These carrot almond flour muffins are the newest addition to the collection. They are gorgeous little gems you can make whenever you are craving carrot cake, but with less than half the effort and the same delicious results.
Ingredients
Almond flour carrot cake muffins require just a handful of simple ingredients from the grocery store. We will need the following:
Almond flour: Superfine almond flour or almond meal (ground almonds with skins) can be used interchangeably. The only difference is that these gluten-free muffins will be a bit denser if you decide to use almond meal. If you live in an area where you can’t get your hands on almond flour, you can follow my guide on How to Make Almond Flour at Home. If you are buying it from the store, I recommend Bob’s Red Mills and Blue Diamond almond flour (affiliate links.) Baking powder: Baking powder is the magical leavening agent that gives these muffins their lift. If you follow a strict paleo diet, you can replace the baking powder with ½ teaspoon baking soda mixed with 1 teaspoon cream of tartar. Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a delicate background warmth. If you prefer a more spicy carrot cake muffin recipe, you can also add a pinch or two of ground ginger, ground nutmeg, or ground cardamom. Kosher salt: Kosher salt or sea salt enhances the flavor. Oil: Any vegetable oil will do. I like melted coconut oil, but avocado oil or light olive oil will also work. Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar keeps the recipe refined sugar-free, but brown sugar can also be used. For a keto diet, use an equal amount of monk fruit sweetener. Eggs: Three large eggs may seem like a lot, but we need the extra binding ability for structure and stability. I recommend sticking to whole eggs, rather than using an egg replacer like flax eggs. And it is best if they are at room temperature. Vanilla extract Grated carrots: Peel and grate fresh carrots using the large holes of a box grater. Depending on their size, you will need roughly 2 large carrots. For best results, I recommend weighing the grated carrots to ensure the right texture. Nuts: Toasted walnuts or chopped pecans are classic with carrot muffins. Raisins: Be sure to pick up a no-sugar-added bag. Both regular or golden raisins would work. I recommend chopping them into small pieces for even distribution.
How to Store, Freeze, & Reheat?
While gluten free carrot muffins don’t require much effort, we don’t want these delicious snacks going to waste. Here are my best storage tips for maximum freshness:
Storage: Paleo carrot cake muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. However, because they are so moist, I like to store them in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will last up to 5 days. Freeze: Transfer them to a freezer bag, label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Just make sure to push out all the air to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat: While you can eat these healthy carrot cake muffins cold, if you prefer them warm, pop one in the toaster oven on low heat for 5 minutes or a quick 10-15-second burst in the microwave.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Top with a generous amount of Cream Cheese Frosting with Maple Syrup to get the carrot cake feel. Nut Butter: A swirl of almond butter on top or once sliced in half would be delicious. Glaze: In a small bowl, melt 2-4 tablespoons of coconut butter in the microwave and drizzle it over the tops of the muffins. The glaze will set as the coconut butter cools.
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Almond flour baked goods tend not to rise as much as regular muffins: Most people expect baked goods made with almond flour to rise as much as those made with all-purpose or whole wheat flour. However, since almond flour is heavier, you don’t get the same dome effect as you would with muffins made with other flours. This doesn’t mean that these gluten-free carrot cake muffins don’t rise at all, but I wanted to mention it to set the expectations. Use parchment paper liners for easy removal: Almond flour has a higher fat content, and I find muffins made with almond flour stick to paper liners. Use parchment paper liners (affiliate link) for no sticking. An ice cream scoop ensures even size muffins: The key to evenly baked muffins that do not overflow during baking is evenly portioning the batter. An ice cream scoop (affiliate link) ensures the same amount every time. You have the option to grease the ice cream scoop to aid in releasing the muffin mixture into the liners, but it is not necessary. Frost after they come to room temperature: If you are planning to frost them, make sure to cool completely to room temperature, or the frosting will melt right off. Chilling them in the refrigerator after frosting also helps to set the structure.
