Carrot Cake Zucchini Muffins
Carrot Cake Zucchini Muffins are grain free, paleo, and low carb Muffins with a vanilla cream cheese frosting (with dairy free option).
Carrot Cake Zucchini Muffins are a grain free, low carb and paleo treat that has a little grated carrot, and grated zucchini. These are frosted with a lovely creamy vanilla frosting. I can’t get enough of these healthy carrot cake cake flavored muffins!
These babies had my family fighting over them, and demanding that I make another dozen. Even one family member was trying to hide them and keep a watchful count of them. Then there was the “Mom, she ate more than me, and how many did you eat Mom?” I hate answering that question! I baked them, so they should just be grateful I share the spoils. There is far too much competitive food hoarding going on at my house. Please share your best family food hoarding or food fighting stories with us in the comment section.
Carrot Cake Zucchini Muffins:
Muffin Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp coconut flour, like this one
- ⅓ cup sweetener of choice: erythritol for low carb (I used Swerve), or coconut sugar for paleo
- 1 tbsp golden flax meal * optional
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder, this brand is grain free
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅓ cup grated carrot
- ½ cup grated zucchini
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- 2 tbsp butter, or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting (with dairy free option):
- 4 ounces cream cheese (½ cup) softened, or ½ cup palm shortening for paleo (dairy free) version
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sweetener of choice: 2 1/2 tbsp erythritol, or 1/2 tsp liquid stevia for low carb , or 2 1/2 tbsp honey for paleo version
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease or line a muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl combine: 6 tbsp coconut flour, ⅓ cup sweetener of choice, 1 tbsp golden flax meal * optional, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp baking soda. Mix together thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl combine: 3 eggs, ⅓ cup grated carrot, ½ cup grated zucchini, ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk, 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil, melted, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and ½ tsp apple cider vinegar. Mix together thoroughly.
- Add wet egg mixture to dry coconut flour mixture. Mix together thoroughly.
- spoon the muffin batter into muffin cups filling ⅔ of each cup.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until muffins are browning, and a toothpick comes out of the center clean.Remove from oven and let muffins cool completely
- Add all the frosting ingredients to a large mixing bowl with an electric beater or using a stand mixer. Beat frosting until combined and creamy.
- Frost muffins and serve.
Nutritional Data for Low Carb Version (using Swerve sweetener and cream cheese frosting): Servings: 12 muffins, Serving Size: 1 muffin, Cal: 92, Carbs: 4 g, Net Carbs: 2 g, Fiber: 2 g, Fat: 7 g, Protein: 3 g, Sugars: 1 g, Sodium: 113 mg.
Nutritional Data for Paleo Version (using dairy free frosting and coconut sugar sweetener): Servings: 12, Serving Size: 1 muffin, Cal: 161, Carbs: 11 g, Net Carbs: 9 g, Fat: 11 g, Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 2.5 g, Sugars: 9 g, Sodium: 80 mg.
*all nutritional data are estimates based on the products I used*
Printable Recipe Card Below:
- Muffin Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp coconut flour
- ⅓ cup sweetener of choice: erythritol for low carb or coconut sugar for paleo
- 1 tbsp golden flax meal * optional
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅓ cup grated carrot
- ½ cup grated zucchini
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- Cream Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese or ½ cup palm shortening for paleo (dairy free) version, ½ cup
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- tbsp Sweetener of choice: 2 1/2 erythritol or 1/2 tsp liquid stevia for low carb , or 2 1/2 tbsp honey for paleo version
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease or line a muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl combine: 6 tbsp coconut flour, ⅓ cup sweetener of choice, 1 tbsp golden flax meal * optional, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp baking soda. Mix together thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl combine: 3 eggs, ⅓ cup grated carrot, ½ cup grated zucchini, ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk, 2 tbsp butter, or coconut oil, melted, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and ½ tsp apple cider vinegar. Mix together thoroughly.
- Add wet egg mixture to dry coconut flour mixture. Mix together thoroughly.
- spoon the muffin batter into muffin cups filling ⅔ of each cup.
- Bake for 25 to 30 mins, or until muffins are browning, and a toothpick comes out of the center clean.Remove from oven and let muffins cool completely
- Add all the frosting ingredients to a large mixing bowl with an electric beater or using a stand mixer. Beat frosting until combined and creamy.
- Frost muffins and serve.
*all nutritional data are estimates based on the products I used*
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Hi! – could I use heavy cream or half and half instead of the almond or coconut milk? I am making this for a friend and don’t usually keep the alternate milks in the house. Thanks!
Yes, you can use heavy cream or half and half.
I would love to make this recipe tonight but I don’t have any zucchini. Do you think I could just add more carrots instead of the zucchini? Would it affect the texture a lot? Thanks!
Lissa, yes you can.
I see that this recipe calls for 1/3 cup sweetener. Would Stevia work? I don’t have Swerve. Thanks in advance for your help!
A granular stevia blend might work, but you will need to use a little less than the suggested sweetener. Check the sweetener brands conversion table. Swerve has a 1:1 ratio with regular sugar.
I’m wondering if you have tried it in a cake pan mold? I have a super cute new silicone Easter Bunny pan and on paper this recipe looks perfect.
I have not, but I would think it would work depending on how big the cake pan is. May need to double the recipe.
Well, somehow I read carrot cake and didn’t see muffin. I made the muffins in the pan, frosted the bunny like a cake and the kids are going to think we are having desert for breakfast. For future readers, I would not recommend making this delicious recipe in a cake pan.
Would it still work out okay if I swapped the chia seed and water mixture for the eggs? I’m hoping, these look great!
I’m not entirely sure, as most of my egg replacement experiments have not turned out so well.
I just made these and they are delicious! I love carrot cake and have been trying to find a yummy, easy low carb recipe.
I’ve already shared it with my mother in law. Thanks for sharing Stacey!
Awe, thank you, Melissa!
My son absolutely loved them! I had them as a surprise in his lunch box and was soooo happy!!! ThNk you! I love to see his smile 🙂
Awe, thank you so much Maria. I am so glad your sweet little guy enjoyed them 🙂
Hi Stacey, I just wanted to let you know I featured this recipe in my Low Carb Gluten-free Zucchini Recipes roundup. I hope you’ll get some visits coming your way!
Maya, thanks that is great. Next time I do a roundup I will return the favor!
Yummm! Just made these…I love them.
Linda, Thank you for trying the recipe and taking the time to leave a nice comment. That made my day 🙂
Love carrot cake and how i can actually have it now.
Awe thank you Kelly 🙂 You’re always so super sweet!
How about suggesting that you’ll help them learn to make a batch themselves? I guess that suggestion working is depending on the ages of your kids, but if they’re old enough to count and compare, they’re probably old enough to at least help cook. 😉
kariane, great idea! They can both cook a little but have not attempted much baking. It will a messy adventure for sure!
I can’t wait to try these! I have to say of zucchini from my garden and ha e been looking for recipes to use them. These look great and I have all the I gradients already!
Tracy, thank you for trying the recipe. I wish I had a veggie garden 🙂