Moist, lightly sweetened with honey and even a little fluffy, these grain-free and gluten-free healthier carrot cake muffins are the perfect Easter treat. With a paleo and dairy-free option.
First up, if you prefer a grain-containing healthier carrot cake recipe, I have you covered! This 100% whole grain carrot cake is the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. Hands down.
If grains aren’t your thing, these healthier carrot cake muffins are awesome. I feel like a broken record, just because I say this all the time, but I used a combination of almond flour and coconut flour to achieve the perfect texture. I want my grain-free baked goods to taste as close to grain-containing ones as possible and these are pretty darn close!
People often ask if there’s a substitute for coconut flour and there really isn’t. You can easily order it online or you can make your own homemade coconut flour! And the only substitute for the almond flour would be almond meal (which is a lot cheaper than almond flour!) or another nut flour.
So now that we’ve got the carrot cake muffins out of the way, we need some healthier cream cheese frosting! This is the same cream cheese frosting recipe that I used in my last post on carrot cake scones.
It uses just a little maple syrup as sweetener. I really thought cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar was impossible but this maple syrup version was just as good! It’s quite thick so if you want to thin it out, just add some milk.
I’m just guessing that if you’re interested in grain-free baking, you’re not into mounds of frosting on top of your muffins or cupcakes. The amount that this cream cheese frosting recipe yields is just enough for a thin slathering on each muffin. If you want to pipe it like I did, you can pipe about twice as much as you see in the pictures.
I recommend frosting the cupcakes right before serving because once you frost them, they need to be refrigerated. They can sit at room temperature for about 4 hours so if you want to frost them in preparation of a party – no problem! They just taste better and fluffier if you keep them at room temperature and microwaving cream cheese frosting sounds like a bad idea.
Obviously cream cheese isn’t dairy-free but there are dairy-free cream cheeses out there. If you don’t like the thought of using that, just leave out the frosting or use my vegan cream cheese recipe.
It’s naturally sweetened, doesn’t have any unusual ingredients and is also paleo-friendly! Half the recipe should yield enough for a nice slathering on top of each muffin. You can also find my directions for making these carrot cake cupcakes into an 8″ cake on that post.
Want an Easter dessert that’s a little more unique than these paleo carrot cake muffins? Try these blueberry carrot cake bars with granola from Cotter Crunch! They’re gluten-free and dairy-free and look amazing.
And for something with more of a cake texture (like angel food cake!) be sure to give my paleo blueberry muffins a try!
Want more grain-free treats?!
Healthier Carrot Cake Cupcakes (grain-free, gluten-free, paleo and dairy-free options)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 8 muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (125 grams) blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup (75 grams) refined coconut oil, melted (if you use unrefined coconut oil there may be some coconut taste to the muffins)
- 1/3 cup (106 grams) honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) grated carrots
- 2 ounces (56 grams) cream cheese
- 4 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- a dash of salt
- additional milk for thinning, if desired
For the carrot muffins:
For the cream cheese frosting: (for paleo / dairy-free, use a half batch of this vegan "cream cheese" frosting)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with 8 muffin liners.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (almond flour through nutmeg). Set this aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, honey, and vanilla.
- Add the dry mix to the wet mix just until combined and then gently fold in the grated carrots.
- Divide the batter evenly among the liners and bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Do not frost until completely cool!
- For the cream cheese frosting, mix everything together until thoroughly combined. If it's too thick for your liking, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until it's your desired consistency.
- Spread a thin layer on top of each cupcake or pipe it on. Do note that if you pipe it, you'll have some leftover if you pipe it as lightly as I did in the pictures.
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 182
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12.8g 16%
Saturated Fat 8.7g 43%
Cholesterol 47mg 16%
Sodium 143mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 15.1g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1.7g 6%
Total Sugars 12.3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin D 4mcg 22%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 51mg 1%
What is the nutritional information for these muffins?
I don’t have the calories but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile.
I made this into a cake and it was SO GOOD! I think I may have done something wrong with the icing though, or the ratios are off. Doubled the recipe, so I did 4oz cream cheese, 8tbs maple syrup, and 3tsp vanilla, and some salt. It ended up incredibly liquidy and never thickened up. Any suggestions on why that may have happened?
I’m glad you liked the recipe! :) You should have used 8 teaspoons of maple syrup, not tablespoons. The recipe calls for 4 teaspoons.
Oops, that was a typo, I meant 8tsp maple syrup, not tbs lol.
I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on this recipe and nobody has mentioned the frosting being runny so if you followed the recipe exactly, I’m not sure what the problem could be. :( You used brick cream cheese, right, and not the spreadable kind for toast?
Made these twice already for gluten-sensitive friends, and they were a big hit! I used the ingredients as written, except I bumped up the cinnamon to two teaspoons and also added a quarter teaspoon of allspice. I made them in the mini-muffin pan, sprayed with non-stick spray, lined with papers, which I sprayed, too, so they came out nicely with nothing stuck to the paper. Baked for maybe 8 minutes (check at 6), and this recipe made 30 minis. No, they’re not the same as carrot cake made with flour, but by golly, they’re really good…practically a health food, haha! I used your icing drizzle on only one of the batches that I made. They’re good either way. Gluten-free and “regular” folks all liked them. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I just got back from vacation. I’m really glad that everyone enjoyed them! And more spice is always a good thing. ;) And good to know that it makes 30 minis! Thanks for the tip and for your feedback. Sorry again!
Your recipe sound delicious but I need to make them completely nut free. What flour can I use instead of almond flour?
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! I just returned from vacation. Almond flour is unfortunately only interchangeable with other nut flours so I can’t recommend a sub. Sorry about that!
Mine are a bit gritty and not as brown in colour as yours. Very pale. Also the batter is very thick, more akin to a cookie dough than a cake batter. HELP!
I’m not sure what was going but I followed the instructions exactly and they were terrible! They were gummy and I baked them for over 30 minutes and they weren’t really done but got super crunchy on the top. But I made a second batch and they are DELICIOUS! I love how tender and light they are. And there isn’t a huge amount of sweetness either which I love (but I’m sure you can add more sweetener if you need). I did get some crispage on the top but I plan on cutting off the muffin tops for a level canvas for the frosting. I did sift the dry ingredients in the second batch which helped the grittiness. Overall WOULD RECOMMEND!
Sorry for just now seeing your comment! I replied to your other one just now and then saw this comment. I’m happy that the second batch came out better! Sometimes I make my own recipes (that have tons of positive reviews on them) and they come out terrible. I just mess something up during the process. How great that you gave it another try and it worked well. :) Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Do you by any chance live outside the US? In some countries, they have a product called almond flour that we don’t even have in the US (called defatted almond flour). That product is much more dry than almond flour. In the US, almond flour = ground almonds. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you! :(
MMMMMM. I have made these twice with a couple of minor changes. I replaced the honey with Swerve sweetener and applesauce. I also added a 1/2 tsp. baking powder.So good with almond butter for breakfast. Thank you.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that they worked out well for you and that you enjoyed them. :) Thanks for your comment and sorry for my super slow reply!
Can you tell me how much apple sauce you used ?
I’ve made some & they are DELICIOUS as well as addictive only problem is they are VERY oily I think the next time I will cut down on the amount of coconut oil.
I’m happy you enjoyed them! I never thought they were overly oily but I’m sure it’d be no problem to reduce it a little. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Mine aren’t oily at all. I used the amount of coconut oil in the recipe.
It could have to do with the almond flour. If it’s not finely ground, almond flour treats can sometimes come out oily.
Hi there, is it vanilla essence that you use
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your question! I used vanilla extract.
Thank you Erin! My granddaughter loved these! Though I used ground almonds, she didn’t seem to mind at all, but now my pantry has a good finely ground almond flour I bought today for making future carrot cake muffins😁. Thank you again Erin❤️
You’re welcome! I’m really glad that she liked them. :) It’s great that they worked out well for you! Thanks for the feedback.
Can I use this same recipe for a cake
You can double the recipe and bake it in two 8″ pans for 17 minutes. :)
Is it possible to use unblanched almond flour instead of blanched..do you think it will affect texture?
Thank you! So excited to make these for my granddaughter 🤗
I think it’d be just fine! As long as you don’t mind the little specks of skin. :) I hope you’ll both enjoy them!
Thank you for the reply Erin, I’ll be making these today hopefully!
I will let you know! 😊
You’re welcome! Hope they were a hit. :)
This is by far my favorite recipe. Every time I make these I have been asked for the recipe. I do add 1/3 cup of raisins and a 1/4 cup walnuts. Baking time is 20-25 minutes. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome! I’m really glad that it’s your favorite. I bet they’re yummy with raisins and walnuts! Thanks for the tip and your feedback. :)
I made the recipe and it is delicate but I am wondering if I can substitute melted butter for the oil. Thank you
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! Yes, you can use melted butter. :)
Do they freeze ok? Even with icing on?
I haven’t tried freezing them with icing but I’m guessing it’s best to freeze them without.
Can you use an egg replacer for the eggs?
Sorry for just now seeing your question! I unfortunately haven’t had good luck with egg replacers in this recipe.
I have done them with flaxseed egg replacement and they turned out delicious. I have also used lakanto syrup instead of honey for vegan version.
Thanks so much for the tips! :)
Can I use this same recipe for a cake? or should I change it up a bit?
You can double the recipe and bake it in two 8″ pans for 17 minutes. :)
Hi! What can I sub for the coconut flour??would reg flour work?? I dont have any!
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! Unfortunately there’s no sub for coconut flour. Sorry about that!
I’ve actually had great luck using a combination of arrowroot and tapioca starch when I don’t have coconut flour. Usually about 2 cups almond flour, 1/2 c arrowroot and 2 Tbl spoons tapioca. This combo comes from Zenbelly, another awesome mostly Paleo chef/blogger. She uses coconut flour but I’m sensitive to the taste and tried tapioca with success for other baked treats.
Oooh, interesting! Are you saying that you use 2 cups almond flour, 1/2 c arrowroot and 2 tablespoons of tapioca in this recipe? I’ll have to check out her formula! Thanks a bunch for the tip.
That’s the typical combination she suggests, I believe! But I subbed arrowroot for coconut flour in your recipe (and used zucchini instead of carrot) and they came out delicious!! Huge success for my daughter’s first birthday :)
Oooh! Zucchini is a great idea! I need to try that soon. Thanks for the answer. :) And I hope your daughter had a great birthday!
What is the nutritional breakdown of this please?
I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile. :)
That was unique for me. definitely gonna try this weekend. thanks erin :)
You’re welcome! Hope you’ll enjoy it. :)
Sounds delicious!
Can I substitute the almond and coconut flour for gf oat flour?
Can’t wait to try them!
Thanks, Laura
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your question! Oat flour isn’t interchangeable with either almond or coconut flours. :( Sorry about that!
These are amazing! I used a 8 inch loaf pan and then cut in squares. Also added 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes and 1/3 cup golden raisins, also about 1/3 cup more shredded carrots. I love that it is not too sweet. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome for the recipe! Do you remember how long you baked it? Your additions sound delicious. :) Thanks for the tip (and sorry for my slow reply!).
I am wondering if you have the nutritional breakdown for this recipe. I am particularly looking for carbs, fibre and sugar. Thank you.
I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile. :)
Whoa, these are amazing. I have been exploring sweeteners that feel better in my body…and i’m loving date paste right now! So i substituted 1/3 cup of date paste for the honey and two batches turned out so so so good! Thanks for this, Erin!!
You’re welcome! I love the idea of date paste. Have you found that that’s a good direct sub for honey or maple syrup? Thanks for the tip and your feedback! :)
I do actually find that it makes a less sweet baked good, but i’m cool with that! That’s just the preference of my taste buds. And i’ll sometimes add something else like raisins to make it sweeter but still in a way that doesn’t crack me out the way more concentrated sugar does (like honey, maple, agave).
That’s good to know! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I made these yesterday and the only change is that I added some unsweetened crushed pineapple. I am not gluten-free but bake for friends and family who are. I have to say these are absolutely delicious! Definitely a recipe that I will use again and again!
I’m so glad that you liked them, especially as a non-GF eater! How much pineapple did you add? Thanks for your comment. :)
I used about 3/4 of a 20oz Dole crushed pineapple in natural juice can. I drained as much of the juice out as I could.
Thanks for the tip! :)