Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Muffins
Moist, warmly spiced carrot cake muffins made without gluten, dairy or eggs, finished with a light, fluffy dairy-free butter icing and your choice of allergy-friendly decoration.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional / 160°C fan / Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with suitable muffin cases.
- Add the gluten-free self-raising flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
- Add the finely grated carrot and stir until it is evenly distributed and lightly coated in the flour mixture.
- In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the apple purée, vegetable oil, orange juice and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together until almost combined.
- Add the apple cider vinegar and fold through until no dry flour remains. Avoid overmixing, as this may make the muffins dense.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cases, filling each approximately three-quarters full.
- Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the muffins are risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Leave the muffins in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
- To make the butter icing, beat the softened dairy-free block butter for 2–3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add the icing sugar gradually, beating well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat for another 2–3 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy. If it is too stiff, add suitable dairy-free milk half a teaspoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Pipe or spread the butter icing over the completely cooled muffins.
- Add your chosen suitable allergy-friendly decorations, or leave the icing plain.
Notes
- Finely grate the carrots so they soften fully and distribute evenly throughout the muffins.
- Do not squeeze the moisture from the carrots, as it helps keep the muffins soft.
- Use smooth apple purée rather than chunky stewed apple.
- The batter should be thick but spoonable. Gluten-free flour blends absorb liquid differently, so add one tablespoon of orange juice if the mixture appears unusually stiff or dry.
- Use a firm dairy-free block butter rather than a soft spread from a tub, as this produces a more stable butter icing.
- The dairy-free butter, milk and decorations should all be checked to ensure they are suitable for the allergies being catered for.
- Only decorate the muffins once they are completely cool.
- Store iced muffins in an airtight container in a cool place for up to three days. Refrigerate during warm weather and allow them to return to room temperature before serving.
- Un-iced muffins can be frozen for up to three months. Defrost fully before icing.
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