These almond flour carrot muffins are super 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. The reviewers love them! With a 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.
Or actually, it’s tied with this gluten-free carrot cake, which is the same exact recipe as the healthy carrot cake, but with gluten-free flour.
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. 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 muffins 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!
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 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 extract
- 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 (about 62 grams per liner) 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.
- 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.
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629 comments on “Almond Flour Carrot Muffins” — Add one!
33 comments are awaiting moderation!
Hi, my mil can’t have almond flour. I would like to use all coconut flour and I understand it’ll be dryer that way. But What would you suggest adding to to keep it from being too dry? Applesauce maybe? how much?
So I did try it with all coconut flour and added 2 cups of unsweetened apple sauce. It turned out to be very delicious but crumbling apart.
Do you have any suggestions how to “fix” it?
Can I sub rice flour for almond flour instead.
Ah, sorry! I see now that I was too late. 2 cups of added applesauce is a huge addition to the recipe and would require reworking the whole recipe. :( Sorry again I don’t have a better answer for you!
Hi there! I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment. Unfortunately it’s not possible to use coconut flour as it’s not interchangeable with any other type of flour (it absorbs way more liquid and requires more eggs, too). Sorry about that! You could use another type of nut flour instead of almond.
Oh my goodness, these were so good! Nobody would ever guess they’re a healthier version unless you told them, unlike many other “alternative” recipes! I made these for a friend’s birthday since she’s on a diet before her wedding and she would hardly believe they were a healthy option, she seriously thought I was just saying that since I love to bake full fat sweets. These are going to be a new go to for me!
Aww, yay! I’m thrilled that the bride-to-be was also impressed with them. :) Thanks for your comment!
Hi there,
What are the quantities, if I’d like to bake an actual cake with two layers?
Thanks,
Dagmara
Hello! I’m sorry for just now seeing your question. You can double the recipe and bake it in two 8″ pans for 17 minutes.
Wow, these are the best carrot muffins I’ve ever had!! I love how they are sweet and delicious AND healthier, even without the icing!!! Just one question. Do you know the nutritional information per muffin? I searched the page but didn’t see it. I log my food, so I would love to be able to add these and know the damage 😜
Thanks again for sharing this recipe!
You’re welcome for the recipe! :) And I’m sorry for just now seeing your question. I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile. :) Thanks for your feedback!
I made the recipe into a double layer cake for my husbands birthday and everybody loved it, it was fluffy and very delicious. I recommend it 100%.
I’m so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! I hope your husband had a great birthday. :) Thanks a bunch for your feedback and sorry for my slow reply.
Yummy! I made these as 24 mini muffins and took them to bible study today- they were all gobbled up and no one even asked if they were GF- they just tasted great. I skipped the frosting and just lightly sprinkled with conf sugar.
I would def make these again, thanks for a great recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m glad that everyone liked them and that they didn’t even ask if they were GF. That’s always a great sign. :) Thanks for your comment!
These are delicious! I’ve been looking for a gluten-free carrot cake recipe to make for a friend. I didn’t have honey and had to use sugar. The batter was a little thick due to lack of honey. They were still delicious though!
I’m glad to hear that! And good to know that sugar works nicely. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Its so nice to eat great cake again, its been so long.
The only downside is that although I followed the recipe, it’s quiet greasy. That might just be that I’m used to eating cakes made with butter rather than oil.
I’ll try it with less oil next time and see how it turns out.
This is definitively going to be a go-to recipe.
I’m so glad that it came out well for you! What brand of almond flour did you use? Make sure to use a finely ground one. If you use one that’s a little coarse, then the result will be more greasy than it should be. I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment and thanks for your feedback!
I don’t have coconut flour.
The recipe, “Healthier Carrot cupcakes” calls for it , typically a substitution of 1/4 c Coconut flour is equivalent to 4x regular white flour. The recipe calls for 2T. Coconut flour. I intend to substitute 8 T almond flour. Does this make sense?
I’m very sorry for just now seeing your question! I don’t recommend subbing try that or any sub. It might work, but it likely wouldn’t as coconut flour is so much more absorbent. I think the muffins would come out oily and way too moist. Sorry again for my slow reply!
I made this as a loaf, it was so fantastic! I added 1/3 cup of each of raisins and fresh coconut, for a double recipe.
Yum! Sounds delicious. Do you remember the baking time? Thanks for your feedback!
hello there! can i use any other type of flour instead of almond flour? thank you!!
Hi! You can use another type of nut flour or meal. :)
I just made these for my children and added sultanas (raisins). I also didn’t have any honey so I used rice malt syrup. Absolutely delicious. I had to taste test one as they smelt so delicious!
That’s great to know that rice malt syrup works well! Thanks for the tip. :) I’m happy that you and your kid enjoyed them!
Could these possibly be made as cookie shape? I don’t have muffin tins right now.
What about a substitute for coconut oil, melted butter? I loathe coconut.
They can’t be made as cookies but as a cake. Melted butter or olive oil work!
I just made these and I these are the best muffins! Warning if you are on a diet I wouldn’t suggest to make these as you will have a hard time not eating all of them in one sitting.
Yummy muffins made them and thank you and God for such a great tasting yet healthier version.
You’re welcome! I’m glad that you liked them. :)
Haha. That is true! Good warning. ;) Thanks for your feedback! I’m glad that you liked them.
I want to make these as an added sweet treat but I wonder what affect a scope of protein powder would have on this.
I honestly have no idea as I’ve never used protein powder. :( Sorry I can’t be more helpful! I’d love to hear how they come out if you try them.
I’m going to try it and let you know how it comes out.
Great! Thanks and good luck. :)
Hi! Can this recipe be used for a cake instead of muffins? Thanks
Hi! I’m sorry for just now seeing your question. Hopefully you found where I mention this in the post. :) You can double the recipe and bake it in two 8″ pans for 17 minutes.
Thanks for the recipe! My kids loved them. They don’t taste eggy like most paleo muffin recipes. Do you store them in the fridge? (unfrosted ones) Thank you
I’m so very sorry for just now seeing your comment. It landed in spam for some weird reason! I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed the muffins. :) You don’t need to store them in the fridge unless it’s very humid in your kitchen. Chilling them will keep them longer, though. Thanks for your comment and sorry again!
Ok great thank you! I shall make some more 😊
Have you tried making these with cassava flour?
Nope. I haven’t had got luck subbing cassava for other flours. Sorry about that!
I made these today and they were AMAZING!!
Super moist and the perfect texture. Used Maple Syrup for the muffins. Omitted the frosting, only cause I ran out of vanilla 😬
Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m happy that you thought that they were amazing. :D Thanks for your comment!
I want to make this as a cake for my daughters 1st bday. What do you recommend for the cooking temp/time. The cake pan is a 6 inch pan
So far I’ve only doubled the recipe and baked it in two 8″ pans for 17 minutes. The temperature would stay the same for a 6″ pan but I have no idea of the baking time. Just keep a close eye on it. :)
Dear Erin, I made these cupcakes earlier but made a few changes. I substituted the coconut oil with canola oil, I added a cup of chopped dates, 3 tablespoons of desiccated coconut and put a quarter cup of xylitol and 1 tablespoon of honey. I’m not going to bother with the icing as these are so delicious just as they are! Thank you for this recipe. Greetings from South Africa.
Hi Adriana! Thanks so much for sharing your version. The dates sound especially yummy! And great that they were good enough without the icing. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Hi! This looks amazing!
Can we replace the coconut oil with any nut butters?
Hi there! I’ve never tried that sub so I really don’t know. Sorry about that!
These were great, but I made them even better by adding 1/4 cup each raisins, crushed pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. I also used vegan butter.
Yum! That sounds delicious. Thanks for the tip!
I never comment on recipes but I just had to for this one. Honestly the best muffins I’ve ever tasted… So moist and delicious!! I made them without the icing and added shredded dried coconut. Perfect for a quick breakfast 😍🥕
Well thank you for taking the time to comment! It’s much appreciated. :) I’m so happy that you liked them! How much coconut did you add? Thanks for the tip and your comment!
I’m baking mine right now and noticing they do not rise at all? Is this a thing?
Sorry for just now seeing your question! I haven’t made these in a while but I don’t recall them rising much. Did they come out okay? :)
I followed the recipe but the batter was all crumbly. I dont know what I did wrong.
Did you make any subs or any kinds of changes at all to the recipe? None of the other reviewers seemed to have had this problem so I’m guessing something must have gone wrong. Did you use cups or grams? I recommend using grams. Perhaps you packed your flour too tightly?
This looks wonderful!!
Could you use regular gluten free flour in substitute of the 2 flours listed in the recipe?
Thanks! Unfortunately not. Regular GF flour (if you mean a 1:1 sub for all-purpose flour) is really just meant to sub for wheat flour and not other blends of grain-free flours. I have an amazing gluten-free carrot cake that uses a GF baking mix that you might like!
As usual, you are a genius. Followed this recipe with one sub, 200g of mejool dates that I crushed with mortar and pestles subbed for the honey. Made them not quite as sweet and with some date bits running through. Please note I weighed before removing the pits.
Superb recipe!
Aww, thanks. :) I’m so happy that you liked them and that the date sub worked well! I wonder if they’d work with date paste. I might try! Thanks for your feedback (and especially for the note about 200 grams of pitted dates!)
Can you substitute the blanched almond flour with just almond flour? I really don’t know what blanched almond flour is? And omit coconut flour and just use all almond flour? I really want to try these, they look amazing! Thank you!
Almond flour is usually blanched, meaning that the skins from the almonds have been removed. If it’s got the skins on there, it’s usually called almond meal. You can use either one. Unfortunately, you can’t just omit the coconut flour. It’s not interchangeable with any other type of flour as it absorbs so much more liquid. Sorry about that!
I tried this recipe and it was an epic fail for me. I did not have a batter I had a crumbly dough. So it just didn’t “pour” at all. I pressed the dough into a cake pan and hoped for the best. It tasted good but the texture was not good. Do you know what I did wrong?
I’m sorry to hear it failed for you! I’ve gotten so many reviews on this recipe and haven’t had any epic fails yet so I’m guessing something must have gone wrong with the ingredients or the process. Did you make any subs or changes at all to the recipe? It should definitely pour and not have to be pressed and the texture should have been fluffy. Did you use cups or go by grams? It could have been that you packed the almond flour really tightly, which would have created a dry batter.
Are there any changes to make if I sub maple syrup for honey in the muffin mix? I am making for my sons first bday and we haven’t introduced honey yet. Thanks!
No changes! Hope he has a nice birthday and likes the muffins. :)
It was delicious! I logged the info via myfitnesspal. Here it is:
Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 256
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 19 g 30 %
Saturated Fat 10 g 49 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 49 mg 16 %
Sodium 127 mg 5 %
Potassium 40 mg 1 %
Total Carbohydrate 17 g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g 14 %
Sugars 13 g
Protein 5 g 10 %
Vitamin A 23 %
Vitamin C 1 %
Calcium 4 %
Iron 7 %
So happy you liked them! Thanks for sharing the analysis. :)
Hi… Was this with the frosting or without? Thank you!
Oops… just seeing this now! The analysis excludes the icing.
Hi,
When you say vanilla, is that Vanilla essence, vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste please? I am in AAustralia, so might be different here…I usually use vanilla extract in my cake baking. Also is there a change to quantities of different?
Thank you
Hi there! Sorry for just now seeing your question. I used vanilla extract. All American recipes use extract unless something else is specifically called for (not that you can actually tell I’m from the US by this recipe!). Hope you’ll enjoy them. :)
do you guys cook these strait in the muffin tin or do you poor into the paper cups and bake them in the paper… i have had problems making similar muffins in the paper, it just sticks to the paper and I waste half the muffins
:(
You line the muffin pan with the muffin liners and bake them that way. You shouldn’t waste half the muffin with this recipe. :)
I have tried so many grain free recipes that just fail. Delightfully surprised this was amazing!
Kids and hubby love them, and I didn’t even get to frost them!
Looking forward to more recipes!!!
I used 1/4 cup MCT oil and a Tbsp of vanilla Ghee. I also added just under the amount of almond flour and added a Tbsp of Milled Seeds and a Tblsp of arrowroot powder. I also used fresh grated ginger instead of powder.
I only substituted because it’s what I had in the house!
Grain-free recipes are tricky and I’ve tried quite a few bad ones, too! I have lots of other grain-free recipes you might like. :) I’m so happy that you and your family enjoyed them and that they came out well with your subs! Thanks a bunch for your comment.
Oh wow! I made this as my birthday cake, this year, with a large batch of paleo cream cheese frosting https://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/cream-cheese-frosting/ (basically the same thing as the included frosting, but on a larger scale, because math is hard. ;) I omitted the ginger; a birthday cake is not worth risking trying something new) and a chopped pecan “crust.” This might be the best birthday cake I’ve ever made. I doubled the recipe and used my two 9″ cake pans (since I didn’t have 8″ pans, as recommended). I baked them for 21 minutes, and the tops were still almost-not-fully-done, but I didn’t want to risk overcooking them. This is definitely going to be a go-to for cake days, around here.
My non-paleo husband said the cake is “solid,” and he would definitely eat it again. I guess I’ll have to share my entire birthday cake with him. ;)
Thanks for the amazing recipe! I can’t wait to try more of your delicious desserts!
Happy birthday! I’m so very happy that the cake was a hit. It’s always nice when non-paleo people like the recipes, too. :) Thank you for sharing the baking time for 9″ pans! I hope you’ll enjoy the other recipes just as much. Thanks a bunch for your comment!
I’ve made these several times now. They are always delicious,and I never ice them! I triple the recipe to get 24 muffins and they freeze beautifully.The biggest issue I have is that my 4 and 5 year old boys sneak them out and love eating them frozen! I added organic,unsweetened,shredded coconut once and it was great.Thanks for a healthy recipe that tastes just like the unhealthy version!
You’re welcome! That’s interesting and good to know that they can be eaten straight from the freezer. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
These look so good! Can I substitute canola oil for coconut oil in this recipe?
Thanks!
Thanks! And definitely. :) Hope you’ll enjoy them!
The reviews are amazing on these muffins! I really want to try them. Just would like to know how many days do they last at room temperature?
Sorry for just now seeing this! It depends on how moist your kitchen is but they should be fine for at least 3 days. You could refrigerate them after that.
Crazy good!!!
Yay! Happy to hear that! :)
OMG….Erin this recipe is crazy good. I am on path to eliminate white sugar and flour from my cooking and my Mom’s carrot cake was going to be the hardest treat to release until I found you. I replaced honey for Lakanto granulated sweetner and added a couple tablespoons of unsweetened almond milk to adjust for lack of honey in texture. I intended to add peacans and totally forgot and still they were moist, perfect texture and an easy treat for all.
Thank you.
You’re welcome! Thanks for the Lakanto tip. :) I’ll have to try that! I just got some in the mail. Thanks again for your comment!
Hi Erin, quick follow-up…in addition to baking with Lakanto white granules I also prepared the icing with Lakanto powered sweetner. My picky 17yr old daughter is happily packing one of your muffins in her lunch daily. I’m not sure if I am happy she likes them or sad I am sharing them.. both :) Thanks again! I look forward to trying other recipes.
Haha. Well I’m happy that your picky daughter liked them! :) I hope you’ll enjoy the other recipes just as much. And thanks for the tip on the powdered sweetener! I didn’t know that it even existed.
Hi there. I made the muffins and they were awesome! Do yo know how many calories in one muffin? Thank you!
Hi! So happy that you liked them. :) I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer.
In case others want to try lower sugar, and an alternative to coconut oil or butter.
I subbed honey for 3 tbsp maple syrup (only because I prefer the taste of maple syrup), subbed coconut oil for 3 tbsp coconut yogourt (works with dairy yogourt too, cupcakes end up especially velvety if you use Greek yogurt, even more so if you use Icelandic Skyr yogurt) and doubled the amount of grated carrots. When substituting oil or butter, I tried apple sauce first, and it wasn’t as good as the recipe where I tried yogurt. I had to bake my muffins for 25 min to cook fully in the middle. I also halved the maple syrup in the frosting and the kids still love it!
Can I substitute ghee for the coconut oil?
I’ve never baked with ghee so I have no idea. Sorry about that! I believe some of the other reviewers have tried it with success.
My frosting is brown and lumpy. What did I do wrong?
I’m not sure how it could be brown from the ingredients used. Did you make any subs or changes at all to the recipe?
Maybe the cream cheese was too cool and not softened enough?? when you added the honey or even maple syrup…it may have not integrated well enough.
Or, rather didn’t mix it first and then add the sweetener??
That could explain it! Thanks for the tip. :)
I made these today. They are delicious! I didn’t ice them, left them plain. I added chopped walnuts and I didn’t have any muffin liners, so I sprayed my muffin tin with coconut oil. I will definitely make them again.
I’m happy to hear that you’ll be making them! Thanks a bunch for your feedback. :)
I made the recipe exactly as posted. Perfection. Very very delicious.
When I make it again, I will add walnuts and maybe raisins.
PS
The cupcakes were moist and full flavored.
Haha. Thanks! I love that you came back to add that. :D So happy you liked them!
Sounds like a yummy addition! Thanks for your comment. :)
Hi Erin,
I added 1/4 cup of crushed walnuts and a little less than a 1/4 cup of raisins. Oh my gosh, so good very moist. I also made this as a 2 layer 4 x 4 cake (I did not double the recipe). The cake was moist as well not dense.
I have made this recipe as cupcakes no less than 5 times.
Thanks for sharing how much walnuts and raisins you added! And awesome that your cake came out moist as a layer cake. I’m not sure why mine keeps coming out dense, but only in cake form! Thanks again for your comment. I’m thrilled that you’ve been enjoying the recipe so much!
I’d love to make this as a cake, layered if I can make it two tiered, any recommendations other than putting in a round pan and baking longer? Thanks! I’m hoping to make this today! 😬
Hi there! You can double the recipe and bake it in two 8″ pans for 17 minutes. But the texture is denser and not as fluffy as the muffins. Hope you’ll enjoy it!
I need to do oil and egg free temporarily. Could I substitute shortening for the oil and egg substitute (ground chia seeds) for the eggs?
I’ve never used shortening but I think it’d be fine. I unfortunately don’t recommend egg replacers in this recipe. They didn’t work well for me!
I was also going to ask about egg replacers – did you try flax eggs? I’d love to be able to make this vegan – thanks!
I don’t remember what I used but it was probably a chia egg and the result wasn’t very good. Sorry about that!
I made these for an Easter party yesterday and they were to die for! They were very moist and tasted like regular flour carrot cake cupcakes. Kids and adults gobbled them up! I subbed the coconut oil with butter and added only half the ginger – they were perfectly fine. I did add a little bit of powdered sugar to the icing to make it a bit sweeter. I will definitely make these again! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear that you’ll be making them again and that they were gobbled up at the party. That’s always a good sign. ;) Thanks for your feedback!