Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Okay. I have to say it. These are AMAZING. It has been a long time since I’ve had carrot cake. So long in fact, that I really had to think about what these should taste like! After several failed attempts, I believe I finally created something divine: Carrot Cake Cupcakes.

What makes this cupcake a rockstar? The shredded coconut, crushed pineapple and almond flour. The coconut adds texture. The pineapple adds texture and moisture. The almond flour adds moisture and is full of protein, making it a nutritious and delicious flour alternative.

I promise, if you make these cupcakes, people will be clueless that they are gluten & dairy-free. ;)


Carrot Cake Cupcakes
by Laura Friendly
start to finish: 50 minutes
makes: 12 cupcakes

• ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Flour
• ½ cup Blanched Almond Flour
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt

• 1 cup shredded carrots, room temperature

• 8 oz can crushed pineapple
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flours, sugars, shredded coconut, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, cinnamon and salt. Add in shredded carrots, mix until carrots are completely coated and the mixture has become crumbly.

In a separate bowl, whisk together pineapple, eggs and coconut oil. Add mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix until the batter is smooth.

Pour the mixture into the 12 muffin liners, filling only ½ to ¾ full. Bake in the center of a preheated oven, for about 21 minutes, depending on your oven. At the 15 minute mark, rotate the cupcakes 180º. Bake until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the pan briefly, then gently pop out the cupcakes and continue cooling on a wire rack.

Once completely cooled, frost the cupcakes and cover in an airtight container.


Soy Cream Cheese Frosting (vegan)
by Laura Friendly
start to finish: 10 minutes
makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes

• ¼ cup soy butter, room temperature
• ¼ cup vegan cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 ⅓ cups powdered sugar

Place soy butter and vegan cream cheese, into a large mixing bowl, and beat until fluffy (using a hand or stand mixer).

With mixer running slowly, add in powdered sugar, ⅓ cup at a time, and beat until smooth. Scraping down the sides of the mixer as often as necessary.

Use immediately.

note: If the frosting seems too thick, add a little more vegan cream cheese (1 tbsp at at time) until it becomes spreadable. If it’s not thick enough, add in more powdered sugar (1 tbsp at a time) until it’s stiff but still spreadable.

See this recipe on HelloGiggles!

Vegan Cream Cheese

I think one of the biggest challenges to living with food allergies is the cost. Cooking gluten & dairy-free isn’t cheap. Everything I buy pre-made—from salsa to bread to cream cheese—can easily cost up to triple the price. So as often as I can, I try to make things from scratch to reduce the cost to my pocketbook.

Which means that these days I make my own salsa, bread and cream cheese.

If you go to to the store today an 8oz. tub of vegan cream cheese costs around $4. That’s not an outrageous price but if you eat a lot of cream cheese… that can really add up. This homemade recipe I’m sharing today makes about 16oz. of cream cheese and costs under $3. Definitely a better bargain. (And if you start shopping for these ingredients in bulk… the price will go down even further.)

Part of the fun of making your own cream cheese is that you can mess around with the flavor to make it taste however you’d like. This version has a slight nutty flavor that’s both fresh and light but if you want to get creative try adding a little fresh basil or  rosemary, nutritional yeast or honey. The possibilities are endless.

Vegan Cream Cheese
by Laura Friendly

Makes: about 16 oz.
start to finish: 10 minutes

• ½ cup cashews, soaked overnight in water
• 1 14oz firm tofu,
• 1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp xanthan gum

Drain tofu and place between several paper towels or cheese cloth and squeeze out excess liquid and set aside. (the tofu will brake up into pieces during this process.)

Drain the cashews and pat dry with a paper towel. Put cashews into a food processor and blend until it becomes a paste. Add in the tofu and blend for about 3 minutes until it becomes a very creamy texture.

Add in the lemon juice, agave, apple cider vinegar, salt and olive oil. Continue to blend for another 2 minutes. Add in the xanthan gum and blend for about 1 minute. The mixture should start to thicken up.

You can use the cream cheese right away, but allowing it to refrigerate for a couple of hours allows the flavors to blend and makes it taste even better.