I’m not a professional pastry chef…
…but I have an insider tip from one. She was my Grandma’s neighbor, and this tip was passed from her to my Grandma to me. Folklore says this is the secret to State-Fair-Winning carrot muffins. Ready for it?
Here you go:
When grating the carrots for these Paleo Carrot Muffins, use the fine side of your box grater. The finely-shredded carrots will provide a lighter and more tender texture to the muffins.
Here’s a second tip (from me, not the pastry chef):
As soon as you take the muffins out of the oven, tip them sideways in the muffin pan. This will allow the trapped steam to escape, which will prevent extra moisture from condensing at the bottom of the muffins.
There you go. Now you can make carrot muffins like a real pro.
Ingredients in Paleo Carrot Muffins
Coconut flour and arrowroot flour are my go-to, grain-free flour combination for light and fluffy baked goods. I used to bake solely with coconut flour, because I avoided starch-based flours such as arrowroot while on the GAPS protocol. Now, I’ve reintroduced grain-free starches. I love how arrowroot lightens up the heavier quality of coconut flour. It allows me to use less coconut flour, which I find personally easier to digest. Coconut flour contains a hearty amount of fiber, and when consumed in large amounts it may cause some discomfort.
As I’ve mentioned before, you can get a FREE bag of coconut flour added to your Thrive cart at this link. A $50 minimum order is required to receive this gift-with-purchase.
I developed this recipe to use real eggs. I offer this disclaimer: if you choose to use an egg substitute, I cannot guarantee successful results. If you do try it with an egg substitute, however, please let us know in the comments how it worked for you.
Applesauce adds natural sweetness and moisture, but you can substitute sweet potato pureé instead.
- ⅓ cup coconut flour (get a free bag here at Thrive)
- ⅓ cup arrowroot flour, available here
- 4 eggs
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 Tbs. maple syrup, if desired (I don't use it)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup finely shredded carrot
- ¼ cup raisins or currants
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line 9 muffin wells with paper liners (or grease them with coconut oil).
- Have all ingredients at room temperature. Combine all ingredients except the baking soda and vinegar and stir well. Then, add the baking soda and vinegar and stir briskly and swiftly. Distribute between the prepared muffin cups.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out without crumbs but moist, about 25 minutes.
is it possible to use all coconut flour?
I was wondering the same thing, j. I don’t have arrowroot flour currently. 😉
Sorry for my late reply here! I think you could try 1/2 cup coconut flour total and omit the arrowroot, but I cannot guarantee results. Here’s a just-coconut-flour pumpkin muffin recipe: http://empoweredsustenance.com/coconut-flour-pumpkin-muffins/
This recipe looks absolutely delicious and I think my whole family would love it!
I’ve been baking for all my life and didn’t know those two tips about finely grating the carrots and tipping the muffins over. Fascinating!
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for the receipt. Looks amazing!
Out of topic, I can tell from the pictures that you are using USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel. I have been trying to find more information about the safety of the Aluminized Steel but could not find much. How safe is that for cooking? Does the parchment paper really protect against any leaching?
Thanks.
First, I apologize for my delayed reply! Second, yes – the parchment paper prevents leaching. I don’t use Teflon because the primary problem is the toxins that are released into the air while baking. I use parchment to act as a barrier if I’m using any aluminum bakeware (which I rarely use). I also use glass, enamel, and cast iron as my preferred bakeware.
I would love to try this recipe but I don’t have any applesauce. Is there any anything else I can use in place of applesauce?
She mentions that you could use sweet potato puree instead of applesauce. I have substituted Greek yogurt for applesauce with great success, but I do great with dairy.
Thanks for the two tips…I never like how the bottoms of muffins get moist, but never knew what to do about it either. I think subbing sweet potatoes for the apple sauce might actually give a really nice flavor. I rarely do any baking these days, but this muffins sound amazing! And they’re made with ingredients that I usually have on hand, which makes it even better!
oops, meant these muffins sound amazing… not “this” muffins sound amazing.
These look delicious! I was wondering if you can use all coconut flour or a combination of coconut and gluten-free oat flour?
I too love the tip about tipping the muffins!
I have enjoyed this recipe three times because I’m interested in the paleo diet. Although I enjoy the flavor of pumpkin more than carrot, the muffins I make are too wet with moisture. Can I omit the applesauce ingredient? Also since there are 4 eggs, can I omit the baking soda/apple cider vinegar ingredients? I’m thinking of beating the egg whites separate and then adding it to the batter at the end for the rising. The other problem I have is that I can’t get them out of the muffin tin without leaving part of the muffin on the bottom of the tin. If I use paper liners, I lose a lot of muffin sticking to the paper liner. I use coconut oil to grease the muffin tin. My husband and I enjoy these muffins! Just need to tweek them a little bit. Any suggestions?
I’m also interested to hear if I can substitute or replace the cider vinegar/lemon. My 4yo son has food allergy-related eczema & all vinegars & all citrus are some of the many banned food items (but it’s worth it as its working fantastically).