These gluten free carrot muffins have the fragrant flavour of cardamom and cinnamon, and the natural sweetness of carrots. They are made using oats rather than wheatflour, with no refined sugar. Who would have thought eating vegetables for breakfast could be so delicious?
Can muffins really be healthy?
So many muffins are made with refined flour and lots of added sugar. But it is possible for muffins to be a healthy option. This recipe uses whole oats, which are ground to a flour-like consistency during the mixing process. Oats are a wholegrain, which means they are high in fibre, and a natural source of vitamin B. Making baked goods with oat flour is a good way to avoid wheat. (If you want to try baking with quinoa or coconut flour to vary things further, then give these quinoa breakfast muffins, or coconut flour blueberry muffins a try.)
Many supermarket muffins contain over a tablespoon of sugar and fat per muffin, but this recipe has less than a third of that. Each muffin contains a teaspoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of honey, lots of oats and carrot, plus some egg. That's a pretty healthy breakfast, or snack at any time of day:). Gluten free carrot muffins will also keep you feeling full, due to the fibre which helps to keep your blood sugar levels steady.
Ingredients
Oats. You'll need porridge oats for this recipe. To ensure that the recipe is gluten free, make sure that you buy certified oats that have been processed in such a way that they cannot become contaminated with other grains
Carrots. Any type will work in this recipe. Carrots are a great source of beta carotene, and they result in a beautiful golden coloured muffin. The natural sweetness of carrots means that the muffins need very little extra sugar
Olive oil. I use extra virgin olive oil as it has higher levels of nutrients. As there is only a small amount in the recipe, you will not really notice the flavour of the oil. If you prefer, you could use coconut oil, or even melted butter
Eggs help to bind the muffin mixture, and add extra protein and nutrients
Honey: I find 2 tablespoons of honey adds the right level of sweetness to these gluten free carrot muffins. If you prefer, use maple syrup
Spices and flavourings. Cardamom is quite strong , so just ¼ teaspoon will allow the flavour to come through. If you are using cardamom pods rather than ground cardamom, then you'll need 2-3 pods. Lightly crush the pods to remove the seeds, then grind the seeds in a mortar and pestle. Cinnamon and vanilla extract further bring out the natural sweetness in the muffins and complement the flavour of the carrots. Of course you can vary the spices if you prefer - allspice, ginger or nutmeg would also work well, or use a teaspoon of mixed spice
Raisins: these are entirely optional, but they do go well in these muffins. Alternatively, you might like to try adding nuts such as walnuts or pecans
Baking powder will give the muffins a bit of lift. But they do not rise a huge amount, so make sure to fill your paper cases to the top
How to make gluten free carrot muffins
Place the oats in the bowl of the food processor and blitz until they turn to a coarse flour. Add the roughly chopped carrots, and blitz again until they are very finely chopped.
Add the oil, honey, eggs, spices, vanilla extract and baking powder.
Blitz until thoroughly mixed.
Stir in the raisins by hand so that they remain whole
Spoon into paper cases and bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees. Your gluten free carrot muffins should be springy to the touch.
What if I don't have a food processor?
If you don't have a food processor or blender to make the muffins, then it's best to use ready ground oat flour rather than whole oats. Finely grate the carrots, then mix in the other ingredients.
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a rating and/or comment at the bottom of the page. Your feedback and questions are much appreciated.
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Gluten Free Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- 200 g porridge oats
- 200 g carrots washed and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 80 g raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
- Place the oats in a food processor and blitz until powdery. Add the chopped carrot, and blitz until finely chopped. Add the olive oil, honey, spices, vanilla extract, eggs and baking powder and pulse until mixed. Stir in the raisins by hand.
- Spoon the mixture in a muffin tin lined with paper cases, and bake for 20 minutes until golden and springy to the touch.
Please note nutritional information is for guidance only
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