Carrot Cake Muffins (gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, vegan)

Ali Segersten

Yay for gluten-free carrot cake muffins! I call these healthy little treats muffins, but once frosted they sure seem like cupcakes to me. They are packed full of carrot-goodness, as well as being very moist and light, even without the eggs. What a perfect treat for Mother's day or a Springtime gathering!

I've frosted them here using a Honey-Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below) but if you are dairy-free or vegan then use my Sweet Potato Buttercream Frosting recipe. Just be sure to use white-fleshed sweet potatoes (they have a light-tan skin), and stir in some finely grated orange zest at the end. This recipe is a perfect dairy-free, whole foods replacement for cream cheese frosting (and it looks like it too as long as you use the white sweet potatoes).

The trick to making these egg-free muffins light and fluffy is to add the carrots on top of the whisked dry ingredients, immediately then pour in the blended wet ingredients, and then mix them all together at once. If you stir in the carrots at the end, after your batter has been mixed up, then you will lose some of the trapped air that is formed from the reactions of the baking powder, baking soda, and acid ingredients (apple sauce and orange juice). Then you must bake them right away in your preheated oven. Starting the baking process immediately after mixing the batter together helps to trap air and create lift! Both of these steps will help give the muffins the rise and lightness you normally get with eggs.

If you want to add other ingredients such as chopped walnuts and raisins, go ahead. A half cup of each should work well. Also....did I mention that these muffins are Elimination Diet friendly for Phase 2 and beyond (without the cream cheese frosting and citrus of course)! Enjoy!

Recipe from our Meal Planner

Carrot Cake Muffins with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Gluten-Free vegan Carrot Cake Muffins with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
carrot cake muffins - gluten-free egg-free-2
Servings
12
Cook Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
20 minutes

Serve these tender carrot cake muffins as cupcakes with the honey-cream cheese frosting below or as muffins without any frosting. If you are dairy-free or vegan, then you can use my Sweet Potato Buttercream Frosting recipe. If you don’t have orange juice, are sensitive to citrus, then replace the ½ cup of orange juice with ½ cup of organic apple juice and omit the orange zest. I’ve made them both ways and they are delicious! The frosting recipe makes enough to generously frost one dozen cupcakes or muffins, with a little extra leftover. For a delicious variation, try omitting the orange zest and replace it with ½ to 1 teaspoon raw vanilla powder for a lovely vanilla cream cheese frosting!

Tip
  • Zest your orange using a Microplane grater before you juice it.
  • Grind your flax seeds in a coffee grinder that is not being used for coffee, or use the Dry Container of your Vitamix. If you use the latter then you'll need to grind at least a ½ cup at once in order for the seeds to break down into a fine meal.
  • Be sure to use whole psyllium husks, not psyllium husk powder.
  • Use anywhere from ¼ to ½ cup coconut sugar, depending on how sweet you would like them. I’ve made them both ways.
Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1½ cups sorghum flour
½ cups tapioca flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons sea salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons ground ginger
¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg
3 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1½ cups grated carrots (packed)

Wet Ingredients

½ cups pitted medjool dates (about 6 to 8)
½ cups boiling water
2 tablespoons ground golden flaxseeds
1 tablespoons whole psyllium husks
½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cups melted coconut oil (or avocado oil)
½ cups unsweetened applesauce
¼ cups coconut sugar

Frosting

16 ounces cream cheese (2 packages)
6 tablespoons raw honey
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
Directions

Cupcakes:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with unbleached paper liners or grease the sides with coconut oil.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients except the carrots. Then add the grated carrots, but don’t mix together until you add in the wet ingredients.
  3. Place the dates into a small bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let rest for about 15 minutes. Then add to a blender (water and dates). Add the ground flax, psyllium husks, orange juice, oil, applesauce, and coconut sugar. Blend on high until super smooth and creamy. Pour wet mixture into dry and mix together.
  4. Drop batter evenly into muffin cups. With wet hands, gently smooth the tops if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and let cool on a wire rack before frosting. The muffins will be quite fragile hot out of the oven but once cooled, are the perfect texture.

Frosting:

  1. Place all ingredients into a small mixing bowl and beat together using an electric mixer.
  2. Add up to 2 extra tablespoons of raw honey for a sweeter flavor, if desired. You may also need to add an extra tablespoon of arrowroot powder if using extra honey.
  3. Spread onto completely cooled muffins. 

Use this recipe in our Meal Planner

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Posted In
baked goods carrots cupcakes dates dessert easter egg-free elimination diet gluten-free mother's day muffins nut-free phase 2 phase 3 quick breads spring vegan xanthan-free recipes recipe
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About the Author

Alissa Segersten, MS, CN

Alissa Segersten, MS, CN, is the founder of Nourishing Meals®, an online meal-planning membership with over 2000 nourishing recipes and tools to support dietary change and better health. As a functional nutritionist, professional recipe developer, and author of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, Nourishing Meals, and co-author of The Elimination Diet, she helps people overcome health challenges through food. A mother of five, Alissa understands the importance of creating nutrient-dense meals for the whole family. Rooted in science and deep nourishment, her work makes healthy eating accessible, empowering thousands to transform their well-being through food.

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