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    Home » Recipes » Gluten Free Muffins & Scones

    Gluten Free Carrot Muffins

    Modified: Apr 14, 2025 · Published: Mar 28, 2019 by Nicole Spiridakis ·

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These easy gluten free carrot muffins are gently spiced and packed with bits of juicy shredded carrots. Made with oat flour and tangy buttermilk, they’re just right alongside your morning coffee or tucked into a lunchbox.

    A gluten free carrot muffin split in half on a plate and a bowl of muffins.

    In spring, I love all things carrots! These sweet and simple gluten free carrot muffins don't need to be saved just for mild days, though; I find them to be perfect all year round. Spiked with cozy spices like cinnamon and ginger, packed with whole grain oat flour, and just sweet enough, they can be served at breakfast time with butter, as a quick after-school snack, or even as a complement to a bowl of carrot cauliflower soup!

    Jump to:
    • You'll Love These Simple Carrot Muffins!
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Variations to Try
    • How to Make Gluten Free Carrot Muffins
    • Baking Tip: Shred Carrots Finely
    • Tips and Substitution Suggestions
    • Storage
    • More Carrot Recipes
    • Gluten Free Carrot Muffins

    You'll Love These Simple Carrot Muffins!

    These gluten free carrot muffins are incredibly moist, thanks to perfectly shredded carrots, with just the right amount of added spice. They're also kid-approved and pack well for snacks, school lunches, or post-run pick-me-ups. I love that they're not overly sweet, yet still feel a bit like a treat (you can also make them naturally sweetened with maple syrup if you like). Here are a few more highlights to tempt you to skip right to the recipe and get baking!

    • Easy - You need about 5 minutes to make the batter, and most of that time is spent grating the carrots!
    • Kid-friendly - Even kids who claim not to like vegetables won't be able to turn their noses up at these muffins! You can even grate the carrots super finely so that they won't notice them.
    • Naturally gluten-free - Rely on oat flour or another whole-grain gluten-free flour (sorghum flour is a nice alternative) to keep these muffins easily gluten-free. The bonus is that you'll get an extra dose of whole grains!
    • Make-ahead friendly - These muffins freeze and defrost beautifully, so go ahead and make a double batch so you can stash half in the freezer for an on-the-go breakfast.
    Ingredients for gluten free carrot muffins are text-labeled.

    Ingredient Notes

    Here's a look at what you need to bake these muffins, wtih some variation ideas included below the ingredients list. Don't forget to scroll down to my recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

    • Oat flour - Learn how to make oat flour or pick up a package at the store (use certified gluten-free oat flour if needed). If you can't have oats, swap brown rice flour.
    • Granulated sugar - You can adjust the amount of sugar a bit here, by ¼ cup less.
    • Brown sugar - Light or dark brown sugar is fine.
    • Leavening - Baking powder and baking soda.
    • Spices - A combination of ground cinnamon and ginger adds warmth.
    • Salt - I use fine sea salt, but table salt works fine, too.
    • Eggs
    • Buttermilk - Or use whole milk.
    • Vegetable oil - Any neutral oil, such as avocado oil, will work here.
    • Carrots

    Variations to Try

    • Nuts - Add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
    • Raisins - I leave out raisins, but a nice classic addition to carrot muffins is golden or regular raisins. You can add them when you stir in the carrots.
    • Coconut - For a little coconutty sweetness, add ¼ cup of shredded sweetened or unsweetened coconut.
    • Maple syrup sweetened - Swap the combined amount of brown and granulated sugar for ½ cup of maple syrup.
    A bowl of gluten free carrot muffins.

    How to Make Gluten Free Carrot Muffins

    Here's an overview in photos of how to make this recipe—hint: It's just grate, stir, and bake!

    Dry mix for gluten free carrot muffins.
    make dry mix
    Eggs are whisked with buttermilk.
    combine wet ingredients
    • Prep: Lightly grease or line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
    • Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
    • Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. 
    Wet and dry mixes are combined for gluten free carrot muffins.
    combine wet and dry
    Gluten free carrot muffins batter in a bowl.
    add carrots
    • Combine: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
    • Add carrots: Fold in the grated carrots.
    Gluten free carrot muffins batter in a tin.
    rest batter
    Gluten free carrot muffins cool in a tin.
    bake and cool
    • Rest the batter: Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, then rest the batter.
    • Bake: Bake the muffins at 400°F for about 20 minutes.
    • Cool: Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out to cool to room temp.

    Baking Tip: Shred Carrots Finely

    To ensure that the carrots blend seamlessly into the batter, use the smallest shredding option on your box grater. And because I don't mind a bit of texture. I sometimes use the large option for larger shreds of carrot. It's up to you!

    A bowl of gluten free carrot muffins, a cup of coffee, and a muffin on a plate.

    Tips and Substitution Suggestions

    • Use room temperature ingredients. Bring the buttermilk and eggs to room temperature before baking to ensure the muffins rise especially well.
    • Don’t overmix! For the tenderest muffins, stir gently together the batter until everything is just combined.
    • Rest the batter. Make sure to let the muffin batter rest in the muffin tin for up to 20 minutes (while the oven heats usually works great), so fully hydrate the oat flour.
    • What size to make the muffins? I used a ¼ cup measure to scoop the batter into the tin so that each muffins would be about the same size.
    • Use gluten-free flour. Skip the oat flour and use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend (my homemade gluten free flour blend always works perfectly).
    • Dairy-free: You can use dairy-free milk for the buttermilk, or just use water.
    • Make them egg-free: Substitute 1 mashed banana or 2 flax eggs for the eggs.
    A gluten free carrot muffin cut in half, one half with butter.

    Storage

    • Counter - Place fully cooled muffins in an airtight container and store them on the counter for up to 3 days. Make sure the muffins are thoroughly cooled before placing them in the storage container so that they don't become soggy.
    • Fridge - Keep the muffins, airtight, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
    • Freezer - Store the muffins in a freezer-safe bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw the muffins in the fridge before eating.

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    If you try this recipe, please let me know! And if you have any questions, always feel free to reach out in the comments or by email. I hope you love it! ❤️

    A gluten free carrot muffin cut in half, one half with butter.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Gluten Free Carrot Muffins

    Nicole Spiridakis
    These easy gluten free carrot muffins are gently spiced, packed with juicy shredded carrots, and made with oat flour.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 muffins
    Calories 220 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 ¼ cups oat flour (270 grams)
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup brown sugar (light or dark brown sugar)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoons cinnamon
    • ¾ teaspoon ginger
    • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • ¾ cup buttermilk
    • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 ½ cups grated carrots (about 2 medium-large carrots)

    Instructions
     

    • Lightly grease or line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
    • In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir in the grated carrots.
    • Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, filling the muffin cups almost to the top.
    • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rest the batter while the oven heats, then bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
    • Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out to cool completely.

    Notes

    • Use room temperature ingredients. Bring the buttermilk and eggs to room temperature before baking to ensure the muffins rise especially well.
    • Don’t overmix! For the tenderest muffins, stir gently together the batter until everything is just combined.
    • Rest the batter. Make sure to let the muffin batter rest in the muffin tin for up to 20 minutes (while the oven heats usually works great), so fully hydrate the oat flour.
    • What size to make the muffins? I used a ¼ cup measure to scoop the batter into the tin so that each muffins would be about the same size.
    • Use gluten-free flour. Skip the oat flour and use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose blend (my homemade gluten free flour blend always works perfectly).
    • Dairy-free: You can use dairy-free milk for the buttermilk, or just use water.
    • Make them egg-free: Substitute 1 mashed banana or 2 flax eggs for the eggs.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 255mgPotassium: 166mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 2741IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 1mg
    Disclaimer: Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is an estimate (I'm not a nutritionist and can't guarantee accuracy!). Even when not specified, be sure to check that all the ingredients you use are gluten free if you need them to be by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer.
    Did you make this recipe?Let me know in the comments how it went!

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    Comments

    1. Katie Simpson says

      April 23, 2019 at 3:55 am

      Yum, the boys and I will be making this tomorrow!

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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    Cucina Nicolina is your home for easy gluten free baking recipes made with simple, wholesome ingredients. I'm a writer, recipe developer and cookbook author who loves to share all things yummy and gluten free. Learn more about me.

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