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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing

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healthy carrot cake muffins with cream cheese icing on top, stacked on top of each other.

Perfect carrot cake muffins, made healthy! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, yet oh-SO delicious. These healthy carrot cake muffins come together in just one bowl, in about 30 minutes!

What You’ll Need to Make Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

Oat Flour – You can either buy pre-ground oat flour, or simply grind oats into a flour yourself. I always make my oat flour myself because it’s cheaper, and super easy. To do this, place rolled oats into a blender and blend until a flour forms, and no large oats pieces remain.

Apple Sauce – If you don’t have any apple sauce, feel free to use 1/2 cup of mashed banana instead! Though if you do use apple sauce, please make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened for this recipe.

Maple Syrup – These refined sugar-free carrot cake muffins are naturally sweetened with maple syrup. I love the flavor of maple syrup in these muffins, you won’t even miss the sugar. However, if you don’t have any maple syrup, you can use an equal amount of honey instead!

healthy carrot cake muffins with cream cheese icing on top and milk on the side.

Tips and Tricks

  • Avoid over-mixing the muffin batter! If you mix too much, your muffins will turn out tough, instead of soft and tender. Therefore, mix all ingredients until just combined, then stop.
  • Let these healthy carrot cake muffins cool completely before icing. I know it’s tempting to ice and eat these delicious little muffins right away. But if they’re too hot when iced, the icing will melt and slide right off. So practice some self-control, and leave them to cool for at least 20 minutes first!
  • These muffins are best stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to three days. However, if you live in a warm climate (or are baking these in the summer), you may want to consider storing them in the fridge. If stored in a very warm place, the cream cheese icing may spoil.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: While I haven’t tested this option myself just yet, you should be able to make these vegan carrot cake muffins by substituting the eggs for flax eggs! Or, use this Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer in place of the eggs in this recipe.

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing
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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: Snacks, DessertDifficulty: Medium
Servings

12

muffins
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

Perfect carrot cake muffins, made healthy! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, yet oh-SO delicious. These healthy carrot cake muffins come together in just one bowl, in about 30 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetened

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup milk, I used non-dairy milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 cups oat flour

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup shredded carrots

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  • 1/4 cup raisins

  • For the cream cheese icing:

  • 1/4 cup softened cream cheese, I used non-dairy cream cheese

  • 3 tablespoons softened butter, I used non-dairy butter

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 2-3 tablespoons milk, I used non-dairy milk

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, apple sauce, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla extract.
  • Add in the oat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until everything is just combined.
  • Then, fold in the shredded carrots, chopped walnuts, and raisins until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  • Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted down the center of one muffin comes out clean. Remove muffins from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • While muffins cool, make the cream cheese icing by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking until smooth and well-combined. Then, spread or pipe cream cheese icing on top of each cooled muffin.

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30 Minutes or Less

Maple Candied Pecans

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maple candied pecans tipped out of a jar

Just 3 ingredients to make these maple candied pecans! Perfectly sweet, crunchy, and totally delicious. Cooked on the stovetop in under 20 minutes!

maple candied pecans in a jar

What You’ll Need to Make Maple Candied Pecans

Pecans – Start with raw and unsalted pecans for this recipe. The cooking and flavoring of the pecans happens throughout this recipe, so it’s best to start with a blank canvas! Also, be sure to use whole pecan halves, not pecan pieces.

Maple Syrup – Just half a cup of maple syrup to sweeten these maple candied pecans! I love this unrefined sugar alternative, it’s healthier and tastes just as good. As the pecans cook, the maple syrup will begin to crystalize and coat the pecans, just like sugar would.

Salt – A pinch of salt to help round out those flavors! Salt seems like a counteractive addition to this recipe, but trust me, it brings it all together. And believe it or not, salt actually brings out the sweetness in this candy recipe!

maple candied pecans on a baking sheet

Tips and Tricks

  • Avoid cooking these maple candied pecans at a high temperature. High heat will quickly cause the maple syrup to burn, which could ruin your recipe. Therefore, maintain a simmer, and continue stirring the pecans every few minutes to avoid burning.
  • Have fun with this recipe! Throw in a pinch of cinnamon, or a dash of vanilla extract while the pecans cook. Or, for an extra festive addition, serve them with a handful of festive candies or sprinkles!
  • Maple candied pecans are best stored at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to one week. You can even store them in the fridge for up to one month, or the freezer for up to three months!
overhead image of maple candied pecans on a baking sheet.

This Recipe Is…

Maple Candied Pecans
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Maple Candied Pecans

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: Dessert, Snacks, SidesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

cups
Prep time

0

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups raw pecan halves

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • Small pinch of salt

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a large pan over medium heat. Stir and bring the maple syrup to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low.
  • Continue cooking on low for 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. After 20 minutes, the maple syrup should begin to crystalize and look like sugar coating the pecans.
  • Once syrup has crystalized, pour the pecans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread pecans into an even layer, then let cool completely before eating or storing.

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30 Minutes or Less

Healthy Gingerbread Muffins (made in the blender!)

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gingerbread muffin with a bite taken out.

Fluffy and perfectly spicy healthy gingerbread muffins! The perfect festive snack, that comes together in the blender. Oats, molasses, and ground ginger make these gingerbread muffins healthy AND delicious!

glunte-free gingerbread muffins piled on top of a marble board.

What You’ll Need to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Muffins

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats – It’s super important you use old fashioned/rolled oats in this recipe. Avoid instant, steel-cut, or Irish oats. The first step involves grinding these oats into a flour in your blender. When doing this, try to grind them as fine as possible. Finely ground oats will result in fluffier muffins!

Apple Sauce – I used apple sauce in these gingerbread muffins, because it yields little to no flavor. However, if you don’t have apple sauce, feel free to substitute it with 1/2 cup mashed banana. Mashed banana will give these muffins a slight banana flavor, which if you like banana, I’m sure you won’t mind.

Molasses – Any and all gingerbread recipes contain molasses, which is how they get their signature dark-brown color. Don’t skip the molasses, it’s super important for both the flavor and structure of these muffins.

Ground Ginger – Wouldn’t be gingerbread muffins without some ginger! This recipe packs in tons of that spicy ginger flavor, which I personally LOVE. However, if you want a more subtle ginger flavor, go ahead and use just 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger instead.

three gluten-free gingerbread muffins stacked on top of each other.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use a large cookie scoop or 1/4-cup measuring cup to fill your muffin tin. This’ll ensure even-sized muffins, with that beautiful dome on top!
  • For extra sweetness, top your muffins with a simple 2-ingredient powdered sugar glaze. To make it, whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons milk. Once smooth, use a spoon to drizzle glaze over cooled gluten-free gingerbread muffins.
  • Store these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, to make them last longer, pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months!

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: While I haven’t tested it myself, you can try replacing the eggs with either two flax eggs or by using your favorite vegan egg replacer. I’ve used this Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer in a number of other recipes and have always loved it!

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Muffins
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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Muffins

4 from 30 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: Snacks, DessertDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

muffins
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

Fluffy and perfectly spicy gluten-free gingerbread muffins! The perfect festive snack, that comes together in the blender. Oats, molasses, and ground ginger make these gluten-free gingerbread muffins healthy AND delicious!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

  • 1/2 cup apple sauce, unsweetened

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup molasses

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
  • Add oats to a blender and blend until it’s ground into a flour.
  • Add in remaining ingredients, then blend until a smooth batter forms.
  • Transfer ½ cup batter into each muffin mold, then bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted down the center of one muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer muffins to a wire cooling rack, let cool before eating.

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30 Minutes or Less

Brussels Sprout Salad

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overhead image of brussels sprout salad with walnuts and pomegranate seeds on the side.

Fresh and crunchy shaved Brussels sprout salad, finished off with an out-of-this-world maple dijon dressing! A quick and easy side dish, comes together in just 10 minutes. A gluten-free salad, with nut-free and vegan options!

brussels sprout salad in a a bowl with serving utensils.

What You’ll Need to Make Brussels Sprout Salad

Brussels Sprouts – You can either buy shaved Brussels sprouts, or shave them yourself with a mandoline or sharp knife. If using a mandoline, cut off the the stem end of each sprout, then run the sprout down the mandoline to thinly slice. Or, if using a knife, remove the stem end then place the sprout on its side on a cutting board, then make thin slices through the sprout. Once shaved, your sprouts are ready to add to this delicious salad!

Pomegranate Arils/Seeds – First thing I want to note is that pomegranate arils are the exact same thing as pomegranate seeds. When buying your pomegranate for this salad, you have two options, you can either purchase the seeds out of the pomegranate, or you can purchase a whole pomegranate and remove the seeds yourself. I always opt for the latter option because it’s so much cheaper, and super easy to do! For help on how to cut a pomegranate, check out my step-by-step tutorial HERE.

Walnuts – Chopped walnuts add the perfect crunch to this recipe! Walnuts are creamy and buttery, and simply so good in this salad. However, if you don’t have walnuts, feel free to use any nut you have on-hand! Others I recommend are pine nuts, chopped pecans, or even unsalted pumpkin seeds.

Soft Cheese – Any soft cheese will taste great in this Brussels sprout salad! I used a soft chèvre goat cheese, and it was perfectly tangy and delicious. Though crumbled feta, blue cheese, or even freshly grated parmesan cheese work perfectly too.

dressing being poured over brussels sprout salad.

Tips and Tricks

  • This is the perfect make-ahead side dish for holiday parties or potlucks! The flavors get better with time, so go ahead and dress the salad then let it sit in the fridge until ready to serve. I just wouldn’t recommend letting it sit for more than 4 hours before eating, at that point, it’ll begin to lose its crunch.
  • Have fun with this recipe! Don’t be shy, switch up ingredients based on your preferences. Sub pears for the apples, blueberries for the pomegranate, and use any kind of cheese you’d like!
close-up image of brussels sprout salad in a bowl.

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a vegan Brussels sprout salad, either replace the cheese with your favorite vegan soft “cheese,” or leave the cheese out altogether, it’ll still be delicious and full of flavor!

Make it Nut-Free: Simply leave out the walnuts, or replace them with unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Add Protein: Take this from a side dish to the main course by adding some lightly seasoned chicken (grilled or oven-roasted is best), or bulk it up with a can of your favorite white beans!

Brussels Sprout Salad
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Brussels Sprout Salad

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

10

minutes

Fresh and crunchy shaved Brussels sprout salad, finished off with an out-of-this-world maple dijon dressing! A quick and easy side dish, comes together in just 10 minutes. A gluten-free salad, with nut-free and vegan options!

Ingredients

  • For the salad:

  • 4 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts

  • 1 apple, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)

  • 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (pecans or pine nuts work too!)

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  • 1/4 cup soft cheese, crumbled (goat cheese, feta, gorgonzola, etc)

  • For the dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl and toss.
  • Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Pour dressing over salad, then either let sit in fridge for up to 3 hours, or serve immediately.

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30 Minutes or Less

Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)

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overhead image of a meal prep harvest bowl with sliced almonds on the side.

This fully loaded harvest bowl is packed with seasonal ingredients, fresh flavor, and finished off with a dreamy maple dijon vinaigrette! Perfect to meal prep ahead of a busy week, or quickly throw together as an easy meal in under 30 minutes.

maple dijon dressing being poured over a harvest bowl

What You’ll Need to Make a Harvest Bowl

Sweet Potato – Peel and cube two sweet potatoes before roasting. Or, if you’d like, replace the sweet potato with your favorite squash. Peeled and cubed butternut squash, sliced acorn squash, or even sliced delicata squash would all taste great in this harvest bowl!

Chicken – Two boneless and skinless chicken breasts are lightly seasoned, then roasted to perfection! For a vegan option, see the “make it vegan” section below.

Quinoa – Any variety of quinoa is jam-packed with health benefits! It’s full of nutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, fiber, and is a complete protein. Talk about a superfood, eh? Feel free to use whatever kind of quinoa you have handy – white, red, black, or rainbow – they all taste great. Or, if you don’t have quinoa, you can replace it with cooked brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, farro, or barley.

Kale – Similar to the quinoa, any variety of kale will taste delicious in your harvest bowl. So, use whatever you can get your hands on – curly kale, dino (lacinato) kale, red kale, or even baby kale. Though if using baby kale, no need to massage it, just add straight to your bowl, then toss in dressing.

close-up image of sliced chicken over a meal prep harvest bowl.

Tips and Tricks

  • Don’t skip massaging the kale! This step is super important to achieve nice, and tender kale. Skipping this step will result in tough, and hard-to-chew kale, just all around unappetizing!
  • I highly, HIGHLY, recommend doubling up on the maple dijon salad dressing. It’s seriously the star of this harvest bowl, and you’ll regret not making more. Also, leftovers stay fresh in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three weeks!

Adjust This Recipe to Your Dietary Needs

Make it Vegan: For a healthy, high protein vegan meal, leave out the chicken. Then, either double up on the sweet potatoes, or replace the chicken with a can of drained then rinsed chickpeas!

Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: Simply leave off the quinoa and you’ve got yourself a totally paleo and grain-free harvest bowl.

two meal prep containers showcasing this harvest bowl recipe.

How to Meal Prep This Harvest Bowl

  1. Roast the sweet potatoes and chicken.
  2. Cook the quinoa.
  3. Make the maple dijon dressing.
  4. Massage the kale.
  5. Divide the massaged kale, cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes and chicken, sliced apples, fried cranberries, and sliced almonds between four meal prep containers.
  6. Store remaining dressing separately.
  7. When ready to eat, remove one of your meal prep containers from the fridge and drizzle with some extra maple dijon dressing – enjoy!
Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)
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Harvest Bowl (easy to meal prep!)

5 from 2 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: Main, Lunch, DinnerDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

These fully loaded harvest bowls are packed with seasonal ingredients, fresh flavor, and finished off with a dreamy maple dijon vinaigrette! Perfect to meal prep ahead of a busy week, or quickly throw together as an easy meal in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 1-2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breast

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil

  • salt and black pepper, to taste

  • 2 cups kale, finely chopped

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa

  • 1 apple, sliced

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds or pumpkin seeds

  • For the maple dijon dressing:

  • 1/2 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Place sweet potatoes and chicken breast on a baking sheet, then drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Toss potatoes to coat, then roast for 20 minutes, tossing potatoes halfway through.
  • While chicken and potatoes roast, make the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisking to combine.
  • Place kale in a bowl with half of the dressing, then toss and massage dressing into the kale with your hands.
  • Once potatoes are tender, remove from the oven and assemble bowls with all ingredients – roasted sweet potatoes, massaged kale, chicken, quinoa, apples, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds. Store with remaining dressing on the side, then top with dressing right before eating.

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