Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

flourless carrot cake muffins

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 13 reviews

  • Author: Amanda @ Running with Spoons
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the muffins:

  • 2 cups (160 g) oats, gluten-free if needed
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup (64 g) almond butter
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) coconut palm sugar*
  • 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 slightly heaping cup (120 g) shredded carrots
  • Optional: 1/2 cup (80 g) raisins or nuts

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 4 oz. light cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) icing sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the muffins:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a muffin pan by lining the cavities with parchment paper liners or greasing them with oil. Set aside.
  2. Add the oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a high-speed blender and process on high until the oats have broken down into the consistency of a fine flour, about 10 seconds.**
  3. Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the carrots and add-ins, and process on high until the batter becomes smooth and creamy, about 20 seconds. Periodically stop and scrape down the sides/corners of your blender as necessary. Finally, use a spatula to mix in the carrots and add-ins by hand.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 of the way full.
  5. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until the tops of the muffins begin to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. As soon as they’ve cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Make the frosting:

  1. Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and, using your stand or hand mixer, beat on high until all the ingredients are well combined and slightly whipped.
  2. When the muffins are cool, use a knife to spread the frosting on top of them. I recommend only frosting the muffins you plan to consume right away. Otherwise, store the frosting separately in a covered container in the fridge until you need to frost another muffin.

Notes

* You can also use brown sugar or cane sugar.

** Alternatively, you can replace the oats with 1 1/2 cups (160 g) of oat flour and mix everything by hand in a large bowl. Just whisk the dry ingredients together, then add all the remaining ingredients except for the carrots and add-ins and mix until a smooth batter forms. Finally, fold in the carrots and add-ins.

To make these gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.

To make these nut-free, replace the almond butter with soy nut butter and the almond milk with another non-dairy milk like rice or soy.

To make these vegan, replace the eggs with one banana. The flavour will come through a little bit though.

Nutritional information is calculated with cream cheese frosting but without any add-ins.

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins

Find it online: https://www.runningwithspoons.com/flourless-carrot-cake-muffins/