These Fluffy Grain Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes are the perfect gluten free cupcake treat for spring! You’ll love these moist cassava flour carrot cupcakes with vegan cream cheese frosting.
Fluffy Grain-Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
So baking and I are not really friends, but carrot cake and I are, so I was determined to make a gluten free carrot cake recipe that would also be a show stopper photo. I wanted to use Cassava Flour for this because so many paleo cupcake recipes are made with almond meal and aren’t friendly for those of us who don’t do well with nuts. so I ordered multiple cake pans and cassava flour online and waited for them to arrive in the mail. I’ve always been a little obsessive about tracking info, but now that I’m quarantined I’m EXTRA obsessed.
So anyways, my carrot cake baking ingredients finally arrived so I set out to make my gluten free masterpiece. And honestly? Round one was really good. It was a decent carrot cake, and not just for being gluten-free. Until I tried to frost it and legit destroyed it. Let’s just say I’ve hardly ever frosted anything in my life and I also realized that the only frosting tool that I own is a really crappy butter knife that I accidentally took home in my apron back when I worked at Chili’s.(It’s more of a prison shiv than an actual butter knife.)
So my cake looked like the real life version of when a 3 year old tries to draw a cake. It could’ve easily been a Sesame Street character. Like maybe a sibling of Oscar in the trash can.
So my cake looked like the real life version of when a 3 year old tries to draw a cake. It could’ve easily been a Sesame Street character. Like maybe a sibling of Oscar in the trash can.
So I decided to try again with some gluten free Carrot Cake Cupcakes, and also took the opportunity to add a little more moisture and fluff into the batter. I found that adding a little coconut flour to the cassava flour and taking a little extra time to beat the sugar into the eggs was just the trick, and making a grain free baking powder using a little cream of tartar.. so yeah, I destroyed a cake, but I ended up with even better cupcakes because of it, and I’m not mad about it.
Plus it was Easter when I made the gluten free cupcakes, which is the perfect day for carrot cake. So it all worked out pretty well.
Because these are lightly sweetened and makes with all health ingredients I really think these can double as Paleo Carrot Cake muffins if you don’t want cupcakes. Just drop the frosting and add in some chopped nuts for extra health. Voila. Muffin calories don’t count.
What you need to make Gluten Free Cupcakes
- Cassava flour–this is key to a gluten-like cake (without the gluten of course.)
- Coconut Flour – I find this helps my cassava flour go further and gives a tighter crumb
- Organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
- Cream of tartar – this helps make up for the lack of baking powder
- Baking soda
- 3/4 cups avocado oil – I’ve used coconut oil and they still come out well, but I prefer this texture
- 2 tbsp honey – adds moisture
- eggs – for obvious baking reasons
- Cinnamon – helps boost the carrot flavor!
- Grated carrots… duh
- Full fat coconut milk, or another non-dairy milk
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1 teaspoon vanilla (you can leave this out but why would you?
Tips for making Fluffy Grain Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
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Use room temperature eggs! This matters!
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Beat your sugar and eggs well so that the sugar is fully dissolved
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You can sub another liquid oil for the avocado oil, but I have not tested that yet
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Use either parchment baking cups, or grease and flour your cupcake tins to prevent sticking.
Fluffy Grain Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These Fluffy Grain Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes are the perfect gluten free cupcake treat for spring!
PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 25 minutes
TOTAL TIME 45 minutes
SERVINGS 12
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 cup cassava flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- - 1 tsp cinnamon
- - 1 teaspoon baking soda
- - 1 teaspoon salt
- - 3/4 cups organic cane sugar
- - 2 tbsp honey
- - 2 large eggs
- - 3/4 cups avocado oil
- - 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- - 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- - 1.5 cups finely grated carrots
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut optional
For frosting:
- 8 ounces dairy-free cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or agave
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake tray with 10-12 cupcake liners
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Sift together cassava flour, coconut flour. sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
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In a separate bowl beat eggs, honey, and sugar with an electric mixer until well creamed. Add avocado oil and continue to beat well, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream of tartar, vanilla, and coconut milk.
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Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the wet, mixing well.
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Fold in the grated carrots and coconut.
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Spoon the batter into the muffin tins about 3/4 of the way full.
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Bake for 25 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
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Cool on a wire rack and then frost.
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To make the frosting, beat cream cheese in a mixer until fluffy, then add in maple syrup and coconut oil and beat until well combined.
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