These sugar free carrot cake muffins are sensationally moist, light and simply mouthwatering! They are 100 % grain free, refined sugar-free and packed with carrots.
I take my recipe testing very seriously and made these low carb carrot muffins three times before I posted them. They were eaten by ten people in total, from different age groups. My type 2 diabetic mother-in-law loved them. My teenagers loved them. Thumbs-up all around!
And what's not to love? These muffins are gluten-free, grain-free, low in carbs and packed with carrots and nuts. They are naturally sweetened with banana and a little additional sweetener.
Since posting this recipe in April 2016, many readers have also made it (I am revising this post in February 2024). From their feedback, I have learned that these muffins are perfect for little people, from toddlers to primary school-age children.
There you go. Whether you call them diabetic carrot cake muffins, low sugar carrot cake muffins or simply healthy carrot muffins for kids - that's all just semantics. It's the flavor that's going to convince you. And the fluffy texture of the crumb.
When a recipe works, it just WORKS.
We like them for breakfast and I can share that they go very well with a cup of coffee. But, they would also make a lovely on-the-go snack.
Ingredients
Here is what you need:
- Carrot - Freshly shredded. Make sure the carrots are grated and not ground to a pulp, which essentially separates the liquid from the fibre. This was the mistake I made in my first attempt! A box grater works well.
- Eggs - These should be room temperature for best results.
- Butter - I used unsalted butter, which needs to be very soft.
- Banana - Must be overripe so they are nice and sweet.
- Almond flour - I always use ground almonds in my recipes, which is the same as regular almond flour.
- Flaxmeal - Ground flaxseed adds fiber!
- Powdered sweetener - Any sugar free sweetener of your choice works in this recipe, from erythritol to xylitol or allulose. In my original recipe, I used stevia sweetener. If the bananas are very sweet, you may decide to omit it altogether. The choice is yours.
- Walnuts - A carrot cake without walnuts is just not complete, and it's the same with carrot muffins!
- Baking powder - make sure that it is fresh, so the muffins rise well and get that all-important fluffy texture
- Cinnamon and Vanilla extract - to add extra flavor
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
It's really simple to make sugar free carrot cake muffins. Here are the basic steps. Scroll down to the recipe card for a detailed method.
Step 1: Blend the eggs, softened butter and bananas until thoroughly combined. I used a food processor. If you use a large mixing bowl and a handheld electric blender, mash the bananas first.
Step 2: Mix in the ground almonds, flaxseed, spices, vanilla, sweetener and baking powder.
Step 3: Fold the grated carrot and the walnuts into the batter with a spatula.
Step 4: Spoon the dough into the muffin pan lined with paper cups. Bake in the preheated oven until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool completely before you add the cream cheese frosting. The frosting is completely optional - the muffins taste just as good without.
Variations
Dairy-free: Replace the butter with a dairy-free butter such as Violife.
Nut-free: Instead of almond flour, use a 50/50 blend of sesame seed flour and sunflower seed flour. Also, omit the walnuts.
More spices: Feel free to add ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and even a pinch of allspice or cloves.
Recipe FAQs
You can try using applesauce instead. In this case, it ill be necessary to increase the sweetener. Or, try my keto carrot cake recipe. This is banana free. Another option is my sugar free carrot cake, which you can bake as muffins.
I have not tried it yet, but it should work well. Use either a springform pan or a rectangular cake pan, which you line with parchment paper. The baking time will be 50-60 minutes at the same oven temperature.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you store the frosting separately, reheat them for 15 seconds in the microwave before serving. They are delicious warm.
Yes. You can freeze them for up to 3 months, without the frosting.
More Sugar Free Muffin Recipes
- Almond Flour Muffins
- Keto Blueberry Muffins30 Minutes
- Coconut Flour Blueberry Muffins35 Minutes
- Coconut Flour Banana Muffins30 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Sugar Free Carrot Cake Muffins
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 300 g / 3 cups grated carrot
- 5 eggs room temperature
- 180 g / ¾ cup butter, softened
- 2 very ripe medium bananas 200g
- 150 g / 1 ½ cup almond flour or ground almonds
- 30 g / scant ¼ cup flaxseed ground
- 2 tablespoon powdered sweetener
- 50 g / ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 tablespoon powdered sweetener
- 100 g / ½ cup cream cheese, full fat room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180C / 350F electric or 160C / 320F fan. Line a muffin pan with paper cups or grease a silicone muffin pan.
- Blend the eggs, softened butter and bananas until thoroughly combined.
- Mix in the ground almonds, flaxseed, spices, vanilla, sweetener and baking powder.
- Lastly, gently stir in the grated carrot and the walnuts.
- Spoon the dough into the muffin pan and bake them in the oven on the middle shelf for 30 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese with powdered sweetener. Spread onto the muffins once these are fully cooled.
Karen Thompson
Thanks for the recipe of the carrot cake, sounds great.
Katrin
You are welcome Karen, this cake always goes down well. Let me know how you get on when you give it a go!
Michelle Leach
Well i made them i had no mixed spice so left that out and replaced the flaxseed with psyllium husk.
I had to improvise a lil.
But omgoodness yum.
Haha
When girls get together they over indulge. So im prepared. I have the snacks and these will be a treat let me tell you. Thankyou so much. Who would think healthy vould taste so naughty lol.
No icing going on these. Just perfect left plain.
🙂 thanks again for this recipe 🙂
Katrin
You are so welcome Michelle! Sounds like you had a fab time too 🙂 Say hi to the girls!!
Michelle
Gonna make these to take away camping. Healthy treat for us girls. Cant wait to try them. Carbs are a smidge higher than k normally like, but i love carrot cake 🙂
Just wondering. Do you think you could replace half the carrot with cauliflower at all?
Cut carbs a lil.
Im unsure.
Thanks for a yummy easy recipe 🙂
Katrin
Interesting thought. Why not? I've seen cake recipes around using cauliflower, though I have never tried it. Give it a go and let us know!
LUCY
Would love to try these muffins on my husband, who is on a greatly limited diet.
Could u convert the metric measurements, into the British Standard, measures we New Yorkers find easier to work with?
Many thanks.
Danielle
Katrin, all of your recipes look amazing...
Katrin
Danielle, that means a lot to me. Thank you for this lovely comment!
Bethan
I substituted flaxseed for chia but they came out so wonderfully, and as a type 1 diabetic it was a great way of feeling like I could eat muffins again without feeling guilty! I found they made perfect breakfast muffins to start my day off right and they kept me full all morning. Thank you for a great recipe!
Kelcie
Can I use almond flour instead of grinding my own almonds?
Katrin
Of course you can! Almond flour is more finely ground, so you'll get a finer texture as well
Diane
just made these for my hubby, just diagnosed type 2 diabetes and missing his sweet cakes with coffee, thee are perfect...silly me forgot to add the walnuts but they are still good, thanks for the recipie
Katrin
So happy your husband and you enjoyed them! Once you get your head around using sweeteners and replacing wheat with alternatives, you can have your cake and eat it! 🙂
Robin Enochs
What constituents "mixed spice"? Would that be akin to pumpkin pie spice blend here in the US?
Katrin
Hello Robin,
here's a typical mixed spice combo:
1 Tbs ground allspice
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
1 Tbs ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground ginger
cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice are the most dominant flavours.
Hope that helps!
Michelle
These are great Katrin, perfect for busy mornings when you need to just grab something and go 😉