Gluten Free Carrot Muffins - Soft, Fluffy & Easy to Make

Name: Gluten-Free Carrot Muffins – Fluffy & Easy to Make
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups gluten free flour blend (* see notes); 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar); 1/4 cup cane sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3/4 teaspoon powdered ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 large eggs; 1/3 cup light oil (* see notes); 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (* see notes); 1 1/4 cups shredded carrot; 1/2 cup raisins; 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

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These gluten-free carrot muffins are soft, moist, fluffy texture, and packed with warm spices, raisins, and sweet carrots in every bite! Made with simple, easy to find ingredients, they’re perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a wholesome snack. This recipe makes big muffin tops!

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If you love muffins as much as we do, you will also want to try my Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins or my Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins.

Two big gluten-free carrot muffins stacked on a beige plate.

Table of Contents

I am so excited about this new gluten-free carrot muffin recipe. These gluten muffins rose enough to make muffin tops! This isn’t common in gluten-free baking, so this is an event to celebrate! If you love muffins with breakfast or brunch as much as my family, check out all of my delicious gluten-free muffin recipes.

If you love baking muffins as much as I do, check out all of my fluffy gluten-free muffin recipes.

Why I Love This Recipe

1. I share options to make this recipe healthier for those who like a better-for-you muffin.
2. These muffins are perfectly soft with a tender crumb
3. They are easy to make with simple, easy to find ingredients.
4. You can make a batch of 24 muffins in about 45 minutes!

Allergen Information

I know many of my readers have multiple food sensitivities. Here’s what you won’t find in this simple gluten-free muffin recipe:

✅ Gluten-Free
✅ Dairy-Free
✅ Nut-Free (if you omit the walnuts)
✅ Soy-Free
✅ Oat-Free

Ingredient Notes:

For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.

Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with Namaste gluten-free flour blend. I am sure other blends will work, but you will probably need to tweak the wet and dry ingredient ratio a bit. My rule of thumb is if your batter or dough is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Xanthan Gum – If your flour blend does not have a binder, add 3/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum. Binders are important because they help hold together your baked goods better.
Coconut Sugar and Cane Sugar – See the Substitutions Section below for ingredient swaps.
Flaxseed Meal – I include some flaxseed meal for extra binding and keeping these muffins fluffy.
Eggs – Use size large eggs. If you are egg-free, I do have a couple of readers who have successfully used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer in some of my other muffin recipes. If you try this, please let me know how it turned out.
Milk – I used oat milk in this recipe. Any dairy-free milk will work except canned coconut milk.
Oil – Use a lightly flavored oil. Coconut oil is tasty, but it will add a slight coconut flavor to the muffins.
Walnuts – If you are nut-free, omit the added walnuts.

Ingredient Substitutes:

You can swap the coconut sugar for brown sugar if you have brown sugar on hand.
You can swap the cane sugar for more coconut sugar if you want these muffins to be lower glycemic.
Swap the dairy-free milk for regular milk.
If you don’t have raisins, or are nut-free, you can use any mix-ins.

Tips For Success

1. To give your muffins a dome top, bake them at 425º F for the first 5-8 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350º F.
2. Use parchment paper muffin liners. They are the best and the muffins will not stick to the papers!
3. Use Fresh Carrots – Pre-shredded carrots are too dry and won’t give the same moisture and flavor.

Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:

These are my step-by-step photos and directions from when I made and tested this recipe to show you every step of making this delicious recipe. Preheat the oven to 425º F if you want a dome top or 350º F for a regular muffin top.

Photos of mixing up the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Step 1: Prepare the dry ingredients. Combine the gluten-free flour, flaxseed meal, coconut sugar, cane sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Use a wire whisk to blend the ingredients together. Even distribution of the dry ingredients ensures you get even baking.

Step 2: Add the mix-ins. Add the walnuts and raisins, or any other mix-ins to the bowl and whisk to blend them in. Coating them in the dry ingredients prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

Photos showing shredding the carrots and mixing the wet ingredients.

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Step 3: Prepare the carrots. Add the carrots to a food processor or mini cuisinart smart stick (shown above.) Pulse to shred the carrots into shreds. Freshly grated carrots will give the muffins the most moisture, keeping the muffins soft.

Step 4: Prepare the wet ingredients. Combine the eggs, oil, carrots, and non-dairy milk in a mixing bowl. Whisk until they are well mixed.

Photos showing mixing the batter and the batter in the muffin tin.

Step 6: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until they are just barely combined. Do not overmix your muffin batter. Overmixing the batter will cause the muffins to be dense.

📢 Sandi says: Gluten-free flour blends vary! If your batter is too runny, add a little more flour. If it’s too thick, add a splash more liquid. Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.

Step 7: Prepare the muffin tin. Line a muffin pan with parchment paper muffin liners. Fill each almost full with the gluten free carrot muffin batter. If you do not want a muffin top, fill them with batter until 3/4 full. Optional, sprinkle the tops of each muffin with coarse baking sugar.

Step 8: Bake the muffins. As I mentioned above, if you want a dome top, bake the muffins at 425º F for 5-8 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350º F. If you want regular muffin tops, bake the whole time at 350º F.

Step 9: Cool the muffins. Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the middle of a muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffins are finished baking. If you see batter or crumbs, bake them a little longer.

Remove the muffins from the oven and set on the cooling rack for 5 minutes. Letting the muffins sit in the pan for a few minutes helps them hold their shape better. Remove the muffins carefully from the muffin pan to a cooling rack. Eat them when they are cooled.

If you like unique muffins, try these Gluten-Free Mochi Muffins or this single serving Gluten-Free Mug Muffin, which can be made in just 3 minutes.

A carrot muffin cut in half on a small plate.

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
To freeze these muffins, allow them to come to room temperature fully. Freeze in a sealed freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for 25 seconds for a quick breakfast!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Gluten-free baking can be tricky. I wrote an entire article on troubleshooting issues with gluten free muffins. Read my Gluten-Free Muffin Troubleshooting Guide for more tips.

Can I use pre-shredded carrots instead of grating fresh ones?

It’s best to use freshly grated carrots because they add more moisture. Pre-shredded carrots are drier and can make the muffins crumbly. If using pre-shredded, soak them in a little water for 10 minutes and drain before adding to the batter.

What types of mix-ins can be added to these carrot muffins?

You can add any type of dried fruit, fresh berries, or nuts to these muffins.

A single gluten-free carrot muffin on a plate. It has a large bakery style dome top.

Gluten-free baking is like a science experiment. There are so many things you need to understand the different components of baking without gluten. My Gluten-Free Resources Section is here to help teach you the tools you need to know to become a confident gluten free baker.

Whisking dry ingredients in a glass bowl.

My Best Gluten-Free Baking Tips For Better Baking!

Why Binders Are Important In Gluten-Free Baking

Four storage jars filled with gluten free flour blends.

The Best Gluten Free Flour Blends – And how to use them!

More Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes:

Love This Recipe?

💬 Did you make this recipe? Drop a comment below, and let me know how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!