Carrot Banana Muffins
When I saw this recipe for a purely fruit sweetened carrot cake from Heidi over at 101cookbooks.com I just knew I would want to make it into some sort of gluten free version. So I did.
Last weekend our friends Chris and Larry came over to sit out on our porch and read the Sunday New York Times with us while soaking in some good Colorado sunshine and we enjoyed these descendants of Heidi's carrot, banana, date yumminess. Here it is for all of you.
2 cups blanched almond flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup dates, pitted
3 ripe bananas
3 eggs
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup coconut oil
, melted1 ½ cups carrots, shredded
¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped
- In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
- In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl
- Blend dry mixture into wet until thoroughly combined
- Fold in carrots and walnuts
- Spoon mixture into paper lined muffin tins
- Bake at 350° for 25 minutes
Yesterday, I was happy to find that The Philadelphia Inquirer included my own little gluten free cookbook, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
In Friday Freebie news, this week I am giving away a copy of a fabulous book written by the founder of Tropical Traditions, Brian Shilhavy. It is called Virgin Coconut Oil
UPDATE: this giveaway has ended, the winner was Lauren
The winner of last week's Friday Freebie, a Luminarc Baby Loaf Pan (Update: This loaf pan may have been discontinued since this giveaway. Stay tuned...) from the amazing Courtney at Benefit Your Life, is Lydia.
Finally, don't forget to submit your grain free cake post to the "Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free" Blog Carnival I'm hosting this month. For more details view my grain free cupcakes post.
Posted on November 6, 2009 in breakfasts by Elana
other entries you may like: Cinnamon Bun Muffins
or Bran Muffins
or Silver Dollar Pancakes
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Before you leave a comment...
"Check out Elana's FAQ page for info on substitutions -- there are just too many possibilities so she can't answer all of these : ) But the Forums are an excellent resource and I highly recommend posting your substitution questions there; everyone is friendly and helpful." -Katie
These muffins look yummy! I can't wait to try them.
I love your website and your recipes are great! I am excited to try these muffins and I actually have all the ingredients to make them! Please enter me into the Friday Freebie "Virgin Coconut oil" Book. Thanks!
I'd love to be part of the drawing! These muffins would add some variety to our menu! Thanks for this!
These look amazing! I love the idea of dates in them. YUM!
This looks great. I need to buy more coconut oil...I'm almost out because I use it for EVERYTHING from chapped lips to baking. :) Thanks for another great drawing!
Thanks for the loaf pan! These also look wonderful, all of my favorite things in one, carrots, bananas nuts and dates.
Oh if only I had dates. I so want to run into the kitchen and make these as a follow up to the GF pizza I'm having. Shopping Trip!
Oh yeah, please enter me into the draw. Thanks!
I love me some coconut oil and fortunately it loves me back. So I would love a chance at the book :).
I have really been enjoying your recipes since I found out about your site. These muffins look great! Also, please enter me for the drawing. : )
Anything with bananas and dates in it is a winner in my book :) What a cute plate the muffins are sitting on! Love the colors! Hope your weekend is great.
I don't have a gluten allergy, but still love to eat food that is gluten free. this looks delicious.
thanks again for sharing this wonderful recipe.
These sound amazing..I will be trying these soon! I am making the cranberry bars tomorrow.
Just made your skillet apple pie for lunch today. My three kids and I finished it off in one sitting. :) I told them it was the best apple pie I have ever eaten. We have never met you, only know you through the blog, but we love you!!! Your recipes are so wonderful and have been life changing for us. THANK YOU!!!!!! Every recipe I have tried from the new book is FABULOUS.
Oooh, they look so good, I can't wait to try them. I don't have dates, so I am going to try figs instead. Thanks Elana.
Can't try these delicious looking muffins because I can't do almonds but please enter me for the drawing. Thanks!
Thank you for such wonderful recipes that are gluten free.
I enjoy your recipes. Your creativity encourages me to experiment. I've read some info on the Tropical Traditions website and have tried their oil. I'd be interested in winning the book and learning more.
Just received my order of coconut flour and will be trying the cranberry bars from last week. But these banana carrot muffins sound yummy. Thanks for all your hard work!
This looks like the ideal thing to have on hand for the Thanksgiving company coming. Of course, we'll have to try them out before that.
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes and your give-aways.
I've never made anything with coconut oil so I don't have it in the house. I have everything else so may substitute the oil. Does coconut oil have some special flavor or nutritional value to make the muffins better than grapeseed or canola oil?
Awesome! I love the idea of these naturally sweetened muffins. Yum!
Elana... Thank you, Thank you THANK YOU for sharing all of your delicious recipes. I have tried many of your recipes off your site and every single one has turned out great and is something I make over and over. I just bought your cookbook and can't wait to try some, no, ALL of the recipes in it. I would love it if you also authored a coconut flour cookbook.
These look absolutely FABULOUS! Yay for coconut oil and fruit sweeteners!! Thanks, I'll try them out on my GF husband soon!
I love your recipes and can't wait to try this one too! Thanks for your gift of "delicious creativity"!
I just came across your website and am thrilled to have found you. My mom is not only gluten intolerant, but has a whole host of foods she can't eat for a variety of reasons, so her diet is pretty bland. This muffin recipe, however, is completely composed of foods she CAN eat. I can't wait to make them for her. Thank you! Donna
Yum!
I have been chomping at the bit to get your book in the mail...I ordered it from Border's and can't wait to try out all the recipes!
Just yesterday I ordered from Tropical Traditions, so I would love to win the book you are having the drawing for...
Thanks!
I'm glad to have found your blog! I love that you use sugar substitutes!
These muffins look delicious.
It is awesome to find recipes using fruit or fruit juices as the sweetener. Thanks, Elana!!
Looks delicious! I really can't say thank you enough for sharing your recipes with us. I have made too many to list and they are wonderful. I adore the cookbook as well! Thanks for making GF life easier and healthier for my daughter and me!
There is something so good about carrots in a muffin. I love the texture and the flavor...bet they're fabulous with bananas and dates, too.
These look yummy!
This sounds delicious! Love the flavours - fruit has such great sweetness, so I'm sure these are fabulous =D.
Thank you Elana for your continued inspiration by adding a twist to a classic carrot muffin recipe- omitting sugar and replacing with bananas and dates. I never feel guilty about feeding these kinds of "special treats" to my two year old son as they are so healthy for him, and he doesn't even know it!
Hi Elana,
It has been an Elana's Pantry morning. Have baked your delicious sesame crackers (which my son takes to school for his lunch), your 2.0 bread, which is a staple in my house, and made french toast for breakfast following the recipe in your cookbook. Next up, pumpkin pie!
I'd love to be in your drawing.
thanks for all your great work,
Penny
My husband and I made both your almond flour blondies and the cranberry bars over the weekend. Both are wonderful. These muffins look great...I may make them for my (non-GF) mother to show her that you don't need flour and sugar to bake!
These muffins looks wonderful, I am going to try and substitute the almond flour with coconut flour. Please enter me in the drawing :)
A friend of mine emailed me a link to this and I made them yesterday. I did mini muffins though so I turned back the baking time to 18-20 minutes.
These muffins are incredible, sweet and yummy!
Hi Elana, I have to catch up on the grain-free goings on! I still haven't been successful at getting my hands on your cookbook, but I think I'll send away for it, I plan on getting a Vita-mixer that you have mentioned a lot AND I hope to win something on your give-away!!! Take care,
Jeanne
I made these muffins yesterday and both my husband and I loved them. They have a fabulous texture and flavor. We still can not believe that they are GF and sugar free. Thanks so much Elana for sharing your amazing recipes with all of us.
carrot and banana, awesome combo
Hi Elana,
These muffins were good, but there was too strong a baking soda flavour. I would definitely go with less next time. Other than that, the texture was wonderful.
Darn it... I wrote out something long and heartfelt that disappeared on me! Just rediscovering your blog after two years of grain free, but recently casein free as well. My two AS boys and I are so thankful for your yummy recipes! Thanks for doing the experimenting for me... it has given me such a great base to continue to enjoy cooking!
Just wondering...what does AS stand for?
I have a lot of carrots right now. This recipe looks great!
I want to share a little funny story for anyone who needs a laugh.
I thought it would be sweet to wake up extra early Thanksgiving morning and bake these yummy sounding muffins for my husband since I wasn't going to be making anything else for the holiday, as I am tolerating a very limited diet right now.
I woke up and went to work on the muffins. They were happily baking away as I listened to music and made him some french press coffee. On about minute 23, of the 25 minutes in the oven, ALL the smoke alarms in our place (it's small) went off!! Poor husband was woken up to the high pitched screeching of the alarm in the bedroom and me running around-- half laughing, half frantic, with a baking sheet in the air trying to fan the area around the alarms!!! They shut off and then I had to explain my good intentions gone wrong!
The muffins weren't burnt... it must've just gotten too warm or something! He forgave me, ate 3, said they were so good!, sipped his coffee, and then went back to bed :-)
Hope you had a great holiday!
I've made these thrice, and they have been delicious each time. I'd love more date-sweetened baked goods recipes. Thanks!
Made these last night for my breakfast this morning. Delicious! The texture is exactly like a wheat muffin. I'm on day 4 of being gluten-free and recipes like this make it so easy! Thanks Elana!
I just found your site and made these muffins, with cranberries instead of dates. They were delicious!! Next time I'll try them with dates. Do you have anyway to determine the fiber content? I have been GF for two years and now that I have that down-pat, I am trying to consume enough fiber.
Sarah,
Elana has a FAQ regarding nutrition info for her recipes:
http://www.elanaspantry.com/frequently-asked-questions/#4otheringredients
I did try these and they're delicious! I love that they have no refined sugar but are sweetened with the dates. Very moist and rich. I didn't purchase almond flour because there's no store in our town that has it, but I did buy slivered almonds and I used my little blender for smoothies (kind of like the Bullet but only better quality) to grind the nuts into a fine meal. I imagine you could use a clean, new coffee grinder too. Anyway the only extra was a wee teensy bit of fine white rice flour that I added (maybe a Tbsp or two?) while I was grinding the almonds because I thought the meal was a bit dense & might not grind well. Prob'ly didn't have to do that, but thought I'd mention it anyway.
Great recipe!! Thanks!
AS is referring to autism, and likely means Asperger's Syndrome.
I just made these muffins yesterday and substituted 1 cup almond meal and 1 cup white rice flour for the 2 cups of almond flour. They are so delicious!!
Hi Elana,
Do you melt the coconut oil for this recipe or use it in its solid state? Thanks!
~M,
I updated the recipe to melt the coconut oil.
Thanks!
I made these and everyone gobbled them up! My niece and nephew are insanely picky eaters-it's funny to seem them ask for more for a change. very delicious!!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I've made it several times now and it is such a joy to have something so yummy that is completely fruit sweetened. It's my go to treat . . . Thank you again for sharing your great ideas with the world!
Compliments on this recipe. I've made it twice, and wanted to share my experience. The first time I made them -- As a coconut oil novice, I added the oil in its room temperature (solid) form. I also chopped up the dates and simply added them. This caused a minor disaster zone in my kitchen, and the muffins came out quite dry. The second time, I soaked the dates in warm water to soften them, and also heated the oil to its liquid form. These changes yielded a wonderfully moist muffin! A favorite here. Thanks.