Carrot cake is such a delicious thing, who wouldn’t want to eat it as muffins, that you can take to school or work, on a picnic, or have as a dessert with fruit and cream cheese frosting?! This recipe is gluten free, and you can use a lactose free cream cheese or eat a small amount to keep it low FODMAP.

gluten free carrot cake muffins with maple cream cheese frosting

MAKES

12 regular muffins

INGREDIENTS

• 250gm carrots (whole) – about 3 small, 2 medium or 1 large carrots (equals about 2 cups once peeled & finely grated)
• 1/4 cup of organic raw sugar
• 125gm organic butter, melted (or 1/2 cup of mild olive oil, or macadamia oil)
• 2 free range eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder, or vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup of maize or corn flour
• 2 tsps gluten free baking powder

OPTIONAL

• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 2 tsp dried mandarin or citrus powder (or fresh citrus zest)
• 1 tsp ground ginger, and a pinch of ground cloves

MAPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 250gm pack of Lactose free cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to moderate (about 180 degrees celsius)
2. Prepare muffin trays (using muffin papers, silicone muffin cups, or lightly oiling the cups)
3. Cut ends off the carrots (peel if not using organic carrots)
4. In a food processor, finely grate the carrots, using the 2mm grating plate (leave the grated carrot in the food processor bowl, it will get further chopped and blend in)
5. Switch out the grating plate, and put in the chopping blade
6. Add butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, (and citrus powder, if using) and blend until combined
7. Add the baking powder and flours, and blend until just combined
8. If using nuts or sultanas, add them now, and blend briefly to combine
9. Spoon the batter into your prepared muffin tray cups or papers, until 3/4 filled (this cake batter can be quite thick, but it will melt and rise as it cooks)
10. Bake muffins for 25 to 30 minutes in moderate oven, until the muffins have risen, and they spring back when lightly touched
11. Allow to cool on a baking rack
12. Meanwhile, make the frosting by whipping together the cream cheese and maple syrup, until smooth
13. Once cool, top the gluten free carrot muffins with cream cheese frosting (or yoghurt/ labna and a drizzle of maple syrup)
14. Store in an airtight container for up to a week
15. Can be frozen in the muffin papers, and easily defrosts in a school or work lunch bag, in time for morning tea

TO MAKE AS A CAKE OR SLICE

• Pour the cake batter into a prepared round 25cm cake tin, or a 20 x 20cm baking dish, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until risen, golden brown on top, and an inserted skewer comes out without wet cake mix on it

NOTES

• You can substitute any of the 1/2 cup flours with 2 tbsp of coconut flour, or green banana flour
• You can substitute 1 1/2 cups of plain gluten free flour mix, using a shop bought brand
• You can substitute some of the carrot with grated apple or sweet potato, for a combination totalling about 2 cups once grated (but it will not be Low FODMAP)
• If you prefer a coarser texture of carrot in your cake, set aside after grating, and put back in after step 7
• You can find vanilla powder here or here.
• I find white rice flour that you can buy in baking aisles to be somewhat gritty, so prefer to use the glutinous rice flour found in the Asian food grocery stores or aisle. No, it does not contain gluten.
• If you are new to Low FODMAP eating, read my Beginner’s Guide