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Made with a simple list of wholesome ingredients and doesn’t require a pre-made gluten-free flour mix. They’re perfect for breakfast or a midday snack.
Why we love this recipe
None of us in the family needs to be on a gluten-free diet, but I like to test out gluten-free recipes now and then. Like my gluten-free steamed buns (bao bun) recipe, I think this one is worth sharing too! I hope these give enough reasons for you to try
1. No gluten-free premix flour
I have nothing against gluten-free premix flour, but every brand has a slightly different blend of flour/starch in them and so usually it’s better to use the exact brand mentioned in the recipe. You don’t need that in this recipe
2. Nutrient-Dense: Packed with ground flax seeds and grated carrots, these muffins are high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins.
3. No Refined Sugar: Coconut sugar and molasses provide natural sweetness and a deep, rich flavor.
4. Naturally Gluten-Free and dairy-free: Oat flour creates a soft and tender crumb.
5. Dairy-free: this recipe also doesn’t use dairy.
6. Versatile: A mix of dried fruits adds natural sweetness and texture, but you can customize it with nuts, seeds, or other dried fruits.
Gluten-Free Flax Seeds Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- 115 g coconut sugar or use light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 150 g eggs (room temperature) from 3 large size eggs
- 300 g canned coconut milk shake it well before opening the can
- 225 g finely ground flax seeds I used store-bought ground flax seeds
- 120 g oil any neutral-tasting oil works here
Dry ingredients:
- 160 g oat flour store-bought or grind your own
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
Add-ins:
- 115 g grated carrots
- 140 g dried fruit mix cut large pieces into small pieces
Topping: optional
- 2 Tbsp Turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Line the muffin pan with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven
- If you plan to make your own oat flour, make sure it is very finely grind. More details in the post below
Prepare the batter:
- In a large mixing bowl, add coconut sugar, molasses and eggs. Whisk vigorously for 30-40 seconds until all are incorporated
- Add coconut milk, oil, and ground flax seeds. Whisk again to combine. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to let the flax seeds hydrate
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a different large mixing bowl and set aside while waiting for the flax seeds to soften
- Pour the flax seeds mixture into the dry ingredient bowls. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined
- Add the grated carrots and dried fruit mix and mix to combine
- Use an ice cream scoop or a spoon to distribute the batter into the muffin pan. Fill it up all the way to the top. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar on top
Baking:
- Place the muffin pan on the middle rack and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top bounces lightly when you gently press on it and no longer wet. A toothpick inserted into the center of the largest muffin comes out clean
Cooling:
- Remove the pan from the oven and place on top of a cooling rack. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack to cool down completely
- These muffins taste even better the next day as the flavors have developed. They feel a bit dry on the same day they are baked but very moist the next day
RECOMMEDED TOOLS
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Ingredients and substitutions
1. Coconut sugar
Coconut sugar gives a nice aroma. If you don’t have any, you can use light or dark brown sugar
2. Molasses
Molasses give a nice flavor to the muffins. If you don’t have it, you can substitute it with honey, though the flavor won’t be quite the same
3. Eggs
No substitute for eggs in this recipe. I have not tried it with other egg substitutes to be able to make any suggestions here
4. Canned coconut milk
I use canned coconut milk. Make sure you shake the can well before using it. You can also use other non-dairy milk. If you are okay with dairy, you can use half-and-half, heavy cream, or evaporated milk
5. Ground flax seed
I use store-bought ground flax seeds. They are finely milled. If you want to mill your own ground flax seeds, make sure it’s finely milled. I haven’t tried substituting it with chia seeds. 
6. Oil
Any neutral-tasting oil works here
7. Oat flour
You can use store-bought oat flour or grind your own. If you do grind your own, make sure it’s very finely grind or the muffins won’t turn out right. You will need a high-speed blender to do this. More details below.
8. Baking soda
No substitution for baking soda
9. Ground cinnamon
You can use other ground spices of your choice
10. Salt
I use fine sea salt
11. Carrots
You can also use grated apples instead of carrots in this recipe
12. Dried fruit mix
I get a dried fruit mix that has dried pineapples, raisins, dried mango, coconut flakes, etc. Make sure to cut large pieces into about the size of a raisin
13. Turbinado sugar
It adds a nice little crunch on top of the muffins. You can also use muscovado or demerara sugar
How to make oat flour at home
I recommend using rolled oats or quick oats for this recipe. I don’t recommend steel-cut oats as they are harder to get into a fine powdery consistency. Here’s how:
1. Start with the amount of oat flour you need for your recipe. As a general guideline, 1 cup of rolled oats yields about ¾ cup of oat flour. So I recommend grinding a bit extra, just in case
2. Place the oats in a high-speed blender. A food processor doesn’t grind the flour as fine as a high-speed blender (maybe I have a lousy food processor!). Blend on high for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the oats are ground into a fine, powdery consistency. Check and see the texture, if it’s not powdery fine, blend again for 10-15 seconds and check
3. Pass it through a fine mesh strainer. Any larger bits that don’t pass through can be re-blended.
4. Transfer the oat flour to an airtight container and store it in a cool, dry place. It will stay fresh for up to 2 months at room temperature, or longer if refrigerated or frozen.
How to store and reheat leftovers
1. Leftovers can be kept in an air-tight container in a cool dry place at room temperature for 2-3 days
2. For longer storage, freeze them. Let them cool down completely and then wrap each muffin in a cling wrap and put in a freezer bag, push all the air out and seal. They can be kept frozen for up to 2 months
3. Simply thaw the frozen muffin at room temperature for 15-20 minutes and then reheat in a toaster oven at 350 F (180 C) for 8-10 minutes or just until warm through.
