These simple AIP carrot cake muffins are so delicious and truly one of the best treats for a restricted diet like AIP (Autoimmune Protocol). The muffins infuse the perfect mix of spices including ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, which are reminiscent of the classic carrot cake flavor. One of the best parts is that these carrot cake muffins are perfect for a variety of diets, including Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and egg-free diets.
One of the hardest things about being on a restrictive diet is missing out on sweet indulgences like muffins and cakes. I felt like I was missing out on classic treats, so I was thrilled to find this delicious AIP-compliant carrot cake muffin recipe. I found that baking on a gluten-free or AIP diet can be tough, but I’m always excited to find new ways to make it work.
These AIP carrot cake muffins are an easy, simple allergy-friendly muffin recipe. I know how hard it is to find recipes that meet our complicated dietary needs! That's why I love that this carrot cake muffin recipe excludes the most common allergens like gluten, nuts, dairy, and eggs. Instead, gluten-free flour, palm shortening, natural sweetener, and a gelatin egg will be the base for these allergy-friendly muffins.
Trust me, you've got to try these muffins! They're perfect for Easter, as a snack, or a breakfast. My family eats them all year long. My three boys absolutely love them—they would eat them all in one sitting if I didn't save any for myself! I feel great knowing they’re enjoying a treat made from simple, wholesome ingredients with no unnecessary processed additives. It’s a win-win for my whole family!
Ingredients You'll Need for Carrot Cake Muffins
- Cassava flour: A gluten-free flour derived from the cassava (yuca) plant
- Tigernut flour: Even though there's "nut" in the name, tigernuts aren't actually nuts!
- Coconut flour: A highly absorbent flour that is popular in AIP and paleo recipes.
- Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves: These spices provide the quintessential carrot cake flavor
- Baking soda: Helps the muffins raise
- Salt: I use Himalayan pink salt in most of my recipes because of its high mineral content.
- Palm shortening: This is commonly used as a butter substitute in vegan, paleo, and AIP recipes.
- Applesauce: Always use unsweetened applesauce. The last thing you want is to accidentally introduce high-fructose corn syrup or added sugar.
- Maple syrup: Check to make sure it's 100% pure maple syrup.
- Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice: These acidic ingredients react with baking soda to create bubbles, which help the muffins rise and become fluffy.
- Unflavored gelatin: Often used to replace eggs by providing structure and binding the ingredients together in baked goods.
- Carrots: You can't make carrot cake muffins without carrots! I use a food processor with the shredder attachment or you could use a grater.
Note: If you’ve been following the AIP or Paleo diet for a while, you’re likely familiar with most of these ingredients. Before starting AIP, I had never used cassava, tigernut, or coconut flour, let alone palm shortening or unflavored gelatin! It can feel overwhelming when you're buying these ingredients for the first time. But once you find them and start using them in your daily cooking, it gets easier. While some health food stores carry these harder-to-find ingredients, I’ve mostly sourced mine from Amazon.
📖 Recipe
AIP Carrot Cake Muffins (GF, Paleo)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- ⅔ cup cassava flour
- ⅔ cup tigernut flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup palm shortening
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup carrots (shredded)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick liners or lightly coat the cups with coconut oil or another AIP-friendly oil.
- In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the cassava flour, tigernut flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the palm shortening, unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice until smooth. Sprinkle the gelatin over the mixture and let it sit for a couple of minutes to activate. Mix again until fully dissolved. Finally, fold in the shredded carrots.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring with a spatula until a smooth, uniform batter forms. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin liners, gently pressing down to remove any air pockets.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the muffins are lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.
Lauren
These AIP compliant muffins are some of my favorite! I love to make them during the springtime around Easter.