Gluten-free & grain-free options for a healthier carrot cake treat this Easter! They can be made into muffins or carrot cake bars!
Ingredients
· 2 eggs
· 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
· 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
· 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or coconut sugar
· 1 TBS lemon juice
· 2 tsp vanilla extract
· 1/3 cup coconut flour
· 1 cup almond flour OR 1 cup of oat flour
· 1 tsp baking powder
· 1/2 tsp baking soda
· 1/4 tsp salt
· 1 1/2 TBS ground cinnamon
· 1/2 tsp ground ginger
OR in place of the cinnamon & ginger 1 ½ TBS pumpkin spice seasoning
· 1 ½ cups shredded carrots (I used 3 large carrots that I grated)
· ¼ cup raisins optional OR ¼ cup crushed pineapple OR ¼ cup crushed walnuts
Coconut Cream Frosting
· 1 14 oz can full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream chilled
· 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· optional: other spices such as cinnamon or pumpkin spice
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with parchment liners.
2. Combine the coconut flour and almond or oat flour in a large bowl with the other dry ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla.
4. Stir in the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir in grated carrots and raisins, walnuts and pineapple.
5. The muffin batter will be thicker because of the coconut flour. Pour the batter into a lined muffin container all the way up, should be thick enough to pat down with your hands to make the top of the muffins even.
6. If you don’t have any cupcake liners then you can also bake this carrot cake recipe in an 8x8 baking sheet and cut them into bars.
7. Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 25 mins or until they rise and are set in the center. If making carrot cake bars then bake for 35-40 mins.
8. Remove from oven and allow to sit 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
9. While the carrot cake cools off, make the frosting.
10. Chill the can of coconut milk for 1-3 days. The full-fat coconut cream will separate from the water in the coconut milk or coconut cream. It will accumulate at the top and harden.
11. Open the can and scoop out only the hard coconut cream that should have settled on top.
12. Using a hand mixer, whip the coconut cream with maple syrup, vanilla extract and other optional flavors until fluffy.
13. The whipped coconut cream can be piped or spread evenly to the top of the muffins. And you can top with chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon!
14. Store the carrot cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days!