These gluten free carrot cake muffins deliver light and fluffy muffins that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free, yet so delicious that no one would guess. Sweetened with maple syrup, not refined sugar, these carrot cake muffins are a hit with everyone. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack, they are super easy to make and last the better part of a week wrapped on the kitchen counter, plus they freeze. You've got to make a batch.
My Aunt Rose made a mean carrot cake, and it's still one of my all-time favorites. But as my diet evolved-shifting toward healthier and gluten-free choices-I found myself baking less. Then I discovered how beautifully almond flour and coconut flour work together. After a few rounds of testing, I created these gluten-free carrot cake muffins that check all the boxes: light, flavorful, naturally sweetened, and incredibly easy to make.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A healthier muffin recipe, versus using white flour and white sugar.
- You can even frost them with cream cheese frosting like cupcakes.
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, but no one would ever guess. They're fantastic.
- Paleo carrot cake muffins (if you follow paleo).
For more terrific gluten-free muffins, try this Gluten-free zucchini muffins recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
- Almond flour blend: Use Bob's Red Mill paleo blend flour, a blend of almond flour and coconut flour.
- Baking powder: Use aluminum-free baking powder, be sure to check the expiration date.
- Baking soda: Another leavening agent in baking, check the expiration date.
- Spices: I blend ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg.
- Eggs: For binding and moisture. Large, clean, un-cracked eggs.
- Oil: I use melted coconut oil
- Maple syrup: Use the real deal, not the fake colored stuff made of corn syrup.
- Shredded coconut: Finely shredded unsweetened coconut (omit for coconut allergy).
- Vanilla: Use real vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Carrots: Fresh carrots. Use the orange ones.
Please see the recipe card for all measurements.
Another terrific muffin recipe is this one for strawberry muffins with fresh strawberries (gluten-free too).
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegetable oil is another option, but not standard grocery store "vegetable" oil. It is so unhealthy and highly processed. Use this clean healthy neutral oil instead. It's what I use for a neutral oil.
- A nice substitution for all of the individual spices is Chinese Five Spice blend. You still get cinnamon, but the flavor is just a little different, in a nice way.
- Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts or golden raisins.
- Use pumpkin pie spice blend.
Chef's tip on oil: I don't recommend using standard grocery store vegetable oils (ever), which are typically made from GMO soy, corn, and canola, then processed with high heat and chemicals, bleached and deodorized. Not healthy! Better options with healthy fats are avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or Zero Acre Farms oil-cleaner choices that support both flavor and wellness (not an affiliate link).
How to Make Carrot Cake Muffins
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and spray a 12-cup muffin tin (skip the paper liners).
- Peel carrots then grate on the large holes on a box grater or food processor with grating disc.
- Blend all dry ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk.
- Blend wet ingredients, the eggs, oil, syrup, water and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir to create muffin batter.
- Fold in carrots and coconut. Divide batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with extra coconut if desired.
- Bake muffins about 25 minutes until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean with moist crumbs.
- Cool 10 minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Serving and Storing
Gluten-free carrot cake muffins are perfect for:
- Breakfast or brunch with coffee or a smoothie.
- An afternoon snack with tea or almond milk.
- Packed into lunchboxes for a naturally sweet treat.
- Topped with dairy-free cream cheese or a dollop of Greek yogurt for a carrot-cake feel.
- Warmed and split open with butter.
Carrot cake muffins last about 4-5 days at room temperature if well wrapped, or you can freeze them for up to 2 months. Be sure to label and date.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, it's best to peel carrots. The skin can be a bit tough or bitter and doesn't soften as nicely in baking.
You can, but freshly grated carrots have more moisture and blend better into the batter. Pre-shredded carrots are sometimes dry and coarse for muffins.
They're lightly sweetened with maple syrup, just enough to bring out the natural sweetness of the carrots and spices without being sugary.
Yes! You can try using flax eggs, a chia egg, or an egg replacer. The texture may be a little softer, but they still bake up nicely.
More Gluten-Free Baking Recipes
Love to bake? Try some of these terrific treats, all gluten-free, of course.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Muffins (gluten free)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups Bobs Red Mill Paleo Flour Blend 12 ounces
- 2 ¾ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 ¾ teaspoons cinnamon or Chinese Five Spice blend
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil avocado oil or neutral oil, note below
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 ¾ cups lightly packed grated carrots 8 ounces
- ½ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut + extra for optional topping
Optional add-ins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. With a little extra coconut oil or non-stick spray, grease the wells of a 12-cup light colored metal muffin pan. Wash, peel, and grate carrots on the large hole size of a box grater or in a food processor.
- Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg and salt and whisk well to combine. To another bowl add the wet ingredients, the eggs, oil, syrup, water and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Fold in the carrots and coconut. Divide batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with extra coconut if desired. Bake muffins approximately 25 minutes, until muffins are golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean with moist crumbs when inserted into the center of the muffin. Timing may vary with your ovens.
- When muffins are done, remove pan from the oven and allow muffins to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then gently remove them to a wire rack to cool completely. Muffins will last about 4 days in an airtight container on the countertop.
Notes
Nutrition
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Porsche Guy says
Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts so I thought I would try these and they did not disappoint! They’re so light and cakey. I’m thinking maybe I could use them as cupcakes? And then frosting?
Porsche guy says
I love these muffins! Really light and tender, not heavy. Impossible to resist. Thanks for the recipe. Will make again.
Debbie in Alaska says
Hi Sally,
I made these yummy muffins for my Daniel Plan group. They all enjoyed them very much!! They noticed that the recipe says tree-nut free but that the ingredients in the Paleo flour has almonds. We are thinking almonds are tree-nuts??
Because I was making this for a group I wanted more than the 12 muffins that I understood the recipe would make. What is the capacity of each muffin cup in your pan?? I was able to make 34 mini + 12 regular size muffins from this recipe. I was also able to share some of the mini muffins with kids aged 4-9 and they too really liked them too! Thanks Sally for another great recipe!
Sally Cameron says
Hi Debbie, thanks for commenting and for highlighting that error. Will fix it right away! I need you guys to help me keep it all straight;) Almonds are tree nuts, of course! Glad they were enjoyed by your DP group. I used a standard Wilton brand silver cupcake/muffin pan with 12 wells. Nothing fancy. Hope that helps?