This year has flown by faster than the F1s at Aus GP last weekend. Easter is just days away and before we know it, Santa Claus will come knock knock knocking.
Where does the time go? We dunno, but we do know that the best way to pass the time this Easter is with these hopping delicious, gluten free carrot cake muffins by the oh so talented George Eats.
Thanks for the recipe, Georgia!
Gluten free easter carrot cake muffins
Makes 9-12 muffins
Gluten free, nut free, dairy free option, vegan option
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1 cup (160g) fine white rice flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) buckwheat flour
- 1/2 tsp (4.5g) baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (to taste if grating fresh)
- 1/2 tsp (1g) psyllium husk (optional, see notes)
- 250g carrot, skin on
- 200g thick plain yoghurt (lactose free Greek yoghurt and coconut yoghurt work a treat)
- 125g light brown sugar or rapadura sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) neutral flavoured oil (vegetable oil is my go-to)
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk of choice
- Pinch of fine salt
For the icing:
- 250g lactose free cream cheese, room temperature
- 25g butter, room temperature
- 25-50g sifted pure icing sugar or 20-40ml maple syrup, to taste
- Pinch of fine salt
Method
For the muffins:
Preheat the oven to 180C/356F.
Line 9 holes of a muffin tin with muffin liners or grease them well.
Whisk to combine the flours, baking soda, spices, optional psyllium husk and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Grate the carrots on the large side of your grater. Transfer the grated carrot to a food processor and process to chop into fine pieces. This ensures the batter cooks evenly and you don’t end up with stringy bits of carrot in your muffins.
Add the carrots and remaining ingredients to the bowl and whisk until a batter forms.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin liners, right to the top. Once you’ve used all the batter, bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes or until domed and lightly golden.
If you're making the cream cheese icing, allow them to cool completely before you ice them.
For the icing:
Use hand beaters to combine the butter and cream cheese.
Add the sugar and beat until a smooth, pipeable consistency is formed. Taste and adjust for sweetness. A little lemon juice or zest or some vanilla extract is always a welcome addition.
When the muffins have cooled, pipe or spread the icing onto the muffins. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes:
Use plant based milk and a thick vegan yoghurt to make these muffins vegan. Top with a vegan icing of choice or use plant based cream cheese
The psyllium husk is optional, but helps hold things together in the absence of eggs or gluten. It is particularly helpful when you make the muffins vegan, as vegan yoghurt tends to be thinner.
To keep these muffins low FODMAP, use lactose free yoghurt, milk and cream cheese.
