Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot cake has always been one of my favorite desserts, but they are often loaded with sugar and oil, then topped with even more sugar and fat in the form of cream cheese frosting. I wanted a way to enjoy the mildly spiced flavors of the cake, without all the bad ingredients, and muffins seemed a perfect answer.  These vegan carrot cake muffins are gluten free, soy free, oil free and sugar free. They are naturally sweetened with apple juice and just a touch of molasses (a little added iron!); apple sauce eliminates the need for butter or oil.

Carrot Cake Muffins 
Dry Ingredients
1 medium size carrot, peeled with top removed
1 1/2 Cups gluten free all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
pinch nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum*

Wet Ingredients 
1 Cup apple juice, or non dairy milk
1 Tablespoon chia or flax meal
1/2 Cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon molasses

Directions
1. Shred the carrot using a hand grater/ microplane, food processor with shred attachment, or in a blender or vitamix. Set aside.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients into a large bowl; whisk.

3. In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, including chia; whisk well. Pour wet into dry mixing with a wooden spoon or a silicon spatula until well combined. Fold in carrots.

4. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill about 2/3 of the way. A cookie or ice cream scooper works really well for even sizes.

5. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes, until muffins are firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  If desired, top with a sweet cashew cream or whipped coconut milk.  I enjoy mine just the way they are!


*Note: What is xanthan gum??
Many packaged foods have the ingredient xanthan gum listed on their labels. In general, I advise to stay away from ingredients that you don't recognize or can't pronounce, so why am I using it in some of my recipes? In short, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide created as the result of a bacteria that forms during a fermentation process. This is the same bacteria that causes the black spots on broccoli or cauliflower. It forms as a slimy goo that is then dried and ground into a fine white powder. This powder is used as a food additive, acting as an emulsifier, a thickener, or a binding agent - usually to replace gluten, providing the stickiness that is missing. It is most often derived from corn, but sometimes from soy or wheat.  Make sure to identify the source if you have an allergy. I don't use it very often, but it is helpful in creating the structure needed for certain baked goods. You can leave it out, but may end up with flatter or flakier muffins.