Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins

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Wake up with a warm and lovely carrot muffin.

Happy First Friday of the New Year. Like any first of any season this auspicious occasion makes yours truly want to bake. And with snow on the ground, it has to be muffins- like these tender little bundles of gluten-free joy. So cute and sunny. I love the carroty color. The subtly fragrant texture of coconut flour and quinoa flakes. A hint of cinnamon and ginger. A bite of raisin. Seriously chai worthy.

And more fiber rich than say, a powdered donut. Or your average gluten-free bagel which is nothing but starch (not that I have anything against starch these days; I am embracing my personal Doris since the news about weight and a longer life). This a treat you can eat without a heavy helping of self-imposed guilt.

Truth is I don't count calories or worry about dieting.

At my age (or any age?) I think worrying can make you gain weight.

Focusing on all the food you can't have. Thinking about how many bites is too much. Cutting back so drastically on caloric intake or carbs that your blood sugar plunges faster than a carnival ride. You don't want to be around me if I'm on a diet- or a low-carb regimen. I am one wildly cranky be-atch. I lose brain cells. I see flashing lights. I tip over. I claw through the refrigerator overwhelmed with the sensation of deprivation.

Until I find the long lost bag of gluten-free pretzels.

Then I'm done.

And done in.

So I don't bother with the details when I need to lose make friends with my yearly winter weight gain. And I may as well confess- ! I don't go sugar-free any more. I eat a cookie. There I said it. Or a muffin. Yup.

Then I go for a walk (if it isn't zero degrees). I try to keep moving. Because the reason I gain a pie roll this time of year has less to do with carbs and fat grams than you think. It's not the morning muffin that gives me my muffin top. It's the hibernation. The paucity of exercise. The bump on the log that I become once the sun sets- at 4:42 PM.

It's hard to burn calories watching reruns of Downton Abbey.

Unless you're on a treadmill.

Which, like cousin Violet, I am most decidedly not.

Gluten-free carrot muffin with quinoa flakes and coconut flour.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe

Coconut flour adds lovely texture, fiber, and moistness to this tender muffin. But if you cannot use coconut flour, try almond or hazelnut flour.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups potato starch (not potato flour- too heavy)
1/2 cup organic coconut flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup organic light brown sugar
3 beaten organic free-range eggs (or Ener-G Egg Replacer for 2 eggs, mixed)
1/2 cup light olive oil, or organic expeller pressed Canola oil
1/3 cup plain non-dairy or plain dairy yogurt
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla
1/2 cup light coconut milk/non-dairy milk/milk - more if needed (I used up to 3/4 cup)

Stir-ins:

1 cup finely grated organic carrots
1/2 rounded cup organic raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (starch, flours, quinoa flakes, baking powder, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, spices, sugar).

Beat in the eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla and see where you're at. The batter contains coconut flour and quinoa flakes, and both soak up liquid, so don't be surprised if the batter is quite stiff at first.

Add in the coconut milk, a quarter of a cup at a time, until the batter resembles a smooth, thick cake batter. Don't add so much liquid that the batter becomes thin or runny. Stop at half a cup coconut milk if you've achieved the right consistency. If it's still stiff (like mine was) add more liquid a tablespoon at a time to loosen it up a bit. It took a total 3/4 cup of coconut milk for me to achieve this- your mileage may vary.

When the batter is smooth and happy, stir in the carrots, raisins and walnuts.

Spoon the muffin batter into twelve lined muffin cups. You may have a tablespoon or two extra batter. I fill my muffin cups almost to the top. If you like slightly smaller muffins, this batter will make a baker's dozen. Smooth out the tops with wet fingers.

Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 22 minutes or so, until domed and golden and firm to a light touch.

Remove from the hot pan as quickly as possible to cool the muffins on a wire rack (keep those bottoms from getting soggy, Girls and Boys!).

Amazing warm from the oven. The best. Wrap and freeze for easy on-the-go breakfast treats. Warming them in a microwave makes them more flavorful and tender.

Makes 12-13 muffins.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.