Paleo Vegan Carrot Cupcakes

My dad’s birthday was on the fourth of July, and one of his favorite desserts is carrot cake. Being the picky, everything-free eater that I am, I decided to take a stab at making a paleo vegan cake. I scoured Pinterest for a GOOD paleo vegan carrot cake, and found nothing. So…I combined certain recipes with my own vegan baking knowledge (think getting creative to replace eggs) and I whipped up an amazing cake. Everyone loved it, even the faux cream cheese frosting. 

This time, I gave the same recipe a whirl by making cupcakes. 

They are SO good, moist (Eeew! I really do hate that word, but that is the best way to describe these cupcakes!), and taste like the real deal. 

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

For 8 cupcakes:

+ 2.5 cups unblanched almond flour

+ 1 cup melted unrefined coconut oil

+ 1/2 tsp salt

+ 2 tsp baking soda

+ 2 tsp gluten free baking powder

+ 2 tsp cinnamon

+ 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

+ 1 cup coconut sugar (this stuff is seriously amazing. It tastes like brown sugar!)

+ 2 tsp vanilla extract

+ 3 cups grated carrots

+ 4 tbsp ground flax seeds mixed with 12 tbsp water to create an egg-like mixture

For the frosting:

+ 3/4 cup raw cashews

+ 1 tsp vanilla extract

+ 1/4 cup maple syrup

+ 1-2 tsp cinnamon

+ 1 tsp lemon juice

+ 1 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions:

+ Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

+ Mix all cupcake ingredients well

+ Add to a pre-greased 8-inch cake pan or a cupcake pan (I use coconut oil spray to do this)

+ Bake for 20 minutes or until a knife sticks through the cake and comes out clean

+ Let the cupcakes/cake cool for at least 30 minutes, and then release them onto a cooling rack.

Frosting instructions:

+ Soak the cashews in purified water overnight, or for at least 3 hours

+ Drain cashews from water

+ Mix all ingredients together in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. This may take about 5 minutes of on and off blending. 

…That’s it! Super easy, if you’re patient and pre-plan for the frosting. 

Let me know if you’re interested in seeing more paleo vegan recipes here. I love learning about new recipes, and sharing my own!

xo,

Lynn