What’s a gal to do when she has carrots coming out of her ears and a compulsion to experiment in the kitchen? My friend generously volunteers each week at the farmers’ market and brought me a magnificent bunch of carrots. That same week carrots were in our CSA (community-supported agriculture) vegetable box. A situation like this calls for carrot soup (I’ll wait to share that recipe early this fall) and my Paleo carrot muffins.
Tips
I used ground chia seeds in this recipe. When you add chia seeds to water, they become gummy and act as a binder. If you omit the chia seeds, the carrot muffins will still be delicious, but just a bit crumbly.
Paleo Carrot Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, mild flavor
1 teaspoon gluten-free pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups peeled, grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
1 cup raisins (I used golden)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line muffin pans with papers.
2. Combine chia seeds with ¼ cup water in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, almond flour, arrowroot flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. Set aside.
4. Using another medium bowl and an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and coconut sugar until almost doubled in volume and thick, 3-4 minutes. Add the chia seed mixture, flax seeds, oil, and vanilla and beat for another minute. With the mixer going, add the carrots and then slowly add the dry mixture until just combined. With a spoon, stir in the raisins and chopped walnuts.
5. Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full with batter and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Remove from oven, allow to cool in the pan on a rack for a few minutes, then transfer individual muffins to the rack to cool completely.