Guys, I’m on a baking kick.
Last week it was that de-lish Vegan Pumpkin Bread, this week it’s Carrot Cake Muffins with Maple Orange Frosting. YES.
Next week? We shall see. Can’t stop won’t stop.
This fall-ish weather has me baking and cooking up a storm, especially after stopping by an apple orchard to pick out pumpkins and freshly picked honeycrisp apples this past weekend… the apples are literally to-die-for and taste a zillion times better than store bought.. probably because they are picked when ready rather than too early, so they don’t have to ripen on a truck! I imagine a recipe with apples will be coming soon… but look at these funky pumpkins or “pumpies” as Terry likes to call them.. so fun right?! Pumpkins make me happy 🙂
Anyways, onto these dreamy-yet-healthy Carrot Cake Muffins.
That cashew frosting though…
I’m always looking for ways to bake healthier treats and these gluten-free morning muffins definitely fit the bill. Made with oat flour, warming spices like nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon, grated carrot, applesauce, chewy raisins and superfruit Baobab Powder (my new fave superfood). These little muffins make for a perfect wholesome snack, breakfast or “treat” by slathering on the decadently rich maple-orange cashew frosting, which is much easier to make than it sounds – trust me!
Pair a carrot cake muffin alongside my fave superfood green smoothie or mermaid smoothie bowl for a power breakfast and your morning is golden! Let’s talk a little about Baobab powder from Graze (they also have super yummy snack boxes with perfectly portioned snack packs that I talk more about later!!!) and why I’m all about it lately, mainly because of the baobab beauty benefits.
One of the newest superfoods around, Baobab is a natural and organic African superfruit from Malawi (think Lion King savannah desert). It’s the only fruit in the world that dries on the branch from the Tree of Life (the Adansonia tree) and cooks from the hot desert sun, which then produces a nutrient-dense, fine superfood powder. It’s tangy, sweet, citrus-y caramel taste makes it pair well in all sorts of recipes – from simple smoothies to creative treats like these Carrot Cake Muffins.
Baobab powder is:
- a tropical, super-rich source of Vitamin C – helps support energy and immunity function
- skin-nourishing by contributing to normal collagen production and radiant, youthful skin
- loaded with fiber for healthy digestion – made up of almost 50% fiber (half soluble, half insoluble)
- bioavailable; easily absorbed in the body
- supports increased iron absorption
- has more antioxidants than any other whole fruit
Buy 100% raw organic Baobab Powder here.
A healthier vegan version of the classic carrot cake, these light yet wholesome muffins are full of moisture, simple to make, perfectly sweet and oh-so satisfying with the bites of sweet carrot and chewy raisin! Keep them on hand for a quick bite. Pack them for trips in place of sugary store-bought alternatives. YUM!!
Carrot Cake Muffins with Maple Orange Frosting
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
Maple-Orange Cashew Frosting
- 3/4 cup raw cashews + 2 cups boiling water
- 2–3 tablespoons maple syrup, to taste
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (use refined for a non-coconut taste)
- 3 teaspoons fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (or more, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2–4 tablespoons water, only as needed
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour* (or any flour of choice)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or cane/turbinado sugar; make sure it’s finely ground)
- 1/4 cup oats
- 2 tablespoons baobab powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup raisins (or cranberries/gogi berries)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any dairy-free milk)
- 1 cup grated carrot (about 3 medium-sized carrots; no peeling necessary)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or brown rice syrup/agave nectar)
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil * (or swap for 2 tablespoons plain applesauce)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Start by making the frosting – totally optional!
- Add cashews to a bowl, then pour 2 cups boiling water over the cashews and let soak for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse cashews, then transfer to a high-speed blender/foodprocessor, along with all of the other frosting ingredients. Blend until smooth, adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time, only as needed. Transfer creamy frosting to a small bowl and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin/cupcake pan with liners (or grease with nonstick spray/coconut oil).
- In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, including raisins.
- In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry using a wooden spoon, and mix until just well combined. Scoop approximately 2 spoonfuls into each lined cup.
- Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Frost the muffins if you please!
- Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Notes
- Changing the flour may alter the recipe; I’ve only tried it with oat flour.
- If using coconut oil, make sure all other wet ingredients are warm/room temperature to prevent oil from hardening. Use refined coconut oil if you prefer a non-coconut taste. Can also sub applesauce for equal ratios canned pumpkin.
If you make this recipe, snap a pic and tag #theglowingfridge in your pictures – I love to see your yummy creations!!
A little more about the snack boxes from Graze because I know you guys would love them. Be sure to peek around their shop too – the amount of sweet & savory mixes/nuts/yogurt toppers and fruit snacks are endless – kiss the cravings goodbye!
Start by telling Graze what you like and they hand pick a variety box for you – choosing from over 100 exciting snacks – then deliver your special box to your home or office. Graze boxes are made with:
- no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
- no Genetically-Modified ingredients or high fructose corn syrup
- 0g trans fat
- perfect portion-controlled snack packs
Not all snacks are vegan so be sure to read the ingredients before choosing what you like! My favorites are the Cocoa Orange Bites (tastes like a brownie) the Baobab clusters and the Acai Blueberry Bite!
Thank you to Graze for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own. I always only promote products I love and believe in!
I could tell the minute I mixed the batter it was far too wet … I attempted to salvage by adding a bit more oats and oat flour … they came out doughy. Very disappointed as this was for my husband’s 60th birthday. ☹️
Is there something I can use to replace the Baobab powder? Just don’t know when I’d ever use it again and can’t afford to get it for one recipe. Thank you, Marcia
Hi Marcia, you could just omit the powder altogether! It’s really just an extra superfood but is not required to make the muffins. Hope this helps!
Shannon
So bummed. I made these this morning and the there was not enough liquid in the batter. It was just flour mixture. I had to add a lot more almond milk to get anything similar to your picture. I baked it for 30 minutes longer and it still wouldn’t bake. It just tastes like flour. Waste of expensive ingredients. The icing is delicious so now I need to figure out something to put it on!
I just made these today and they were delicious! Perfect flavors for autumn. Mine were a little doughy though. Do you have any tips for that? They are still delicious!
These are the perfect fall muffins! I’ve been craving carrot cake lately 🙂 One of these warm muffins with a big cup of coffee would be delicious right now!