Carrot Cake Muffins - Gluten Free, Vegan

Wonderfully moist while being fluffy at the same time, these carrot cake muffins are perfect for an afternoon treat or for some much needed fuel after your morning yoga session. Naturally sweetened with pineapple (and a little maple syrup), they're just the right amout of sweetness without feeling too 'naughty'.

They're also gluten-free and vegan - but you wouldn't know it!

INGREDIENTS:

150g gluten free plain flour
50g buckwheat flour
3 tspns baking powder
1/4 tspn bicarb soda
150g almond meal
100g carrot, grated (approx. 1 carrot)
120g tinned pineapple pieces, drained and blended to make a thick pulp
60g coconut oil, melted
200ml coconut milk
1 tblspn lemon juice
70g maple syrup, or brown sugar (or both)
1 tspn vanilla essence
1/2 tspn ground ginger*
1/2 tspn cinnamon*
1/4 tspn nutmeg
1/4 tspn cardamom*
30g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
30g desicated coconut

* you might like to replace a drop of essential oil instead of the dried spice. Choose one of the flavours - ginger, cinnamon, or cardamom - you'd like to pop.

Topping

10 g moist cocnonut flakes
10 g flaked almonds

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180C fanforced.

Line a 12 tin muffin tray with paper cases.

Combine gf flour, buckwheat, baking powder and bicarb soda in a large bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to another bowl and mix well. Once combined, add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold together until fully combined.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin cases.

Combine the topping ingredients, and sprinkle on top of each muffin.