These almond flour carrot muffins are super moist, lightly sweetened with honey, and even a little fluffy! They’re the perfect Easter treat, and the reviewers have been loving them for the past 11 years. They’re paleo but have a cream cheese frosting option.
Originally posted in 2014, I’ve updated this recipe with more information and new photos.
Here’s an old one for reference. They were originally called healthier carrot cake cupcakes, which was a dumb name because they just had a tiny bit of frosting on them. But the texture is very cupcake-like!
I changed the name because people kept asking how to make these with only coconut flour – which doesn’t work. More on that below.
So, these are now almond flour muffins with a tiny bit of coconut flour to help improve the texture.
Ingredient notes
Here are some notes on select ingredients. Please scroll to the bottom of the post to find the full recipe card!
- Finely ground blanched almond flour – do not substitute with coconut flour or another flour, as it will drastically change the recipe. Almond meal would work, but then you’ll have little brown specks of skin in your muffins. They won’t taste differently, though.
- Coconut Flour – before I posted this recipe, I had made these muffins with just almond flour several times. But no matter how I changed the recipe, they kept coming out greasy. So I added a little coconut flour, which helps absorb moisture and adds structure. Problem solved and they came out perfectly! Unfortunately, there isn’t a substitute for coconut flour.
- Eggs – I’ve tried egg subs in this recipe, and they just don’t work. Grain-free muffins are definitely way more finicky than regular muffins and omitting 2 eggs from a recipe that only yields 8 muffins just doesn’t work.
- Refined coconut oil – you can use unrefined if you don’t mind coconut flavor. You can use melted butter or another neutral oil instead.
- Grated carrots – pre-shredded carrots are thicker and drier, which would affect the texture of the muffins. So I really recommend shredding them yourself. I usually use this Microplane Medium Ribbon Grater when grating carrots for carrot cake and other treats, and it works great here. The photographer grated them more coarsely than I did in the original photos, and that’s why the muffins in the new photos look a bit different.
Can I just use all coconut flour?
I had one commenter say her muffins came out dry, despite following the recipe – except for using coconut flour in place of almond flour.
That doesn’t work. Coconut flour isn’t interchangeable with any other type of flour.
It’s SO much more absorbent than other flours. Please follow the recipe if you want it to work.
If you want to only use coconut flour, you have to find a recipe already calling for that.
Can I add walnuts, raisins or pineapple?
I’ve tried it out with 1/3 cup of raisins and 1/4 cup walnuts. That worked great.
One commenter said that they had used crushed pineapple, but they didn’t come back to say how much they added or if they made other adjustments.
I don’t see how that’d work. Even if you pat it dry, I just think it’d make the muffins soggy.
Another commented said they added 1/3 cup of fresh chopped pineapple and had good results. I think that’s more likely to work out better than crushed pineapple.
How to make them
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until smooth.
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Stir until just combined.
- Gently fold in the grated carrots.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
- Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack.
Tips for success
Here are a few key tips to ensure your muffins turn out perfectly every time.
- Use room temperature eggs – this helps them incorporate more evenly into the batter.
- Finely grate the carrots – larger pieces won’t blend as well and can create a dense texture.
- Measure the flours correctly – coconut flour is highly absorbent, so too much or too little can change the texture. Please use a scale!
- Let them cool completely – they will be delicate when warm but firm up as they cool.
Can I make it as a layer cake?
I’ve made this recipe several times as a layer cake, and the result is a bit too dense for my liking. I’ve often had this issue when trying to use a grain-free muffin recipe for a cake.
Grain-free flours, like almond or coconut flour, tend to make muffins denser and more compact. Muffins can handle this because they’re baked in small portions, but a layer cake needs a lighter, more structured crumb to support stacking and layering.
Another reason is that many grain-free recipes rely on ingredients like eggs, nut flours, or coconut products, which hold a lot of moisture. While this works for muffins, a cake made with the same formula could turn out too wet, heavy, or unstable when layered.
Muffins also don’t need as much rise as a cake, so a muffin recipe may not have enough leavening agents (like baking soda or baking powder) to create a tall, fluffy cake. Cakes require more aeration to achieve a tender crumb that can support frosting.
If you want to try, anyway, you can double the recipe and baked it in two 8″ (22 cm) pans for 17 minutes.
How to make ahead, store and freeze
Once baked, the muffins can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two days. If you need to store them for longer, place them in the refrigerator, where they’ll stay fresh for up to four days.
To extend their shelf life, wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe bag. They can be kept frozen for up to three months. When ready to eat, simply thaw at room temperature or warm them slightly in the microwave.
Troubleshooting
- Muffins are too dry or dense – check your coconut flour measurement and make sure you didn’t overbake.
- Muffins are too wet – did you use finely ground blanched almond flour? If your almond flour isn’t finely ground, it won’t be as absorbent, resulting in wetter, greasier muffins.
- Muffins didn’t rise – ensure your baking soda is fresh and that you used large eggs.
Other gluten-free Easter desserts
These Birds Nest Cookies are also paleo (and vegan!) and super cute for Easter.
This Gluten-free Carrot Cake is super moist and the best carrot cake I’ve ever had.
This Italian Lemon Almond Flour Cake isn’t exactly healthy, but people love it.
Almond Flour Carrot Muffins
- 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 (50 gram each, out of shell), room temperature
- 1/3 cup (75 grams) refined coconut oil1, melted
- 1/3 cup (106 grams) honey or maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) grated carrots2
- optional - 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts for the muffin tops
- 2 ounces (56 grams) cream cheese
- 4 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- a dash of salt
For the carrot muffins:
For the optional 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 or maple syrup, 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 (about 62 grams per liner) and top with chopped walnuts, if using.
- 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. Spread a thin layer on top of each cupcake.
- Unfrosted muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days or refrigerated for 5 days. Frosted muffins should be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
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626 comments on “Almond Flour Carrot Muffins” — Add one!
30 comments are awaiting moderation!
Hi Erin
do you drain the carrots or try to extract any of the moisture first?
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your question! You don’t need to drain the carrots first. I hope you’ll enjoy the muffins!
I am wondering if you have the nutritional breakdown for this recipe. I am particularly looking for carbs, fibre and sugar. Thank you.
I’m so very sorry for just now seeing your question! It was in spam for some odd reason. I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile. :) I’m currently looking into a way to be able to share the nutritional info in my posts. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Thank you!!! I love baking but my new found lifestyle had me worried I’d never get to enjoy my favorite treats again. My husband is even sold on these!
Yay! I’m glad to hear that you both enjoyed the muffins. Thanks for your comment!
These are amazing! My husband loves carrot cake, and he really loved these. My three-year-old granddaughter loved them, too, and her parents were happy that I was able to get a vegetable in her.
I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed these! I love that you were able to get your granddaughter to eat some carrots. :) Yay! Thanks for your comment.
These are amazing. I went ahead and made 2 batches the first time I made them, because I’m convinced that anything Texan Erin creates is obviously going to be heavenly. I didn’t even make the icing (next time though!), but my toddler asked for “cupcakes” for days after we had eaten them all.
Aww, what a nice thing to say. Thank you! :) I love that your toddler requested more. :D I hope you’ll enjoy the icing next time. Thanks for your feedback and sorry again for my slow reply!
Hi, I’m about to make these but reading through the comments, in in UK and have ground almonds, would you suggest more liquid/yogurt will be needed to keep it moist? Also 175°c, are you using fan assisted oven here or shall I turn down the temp? Hoping you see this content asap! 🤞
Hi! Ground almonds is almond flour. In some countries, what they call almond flour is really defatted / deoiled almond flour, which is a product we don’t even have in the US. So ground almonds is what you want. :) Always keep the fan off unless a recipe specifically says to turn it on. Sorry for just now seeing this! I took the evening off last night.
Great recipe! I used liquid stevia vs. syrup with the cream cheese and it turned out perfectly. I also used Vitafiber as a sweetener (not a paid endorser). My husband bought a bag of it and I’ve been trying to figure out how to use it!
I’m glad you found a way to use Vitafiber! I’d never heard of that before. Thanks for the tip! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the muffins. :) Thanks for your comment!
Can I sub maple syrup for the honey??
Yup!
I’m trying to turn this into a cake for my babies 1st bday. But im wondering if I can sub out the honey for date paste?
I’ve never used date paste. If it’s meant as a 1:1 sub for maple syrup or honey, it should work here. Sorry that I don’t have a better answer for you!
Hi so I’ve tried the date paste and although it worked out it was very v dense and dry. I made another with maple syrup and that was a good replacement. I subbed it 1.1. My baby loved it thanks
delicious! I spread these out into 12 muffins for 15 minutes and they came out great! Both times I made this I misread how much maple syrup to use, so I had to add more cream cheese, which was non-dairy btw and it came out great!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! And it’s good to know that it works well with less maple and more cream cheese. Less sugar is always a good thing. :) Thanks for your comment!
Can I replace the almond flour with 1 and a half cups of coconut flour?
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! Hopefully you found the answer in the post. :) The only sub would be another nut flour. Coconut flour is not a sub for almond flour.
These were fantastic. I added raisins like some of the other reviewers as well. So GOOD I will make these regularly. Thanks!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them! I still need to try them myself with raisins. Thanks for your feedback and sorry for my very slow reply!
I really like these muffins, it’s delicious and the texture is on point. I was wondering if these could be made into a cake (2 round layers), like would the consistency and texture be dense enough? And if so, how would you convert the recipe?
Thanks!
I’m sorry for just now seeing your question! Hopefully you found the answer in the post. :) I linked to the recipe where I made it as a cake. I doubled the recipe and baked it in two 8″ pans for 17 minutes.
I made one batch according to the recipe and they are absolute heaven – perfectly moist with a very pleasant nutty carrot flavor . To experiment, I made another batch with cassava flour which is quite a bit cheaper than almond flour , and it was absolute trash ! Super dry and bready in a bad way . Oh well garbage in, garbage out, as they say. I will stick with the almond flour and will be making again and again :)
Aww. I’m sorry your cassava flour experiment didn’t work out! Cassava flour is one of the few flours my kid can have and so I use it a lot and still wouldn’t be able to convert this (or any recipe) without a ton of experimenting / wasting. :/ I really recommend using recipes that already call for the specific brand of cassava that you have! Thanks a bunch for your comment and sorry for my slow reply. Things have been crazy around here!
I have rarely left reviews/comments on recipes, however, I made this as a cake for Easter and it was fabulous! I made just one batch of muffins as written except: adding a 1/2 tsp extra cinnamon and a few drops of fresh squeezed ginger root. And added 3-4 TBL each chopped walnuts and raisins. Also, when directions stated to mix the eggs in, I separated the eggs and only mixed in the egg yolks. I whipped the egg whites until firm then folded them in after the carrots/walnuts and raisins were added. I greased and parchment papered two 6 in round cake pans, as I wanted a petite, tall cake. I made a low sugar frosting of about two TBL of almost equal ratios of butter, cream cheese and coconut cream with a tablespoon of maple syrup and a few drops of liquid stevia. The frosting was just lightly sweetened and was just enough for layering and frosting the top of the cake. It would have made a nice sized piece if cake cut into 8 pieces, however, I just wanted a little bit of dessert so I cut the two layered cake into 12 small pieces. This is definitely a do again!!
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! It landed up in spam for some reason and with my son home the last 2 months, I haven’t been diligent with checking that. Thanks so much for your wonderful review! I’m really glad that you liked the carrot cake. Separating the eggs is a great idea! I’ll have to try that. Thanks again for your feedback and sorry again for my ridiculously slow reply!
Hi Erin, I made this recipe. Because I didnt have enough ingredients, I had to substitute part of the almond flour with apricot seed kernels, ground in my spice mill. I also used butter because I didnt have refined coconut oil. Instead of cupcakes, I made it in a 20 inch cake pan. It was so moist and decicious, the kids polished it off even before I could make the frosting, and I only had a small piece. Absolutely yummy and very hard to tell that its paleo!
Oh, wow. I’ve never heard of using apricot seed kernels! How interesting. Thanks for the tip and your feedback! I’m so glad that it came out well, especially with your changes. :)
Can I use almond flour only. I don’t have any coconut flour :(
Sorry for just now seeing your question! Like I said in the post, there’s not really a sub for coconut flour. :( Sorry about that!
Just made these and they are awesome!! added raisins 10/10 :)
Yay! I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for your comment. :)
Hi. I’ve been making this recipe on repeat every week for my son! I had made it a few times with flax eggs- he loved it. I switched to regular eggs and i like it better with regular eggs. Looks nicer, as well :)
Thank you for this recipe. Literally make it every week. Freezes well!
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! It landed in spam for some weird reason. :( I’m surprised your son liked it with flax eggs! I wasn’t able to make these successfully with chia eggs. You’re welcome for the recipe! It’s so nice to hear you make them every week. :) Thanks for your feedback and sorry again for my slow reply.
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.