Gluten-free baking can be hard but it doesn’t have to be, if you have a bag of oats in your pantry. 

This recipe was inspired by rotting banana’s and a special on carrots that saw me bring two big bags home. My mum is visiting. When she’s around I always bake cakes so she doesn’t nibble on the wrong things like a slab of chocolate. She eats a lot. I mean, more than me and she enjoys sweets. More than me. 

This muffin honestly can be made with flour or oat flour. It’s soft, airy and subtly sweet from the fruits and syrup. The sweetness from the carrots also gives it a lovely rich texture and flavour. I add a lot and when you mix the batter you will doubt my measurements. I assure you - it is the bomb.com

Did you know: Applesauce is a wonderful replacement for oil or butter in a recipe. However, if you’re using anything but flour or stoneground flour in your bakes, DO NOT use applesauce. Your cakes won’t turn out fluffy. Instead, use butter or coconut oil. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups grated carrots - tightly packed in the cups

1 overripe banana

1/3 chopped almonds

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup oil

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla essence 

1 cup oat flour/spelt flour/cassava flour or stoneground/cake wheat flour

1 cup oats

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch of salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2. Line a muffin tray with paper cups or grease a muffin tray well.

3. Mix the banana with the baking soda and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, add all the wet ingredients and whisk for 1 minute.

5. Add the banana and whisk some more.

6. In another large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients with a fork. Make a well in the center.

7. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and give it a mix.

8. Add nuts (save some for decoration) and carrots and mix until you can’t see dry flour anywhere. You want to fold the mixture and not stir.

9. Fill your muffin trays 3/4 of the way full and sprinkle some nuts on the top of the batter for decoration.

10. Bake for 23 minutes.

11. Let your muffins cool before you dig into them. They will stay fresh for up to four days.