a food processor.
  • In the summer when zucchini is abundant, try using half carrots and half zucchini.
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Add a little icing and you can pass these muffins off as cupcakes!

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Anna

    I made these muffins. I used Pillsbury all purpose gluten free flour. They are amazing! They aren’t grainy and they are very moist. This will be my new go to recipe for gf carrot muffins. And they are so delish with cream cheese icing! Thank you for sharing I appreciate it!

    Reply
  2. Katie Post author

    I made these today for the first time and they are delicious with a perfect texture! 8 thumbs up from my family!

    Reply
  3. Roxanne

    Simply delicious & easy to put together! Thank You
    I do have a questions; should these be refrigerated or safe to leave on counter?

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      I’m so happy you like, Roxanne! You can keep the muffins at room temperature for several days, although I tend to refrigerate them because I think it preserves the freshness a little bit better.

      Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Hi Joanne, I haven’t made these muffins with an egg replacer, but I’ve used the neat egg in other recipes with good success. A flax egg or your favorite egg replacer would likely work, too.

      Reply
  4. Michelle

    Absolutely perfect! Thank you so much! I have searched everywhere for the perfect recipe. These are a staple in my house now !

    Reply
  5. Yanesia

    Hi…I decided to bake these out of all the recipes I looked on the internet:) About how many calories for each cupcake? fat content? Thank you so much for the recipe.

    Thanks.

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Hi Yanesia, I’m so glad you found this recipe! I don’t typically include the nutritional breakdown, mostly because I offer choices within so many of my recipes and there can be variations based on different products used. However, I do like the following calculator for those who like to know and find it to be very user friendly: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  6. Stacie

    I realized too late that my pineapple was out of date- apparently I don’t use crushed pineapple often! I was afraid to eliminate completely for fear that it contributed to the moisture, so I substituted 3/4 cup of applesauce and they came out great! Just thought I’d share!

    Reply
  7. Pingback: Deliciously Moist And Healthy Carrot Pineapple Muffins | Run With Woot

    1. Ann

      I have not made these without the pineapple, and it does add to the sweetness and texture. That said, I might try it with a comparable amount of grated apple–perhaps something sweet like a Fuji. You could try grated zucchini, but then you might want to add a couple tablespoons of honey. If you try, I’d love to hear how you make out!

      Reply
  8. Claire Bennett

    These muffins are great. I used Bob’s Gluten Free flour and added some coconut, walnuts, and sesame seeds, as I had no fruit. Love your site!

    Reply
    1. Ann

      Thank you for the comment, Claire, and I am so glad you enjoyed these! I love your additions…especially the coconut!

      Reply
  9. Pingback: Carrot Cake Quick Bread | WINE AND NO CHEESE

    1. Ann

      Hi Lisa,
      I have not used almond flour as a substitute in this recipe, thinking it would most likely change the texture. The gluten-free blend works very well as a cup-for-cup substitute for all-purpose flour and mimics the texture quite well. My best guess is that the end result with almond flour wouldn’t taste bad, but would be a bit denser.

      Reply
  10. Amee

    How did you know that the way to my heart is with a gluten-free carrot muffin??! YUMMY! I love these guilt-free treats! Thank you for sharing on Fit and Fab! 🙂

    Reply