Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
—The Dalai Lama
Rhubarb is a metaphor for finding happiness in your own backyard.
—Garrison Keillor
Buy your snacks from a farmers’ market.
—Michael Pollan
Even when he had a garden in Paris, Thomas Jefferson cultivated Indian corn, “to eat green in our manner, …as quickly after it left the stalk as possible.
—Evan Jones, from American Food
Muffins posing as cupcakes
Inspired by “The Great British Baking Show,” which I binge-watched while wrapping presents, I got a hankering for some seasonal baking. A quick synopsis for anyone who hasn’t seen the show: it is a reality TV show where amateur bakers compete in a series of baking challenges to find out who is worthy of the title “star baker.” It appeals to my competitive, type-A personality (there is such exactness in baking!), while simultaneously celebrating creativity in the kitchen.
Each episode, the contestants have to make a showstopper recipe with their own creative mix of flavors and presentation. My husband would come home to the sound of Brits saying “soggy bottoms” and “scrummy biscuits,” catching me with a half-wrapped present, drooling at the TV.
I could not seem to find the perfect recipe for what I wanted to make: Spiced Carrot Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting (after some web-sleuthing, I got my heart set on adding cardamom, which was a GREAT choice!). My guidelines for my recipe hunt:
- Gluten free
- No table sugar
- No brown sugar
- No powdered sugar
I found many recipes that seemed to be mostly what I wanted, but they all missed the mark by a tad. In the end, I kind of followed these two recipes: Carrot Ginger Muffins from the Savory Lotus blog and Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting from the blog, Cooking on the Weekends.
Confession: I took these to Christmas with my in-laws and didn’t tell anyone they were gluten free. I also called them “cupcakes.” I received the very sound advice that I should re-brand them as muffins. Apparently, they were not great cupcakes, but they made for tasty muffins – it’s all about the branding! I was also told they tasted “healthy,” which I don’t think was meant as a compliment!
In the end, I enjoyed the flavors and felt indulgent eating them. If you’d like a more dessert-y version, you could try this recipe from the website Toot Sweet.
If I have somehow inspired you to run out and make my version, you can see how I did it below!
Until Next Time,
Corrie Austin
Ingredients
Spiced Carrot Gingerbread
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-purpose Baking Flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 cup finely grated carrot
Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp cardamom to taste
- Arrowroot powder to thicken as necessary*
*Perhaps I could have foregone the almond milk, making the arrowroot powder unnecessary
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, spices, and coconut shreds.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and syrup. Add the carrot. Stir wet ingredients into the dry.
Spoon the batter into paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 17-22 minutes.
While muffins are baking, mix the frosting with a hand-held mixer.  Let muffins cool, then frost generously with cream cheese frosting.
Makes 16 muffin-cupcakes.
Posted: 12-30-2018
- Gluten free
- No table sugar
- No brown sugar
- No powdered sugar


Ingredients
Spiced Carrot Gingerbread
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-purpose Baking Flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 cup finely grated carrot
Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp cardamom to taste
- Arrowroot powder to thicken as necessary*
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, spices, and coconut shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and syrup. Add the carrot. Stir wet ingredients into the dry. Spoon the batter into paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 17-22 minutes. While muffins are baking, mix the frosting with a hand-held mixer.  Let muffins cool, then frost generously with cream cheese frosting. Makes 16 muffin-cupcakes. " ["post_title"]=> string(26) "Muffins posing as cupcakes" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(26) "muffins-posing-as-cupcakes" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(82) " https://www.savorylotus.com/carrot-ginger-coconut-muffins-glutengrain-free-paleo/" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 13:22:32" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 17:22:32" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(42) "http://inthekitchenwithbronwyn.com/?p=5004" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "4" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } ["queried_object_id"]=> int(5004) ["request"]=> string(166) "SELECT wp_posts.* FROM wp_posts WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.post_name = 'muffins-posing-as-cupcakes' AND wp_posts.post_type = 'post' ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC " ["posts"]=> &array(1) { [0]=> object(WP_Post)#1120 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(5004) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "1" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 12:00:33" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 16:00:33" ["post_content"]=> string(5086) "

- Gluten free
- No table sugar
- No brown sugar
- No powdered sugar


Ingredients
Spiced Carrot Gingerbread
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-purpose Baking Flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 cup finely grated carrot
Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp cardamom to taste
- Arrowroot powder to thicken as necessary*
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, spices, and coconut shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and syrup. Add the carrot. Stir wet ingredients into the dry. Spoon the batter into paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 17-22 minutes. While muffins are baking, mix the frosting with a hand-held mixer.  Let muffins cool, then frost generously with cream cheese frosting. Makes 16 muffin-cupcakes. " ["post_title"]=> string(26) "Muffins posing as cupcakes" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(26) "muffins-posing-as-cupcakes" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(82) " https://www.savorylotus.com/carrot-ginger-coconut-muffins-glutengrain-free-paleo/" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 13:22:32" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 17:22:32" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(42) "http://inthekitchenwithbronwyn.com/?p=5004" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "4" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } } ["post_count"]=> int(1) ["current_post"]=> int(0) ["in_the_loop"]=> bool(true) ["post"]=> object(WP_Post)#1120 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(5004) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "1" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 12:00:33" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 16:00:33" ["post_content"]=> string(5086) "

- Gluten free
- No table sugar
- No brown sugar
- No powdered sugar


Ingredients
Spiced Carrot Gingerbread
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-purpose Baking Flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 cup finely grated carrot
Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp cardamom to taste
- Arrowroot powder to thicken as necessary*
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, spices, and coconut shreds. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and syrup. Add the carrot. Stir wet ingredients into the dry. Spoon the batter into paper-lined muffin tins and bake for 17-22 minutes. While muffins are baking, mix the frosting with a hand-held mixer.  Let muffins cool, then frost generously with cream cheese frosting. Makes 16 muffin-cupcakes. " ["post_title"]=> string(26) "Muffins posing as cupcakes" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(26) "muffins-posing-as-cupcakes" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(82) " https://www.savorylotus.com/carrot-ginger-coconut-muffins-glutengrain-free-paleo/" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 13:22:32" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2018-12-30 17:22:32" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(42) "http://inthekitchenwithbronwyn.com/?p=5004" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "4" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } ["comment_count"]=> int(0) ["current_comment"]=> int(-1) ["found_posts"]=> int(1) ["max_num_pages"]=> int(0) ["max_num_comment_pages"]=> int(0) ["is_single"]=> bool(true) ["is_preview"]=> bool(false) ["is_page"]=> bool(false) ["is_archive"]=> bool(false) ["is_date"]=> bool(false) ["is_year"]=> bool(false) ["is_month"]=> bool(false) ["is_day"]=> bool(false) ["is_time"]=> bool(false) ["is_author"]=> bool(false) ["is_category"]=> bool(false) ["is_tag"]=> bool(false) ["is_tax"]=> bool(false) ["is_search"]=> bool(false) ["is_feed"]=> bool(false) ["is_comment_feed"]=> bool(false) ["is_trackback"]=> bool(false) ["is_home"]=> bool(false) ["is_privacy_policy"]=> bool(false) ["is_404"]=> bool(false) ["is_embed"]=> bool(false) ["is_paged"]=> bool(false) ["is_admin"]=> bool(false) ["is_attachment"]=> bool(false) ["is_singular"]=> bool(true) ["is_robots"]=> bool(false) ["is_posts_page"]=> bool(false) ["is_post_type_archive"]=> bool(false) ["query_vars_hash":"WP_Query":private]=> string(32) "b4c0c85dbf30246ee0107fab86af0613" ["query_vars_changed":"WP_Query":private]=> bool(false) ["thumbnails_cached"]=> bool(false) ["stopwords":"WP_Query":private]=> NULL ["compat_fields":"WP_Query":private]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(15) "query_vars_hash" [1]=> string(18) "query_vars_changed" } ["compat_methods":"WP_Query":private]=> array(2) { [0]=> string(16) "init_query_flags" [1]=> string(15) "parse_tax_query" } } SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG’S FEED4 responses to “Muffins posing as cupcakes”
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I am definitely trying the cupcake/muffin recipe before the end of the first month of the new year. They fit my resolution to throw out the old and try the new! Not promising anything…but really look forward the fun of trying….wondering if I could ever make carrot spirals as beautiful as Corrie’s. ( – :
Hello Bronwyn! This recipe was very fun to try – lots of new techniques and ingredients! To candy the carrots (though, admittedly, mine never crisped up…) I followed instructions from epicurious.com. I brought some sugar water (half and half) to a boil and simmered the carrot strips for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 225. Lay strips of carrots on cookie sheet with non stick coating. Bake for 30 minutes. When they come out of the oven, shape as desired. For spirals, wrap them around a wooden spoon handle. Place shaped carrots back in oven for 30-45 minutes until “crisp.” Let me know how they turn out!
Can the gluten free flour be substituted cup for cup with regular flour?
Hello Maria,
Apologies for the delayed reply, did you try this already?
I think substituting regular flour would work just fine, and honestly, I think they will taste BETTER that way! I would check them for done-ness a little earlier (maybe at 14-15 minutes), as typically gluten free recipes cook longer.
I hope they turn out well! These were very rich in flavor. Yum!
Corrie