Recently, we took a trip out to Portland, Oregon. I stopped by several of my favorite bakeries. Crema is my favorite. They have the largest, fluffiest, and sweetest zucchini muffins I’ve ever tasted.

After mastering the art of the gluten-free zucchini cake, (- Have you tried it? I decided to try carrot cake. The recipe could be used as a carrot cake, but I was looking for a healthier option that didn’t need frosting.

This vegan, gluten-free one-bowl recipe will blow you away, no matter what you use! These were so good I couldn’t stop!

This recipe begins with the best natural sweeteners available: banana, apple, and carrot.

You can use either applesauce or grated sweet apple. (A tip I received from a good friend). Both work great. It also replaces some oil, which provides plenty of moisture.

Add walnuts to these muffins for a boost of omega-3 fatty acids, healthy fats, and protein.

In an ideal situation, I would eat walnuts daily. Sometimes on top of muffins, sometimes in granola, and sometimes straight out of the jar. Although it doesn’t happen all the time, this is a goal I have for myself. These nutrient-rich nuts are hard to resist.

These muffins are not only vegan, gluten-free, and healthy but also require only one pan!

Brown sugar is the only exception (which I’m fine with in reasonable quantities). If you want to make this recipe more “natural,” I suggest using muscovado, an unrefined dark brown sugar.

Ingredients

• Flaxseed Meal, 1 1/2 Tbsp
• Water 4 Tbsp
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup very ripe banana mashed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (or honey, if you’re not vegan).
• Use 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce or finely grated apple
• Half a cup of brown sugar (or substitute muscovado).
• Half a teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 cup plain almond milk (unsweetened)
• One heaping cup of grated carrot
• Gluten-free rolled Oats, 2/3 cup
• Almond meal 1/2 cup
• One heaping cup of gluten-free flour blend
• 1/4 cup raw walnuts chopped (for topping)

Instructions

• Mix flaxseed and water in a large bowl and allow to rest for several minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Use muffin tins with liners, or lightly grease the tins.
• Add the mashed bananas, agave syrup ma, apple syrup, and olive oil to the flax egg. Whisk together.
• Add the applesauce, baking soda, and salt to the brown sugar.
• Add almond milk to the mixture and stir.
• Add grated carrots to the mixture.
• Stir in the oats and almond meal.
• Divide evenly between 12 muffin tins. Fill them to the top. Top with crushed walnuts (optional).
• Bake for 32 to 36 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. Do not be afraid to overbake! It takes longer for the GF blend to bake.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Flip the pies on their side in the pan and let them cool.
• They tend to stick to wrappers if you unwrap them too quickly.
• To keep the food fresh, place it in a bag or container with a lid at room temperature. After that, freeze to keep it fresh.