Gluten Free Carrot and Date Muffins
11I can’t count the number of times I have made these delicious gluten free carrot muffins. They are quick, easy, and absolutely scrumptious. I used to “make a date” with my carrot grater on many a lazy Saturday afternoon, and make a quadruple batch of these carrot and date muffins to take for snacks at work; and there were many grateful snouts!
I have always loved the combination of carrots and dates. Mix in your favourite honey, and you’ve got a blend that makes these gluten free carrot muffins a winner on every level. I have had this muffin recipe on a scratchy bit of paper for about 20 years, and the little card that I have now glued said paper to still takes pride of place in my healthy recipe file.
This was the first “refined sugar free” muffin recipe I ever made, and it is still one of my favourite recipes. The original whole wheat and dairy version was really good, but my gut kept singing a different tune. This recipe lent itself to a gluten free incantation beautifully, and I can now chow down without fear of a stomach ache, and my gut instinct and taste buds are in harmony.
I usually double this recipe. I am not really a fan of chopping dates! These gluten free muffins freeze really well. But you know my partiality to the straight out of the oven and snout in the trough approach. The piggy in me always feels like this is the way to get the most “bang for your buck” with gluten free baking. Straight out of the oven, these carrot and date muffins are moist, springy and just perfect. They have such a rich flavour that they don’t need any spread. In fact, I have had some people tell me they are a little too rich after consuming 3 or 4! HA!
Make a date with these gluten free carrot muffins and you won’t be disappointed. They are gluten free, dairy free, nut free, refined sugar free and absolutely piggilicious!
Gluten Free Carrot and Date Muffins
- ¾ cup white rice flour
- ¾ cup brown rice flour
- 1 tsp xanthan
- 2 tsp gluten free baking powder
- ½ tsp gluten free baking soda
- ½ tsp fine Celtic salt or Himalayan salt
- 1 cup grated carrots – about 2 medium carrots
- 1 cup pitted chopped dates
- ¼ cup organic grapeseed oil
- ½ cup organic honey
- ½ cup organic soy milk, hemp milk or rice milk
- 2 organic eggs
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Sift flours, baking powder and salt and mix evenly.
- Melt the honey in a small saucepan on low heat.
- In your stand mixer add the eggs, milk, and oil and gently mix together. Blend in the honey.
- Keep the mixer running, and gradually add in the dry ingredients – mix thoroughly.
- Fold in the carrots and dates, and put into well greased muffin tins, and bake for about 20 minutes. This mix makes about 8 large muffins.
These muffins have so much flavour they don’t need anything on them. Just open wide! YUM.
Makes about 12 muffins
Piggy Cooking Tips
the best way to clean your blender
After blending up something sticky, gooey or smelly, just place a few drops of soap in the carriage with some warm water and blend on high until all of the congealed food slips away from the blades and sides. Then repeat this process. Then rinse with water and presto! Clean carriage.
If you have smells or stains repeat this process with some bicarbonate of soda or lemon juice and water.
Check out the video on A No Hassle Way To Clean Your Blender that I did as part of the Chow Tips Series.
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Piggy Grunts!
Add Your GruntTHese are my favourite muffins of all time. Tess has so kindly made them for me on a number of occasions and I confess to devouring each and every one before anyone else in the house even knew they were there. And I don’t even care. It seems justified somehow.
I made this recipe off food.com. They were good but very rich like you said and a little dry. We had them straight from the oven and I liked the texture and taste the brown rice flour gave. I felt this recipe lacked a starch when I read it but this works OK without one. It is still not as soft as our favorite muffins, http://www.food.com/recipe/any-kind-muffins-gluten-free-360337. I’m not sure how they last. DD (toddler) and I both could not eat more than one at a time. We both preferred them with some butter even though. I used finely ground white rice flour, just clarifying that as I have seen people rate recipes lower based on courser rice flours. I replaced the xanthan gum with guar gum in the same amount to be corn free, I added extra baking soda and added 1 tbs organic apple cider vinegar to the wet ingredients to make up for our issues with baking powders (I always do this), I used sea salt, soft Parnoosh dates, canola oil in place of grapeseed oil as we do not support the wine industry (I must find another substitute!), pasteurized honey as that is what I had on hand and it is being heated anyway, yogurt in place of the milks, plus the rest of the ingredients. I don’t plan on making these again.
Thanks for your honest feedback.
I really appreciate it.
I will check out your recipe!
Absolutely loved these muffins and so did my 2 year old son, he asks for them every day, and loves helping to make them. Delicious and so soft. Has become a regular snack here.
I am so pleased you are all enjoying this recipe. I make these a lot. They are so delicious :)
Since finding this recipe, I have to admit I make these muffins fortnightly… my gluten free husband and I love them. They are moist, sweet and delicious. And you do not feel bad if you have more than one. They freeze well also… so perfect for those morning and afternoon teas.