Name: Paleo Maple Carrot Cupcakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12 Servings
Ingredients: 1 cup tiger nut flour; 6 Tablespoons cassava flour; 2 Tablespoons potato flour/starch; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 3 large eggs; 1/2 cup pure maple syrup; 2 Tablespoons sunflower or grape seed oil; 1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots; 1 cup chopped pecans; 1/2 cup palm shortening or coconut oil; 1/3 cup pure maple syrup; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 to 3 Tablespoons tapioca or arrowroot starch; pinch fine sea salt

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Well I made it 3 months without any desserts, I deserve a medal! Whole 30 does not allow any desserts, of any kind, and I wasn’t exactly sure what paleo-fied dessert I wanted to try first. That is until our Feast ‘n Devour group chose Carrots for this months theme, so I knew that I had to make Paleo Maple Carrot Cupcakes with Creamy Maple Frosting…..

I did not bother using a pastry bag and fancy tip to add the frosting to these delectable little morsels, I was going for more of a rustic look. 😉 That’s a lie… I was so excited to eat these Paleo Maple Carrot Cupcakes, I didn’t want to waste the extra time, LOL

If you have tried your hand at Paleo baking, you know that it is not cheap. Fancy gluten-free flours are sold at a premium, and the two that I chose are no exception #sorrynotsorry.

What flours are used in this recipe:

TigerNut Flour: TigerNuts are loaded with prebiotic fiber, have as much iron as red meat, and are not actually nuts. TigerNuts are small root vegetables that have come from the heart of Africa for over two million years. They comprised 80% of cavemen diets, so they must be good for us as well. TigerNut flour rises in baking and works well in both sweet and savory recipes.

Cassava Flour: Cassava {yucca or manioc} is a nutty flavored, sweet and chewy starch-tuber from the South American forests. This might be shocking, but cassava has nearly twice the calories than that of potatoes and perhaps one of the highest value calorie food for any tropical starch-rich tubers and roots. The calories mostly come from sucrose which accounts for more than 69% of total sugars. On the upside, it is low in fat and has more protein than yams and regular potatoes. It is also rich in essential minerals like zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, potassium, and manganese.

Potato Flour: Lends a moist crumb to baked good, so it is really common in gluten-free baking.

How to make Paleo Maple Carrot Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with baking spray or use paper liners.

Combine the flours, starch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger together in a large bowl. Set aside…..

Mix the eggs, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and oil together in a separate bowl. Add the carrots to the wet ingredients and mix together. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, mix together until well incorporated…..

Stir in the pecans. Fill 12 paper baking liners and place into a muffin tin…..

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry when inserted into the center of the cupcakes…..

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

To make the Frosting:

Beat the palm shortening and maple syrup together in a small bowl {or measuring cup} until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla, salt, and tapioca starch and beat until well mixed…..

Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes. Decorate with a whole or chopped pecan pieces if desired…..

Pure maple syrup is not shelf-stable, so store your Paleo Maple Carrot Cupcakes in the refrigerator until just before you are ready to serve them…..

OMG…so good!

Notes:

I used this TigerNut Flour, and this Cassava Flour. {affiliate links}
The Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flour was purchased at the grocery store.
I used this Palm Shortening, because it is the only one that did not contain coconut oil. You may be able to find it at your local grocery store.
To make these cupcakes completely nut free, omit the pecans. Substitute raisins if desired.

I grated my carrots using the small hole on a box grater, but you could also pulverize them in your food processor if you do not want to see or fell them in your cupcakes. 😉

Enjoy!!