Flourless Carrot Cake Muffins that are both healthy and indulgent! Subtly spiced and sweetened muffins are topped with a lightened-up cream cheese frosting in a delicious gluten-free treat that’s sure to please.
Frosting these flourless carrot cake muffins made me think of the cake tastings we did when we were looking for someone to make our wedding cake. Not sure why, but possibly because it was the last time I had anything with frosting on it.
In any case, it was a pretty bitter sweet memory because it was the last thing we were able to plan for our wedding, and that was almost 2 months ago. After that, lockdown went into place and planning became a lot more difficult, if not impossible.
Actually, even figuring out if we’ll still be able to have our wedding is kind of tricky. It’s not until September, but right now everything is at a standstill and we have no idea when this lockdown will be lifted.
That and we have a lot of people who’ll have to travel, and I’m not sure that anyone is going to be super eager to hop on an airplane after all the fear surrounding travel.
So that’s where we’re at right now – trying to stay positive but also exploring other options like just having a tiny ceremony and then a bigger reception some time in the future when things have settled. Who knows. Only time will tell.
But enough about that. Let’s talk flourless carrot cake muffins since I’m sure that’s why you’re all here.
How To Make Flourless Carrot Cake Muffins
Blender Method
- The blender method works best if you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix since a less powerful blender will most likely bog down under the ingredient load and be super annoying to work with.
- It really helps to start by processing the oats until they’re ground down into the consistency of a fine flour. This ensures a smoother muffin that will cook evenly.
- After you grind the oats, take the blender jar and give it a few shakes to make sure the oat flour isn’t packed too tightly under/around the blades – this helps the rest of the ingredients blend more smoothly and prevents the blender from bogging down.
- Make sure to scrape down the sides/corners of your blender and process one more time before adding the carrots and raisins.
- DO NOT PROCESS the carrots or add-ins! You can add them straight to the blender bowl and use a spatula to mix them in, or you can transfer the batter to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients there. It really depends on the size/shape of your blender.
Mixing Bowl Method
- You’ll have to replace the oats with a pre-ground or store-bought oat flour. This recipe calls for 2 cups of oats which translates to 1 1/2 cups of oat flour – 160 grams in each case.
- If you want to make your own oat flour, add 2 cups of oats (160 g) to any blender and process on high until the oats get ground down to a fine flour consistency. You can even do this in something like a NutriBullet… just in smaller batches.
- Add the carrots and add-ins after everything else has been mixed together and a batter forms and give them a good mix to make sure they’re evenly distributed in the batter.
Both Methods
- Shred your carrots before you add the wet ingredients. This is so that you don’t have to do it while the batter is just sitting around and letting the leavening agents react. You’ll get fluffier, dome-ier muffins this way.
- I used coconut palm sugar for my sweetener, but you can replace that with brown or cane sugar as well. Maple syrup will also work, but it will change the consistency of the muffins a little bit.
- When measuring, don’t pack the shredded carrots too tightly. Just sprinkle the shreds into your measuring cups until they are full and heaping a little bit. 2 medium-sized carrots are all you need.
- Add-ins are completely optional. I know people are pretty particular about how they like their carrot cake, so feel free to toss in 1/2 – 1 cup of nuts, raisins, a combination of both, or nothing at all. I actually found that raisins were a really nice touch, but I know those guys can be super polarizing so feel free to leave them out.
- I really recommend either using parchment paper liners or greasing your muffin cavities well. These muffins will probably stick to paper liners.
- Let the muffins cool completely before frosting them. If they’re still warm, the frosting will get runnier and could potentially slip right off. Also, you don’t have to get fancy with the frosting – I just took a knife and smeared it on top.
- This part is totally optional, but I toasted some shredded coconut and sprinkled it on top of the frosting. It didn’t add much to the taste, but it was pretty to look at.
Okay, But What Are They Like?
Like a little palm-sized slice of carrot cake.
The muffins themselves are slightly spiced and not overly sweet. They’re on the denser side, but still really tender and moist. They’re pretty healthy little guys and make great snack or breakfast muffins. I found that I liked these better on day 2+ because the flavours had a chance to “marinate” and intensify, but they’re great straight out of the oven too.
What really takes these little muffins to the next level is the cream cheese frosting. Not only does it add a little bit of extra sweetness and moisture, but it creates that delicious spicy/tangy combo that’s so great about carrot cake. It makes them feel so much more indulgent while still staying on the healthier side.
These muffins are also gluten-free (as long as you use certified gluten-free oats) and can easily be made nut-free by replacing the almond butter with soy nut butter and the almond milk with another non-dairy milk like rice or soy. You can also make them vegan by replacing the eggs with a banana, but some of the flavour will come through.
Happy eating!
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flourless carrot cake muffins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 2 cups (160 g) oats, gluten-free if needed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup (64 g) almond butter
- 1/2 cup (100 g) coconut palm sugar*
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 slightly heaping cup (120 g) shredded carrots
- Optional: 1/2 cup (80 g) raisins or nuts
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 4 oz. light cream cheese
- 1/4 cup (30 g) icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the muffins:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a muffin pan by lining the cavities with parchment paper liners or greasing them with oil. Set aside.
- Add the oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a high-speed blender and process on high until the oats have broken down into the consistency of a fine flour, about 10 seconds.**
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the carrots and add-ins, and process on high until the batter becomes smooth and creamy, about 20 seconds. Periodically stop and scrape down the sides/corners of your blender as necessary. Finally, use a spatula to mix in the carrots and add-ins by hand.
- Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until the tops of the muffins begin to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. As soon as they’ve cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Make the frosting:
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and, using your stand or hand mixer, beat on high until all the ingredients are well combined and slightly whipped.
- When the muffins are cool, use a knife to spread the frosting on top of them. I recommend only frosting the muffins you plan to consume right away. Otherwise, store the frosting separately in a covered container in the fridge until you need to frost another muffin.
Notes
* You can also use brown sugar or cane sugar.
** Alternatively, you can replace the oats with 1 1/2 cups (160 g) of oat flour and mix everything by hand in a large bowl. Just whisk the dry ingredients together, then add all the remaining ingredients except for the carrots and add-ins and mix until a smooth batter forms. Finally, fold in the carrots and add-ins.
To make these gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
To make these nut-free, replace the almond butter with soy nut butter and the almond milk with another non-dairy milk like rice or soy.
To make these vegan, replace the eggs with one banana. The flavour will come through a little bit though.
Nutritional information is calculated with cream cheese frosting but without any add-ins.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Looking for more healthy muffin recipes? Try one of these!
Easy Morning Glory Muffins
Healthy Banana Nut Muffins
Easy Vegan Chocolate Muffins
Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Muffins
*Disclosure: Some of the links included in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and believe will add value to my readers. Thank you so much for helping support Spoons!
It’s hard to believe that your wedding cake tasting was the last time you had frosting! These flourless carrot cake muffins look like the perfect excuse to break that streak, especially with that lightened-up cream cheese frosting. I’m always looking for good gluten-free treats, so I can’t wait to try baking a batch of these this weekend.
I love that these are flourless and the cream cheese frosting sounds perfect on top. I usually turn recipe photos like these into short videos to share with friends, and these muffins would be so fun to film.
ooh flourless muffins sound amazing
It’s wild to think that your wedding cake tasting was the last time you had frosting before making these! I’ve been looking for a good gluten-free carrot cake muffin recipe, and that lightened-up cream cheese frosting sounds like the perfect topping. I’m definitely going to try baking these this weekend.
These flourless carrot cake muffins look like the perfect healthy treat—love the tip about grinding oats into flour for a smoother texture.
These look so moist and tasty! Love that they’re flourless too. Saving this recipe to try next weekend.
carrot cake is my fave, need to try these
Really enjoyed reading this post! The information was clear, engaging, and easy to follow. Thanks for sharing such useful content—I’m looking forward to reading more articles like this in the future.
I love that these carrot cake muffins are gluten-free but still get to have that cream cheese frosting. Your story about the wedding cake tastings was so relatable, even if it brought back a bittersweet memory for you. I’m definitely going to try making these this weekend to see how the lightened-up version compares to traditional carrot cake.
小麦粉なしで作れるのに、にんじんケーキらしいスパイス感とクリームチーズフロスティングまであるのがうれしいです。軽めのフロスティングなら朝食にもおやつにも出しやすそうで、グルテンフリーのお菓子を探している時に試してみたいです。
These flourless carrot cake muffins look like the perfect gluten-free treat, especially with that lightened-up cream cheese frosting. Your story about the wedding cake tastings being the last time you had frosting really struck a chord with me. It’s funny how baking can trigger such specific, bittersweet memories like that!
These flourless carrot cake muffins sound like a perfect blend of healthy and indulgent. I love that they’re topped with a lighter cream cheese frosting, making them a guilt-free treat.
This post covers a lot of ground without feeling overwhelming. I will share it with a friend who has been asking about the same subject.
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The blender method for turning oats into flour always strikes me as the kind of detail that separates a reliably repeatable recipe from a frustrating guess. Giving the blender jar a few shakes before adding the other ingredients is the sort of practical move that’s easy to skip, but it probably determines whether you get a smooth batter or a stuck blade.
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That bit about frosting these muffins reminding you of your wedding cake tastings really struck a chord with me. I’m always on the lookout for gluten-free treats that actually taste good, so a flourless carrot cake muffin with a lighter cream cheese frosting sounds right up my alley. I can’t wait to whip up a batch of these this weekend!
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These flourless carrot cake muffins look like the perfect healthy treat—love the tip about grinding oats into flour for a smoother texture.
These flourless carrot cake muffins look absolutely delicious and would make a perfect quick breakfast or afternoon snack. I really appreciate how the recipe keeps things wholesome without sacrificing that moist, tender texture. The combination of warm spices and natural sweetness sounds wonderful. I’ll definitely be saving this one to try soon!
The maple syrup and almond butter combo makes sense here. I’d skip the frosting for breakfast and keep it for dessert, since the muffin itself sounds sweet enough.
It’s so hard to find a good gluten-free muffin that doesn’t feel dense, so I’m really excited to try this flourless version. Your note about the wedding cake tastings really resonated—it’s funny how a simple task like putting frosting on a muffin can trigger such vivid, bittersweet memories. Plus, using a lightened-up cream cheese frosting sounds like the perfect way to keep them healthy but still indulgent.
These flourless carrot cake muffins look absolutely incredible! The fact that they are both healthy and indulgent at the same time is amazing. I love the idea of using a blender to make them – the tip about using a high-speed blender like a Vitamix is so helpful. The cream cheese frosting on top sounds like the perfect finishing touch. Adding this to my baking list!
These muffins look perfect for a healthy breakfast. I made a similar recipe and used speechbubbleswithtext.com to add a fun comic caption to the photo when sharing with my running group. Free and quick to use, great for adding personality to recipe photos.
Your story about the wedding cake tastings made me smile, though it’s a bummer that it was the last time you had frosting! I love that this recipe uses a lightened-up cream cheese frosting so it doesn’t feel too heavy. I’m definitely going to try making these flourless carrot cake muffins this weekend.
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I love that frosting these muffins brought back memories of your wedding cake tastings, even if it was a bittersweet reflection. I’ve been looking for a healthier gluten-free treat, and the idea of a lightened-up cream cheese frosting on a flourless carrot cake sounds absolutely perfect. Definitely adding this recipe to my weekend baking plans!
These muffins sound like the perfect balance of healthy and indulgent! Love that they’re flourless but still topped with a light cream cheese frosting.
These muffins sound awesome, but let’s be real: who has time for all that blender fuss? Just grab the all-purpose flour, mix it in a bowl, and you’re good to go. Check out this if you want something simpler.
I like that these muffins use oats and almond butter for structure instead of relying on flour. The note about letting them cool completely before removing the liners is especially helpful.
these look so fluffy
Solid post. I appreciated how you laid out the main ideas without extra fluff. It answered questions I had been wondering about for a while.
These look amazing! I love that they are flourless and healthier, yet still feel like a real treat with that cream cheese frosting. Definitely baking these this weekend!
Good breakdown overall. I liked that you covered both the basics and a few details that are easy to miss. Thanks for putting in the effort.
These flourless carrot cake muffins look absolutely delicious! I love the idea that they get better on day 2+ as the flavors have a chance to marinate and intensify. And the tip about the cream cheese frosting adding that spicy/tangy combo is genius — that’s exactly what makes carrot cake so special. Being gluten-free while still feeling indulgent is a great balance. I’ll have to try this recipe!
Using almond flour to keep these gluten-free while still maintaining that classic dense texture is such a smart approach. I’ve always wondered if flourless muffins dry out faster than traditional ones, so I’m curious how you would recommend storing them to keep everything moist!