Gluten Free Carrot Cake Muffins (Sourdough Discard Recipe)

Carrot cake lovers, this one’s for you! These Gluten Free Carrot Cake Muffins are perfectly moist with a tender, fluffy crumb, thanks to the addition of gluten free sourdough discard. Lightly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and loaded with freshly grated carrots, they’re a simple, satisfying treat you’ll want to make on repeat.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten-Free Flour: I have successfully tested these Gluten Free Sourdough Carrot Cake Muffins with my homemade gluten-free flour blend, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Each flour blend produces a beautiful, light crumb. I am not saying other gluten-free flour blends won't work in this application; I just didn't try them to make this recipe.

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard:  Sourdough discard refers to a portion of the gluten free sourdough starter that is removed and discarded during the feeding process. You can use active gluten free sourdough starter or discard; either way works beautifully. The added sourdough starter discard provides moisture and a delicious depth of flavor to the carrot cake muffins. This does not replace baking soda and baking powder, so don't skip those ingredients.

Gluten Free Oats: I add some gluten free oats to the streusel topping. If Oats aren't your thing, you could always make a half-batch of my walnut streusel topping and use that instead.

Carrots: Peel and finely grate your carrots for the best texture. Avoid pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store, as they tend to be dry and less flavorful.

Oil: While I love using butter in my gluten free muffins, carrot cake is best when made with a neutral oil like vegetable oil. Using oil in carrot cake ensures a moist, tender texture and helps the cake stay fresh longer. Unlike butter, which can cause cakes to dry out over time, oil keeps carrot cake soft and delicious for days. This is especially great since these carrot cake muffins taste better the next day.

Spices: To achieve that classic carrot cake flavor, I use a warm spice blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. These spices enhance the cake’s depth and aroma, but feel free to adjust the amounts to match your personal preference

How to make Muffin Liners with Parchment Paper

I have to admit, even though I bake almost daily, I don't always have muffin liners on hand. This is why I love making them with just a sheet of parchment paper at home. You will also need a ruler, a small glass, jar, or measuring cup (with a base that fits into the muffin cups), and a pair of scissors or sharp knife.

I like to keep my liners around 4x4 to 4.5x4.5 inches. I feel like anything bigger than that will result in sloppy-looking liners, which often become very dark in the oven.

1. Cut the parchment paper into 4 x 4 to 4.5 x 4.5 squares. I like doing this by folding the parchment paper so you have a strip of paper that is about 4-4.5" inches wide and 16 inches long. I then fold the parchment strip 3 tips creating the squares. There will be extra parchment paper you can discard. But this is a lot easier than measuring out every piece of paper.
2. Place a parchment square over one muffin cup in the tin. Ensure that it's centered.
3. Take the small glass or object and place it in the middle of the parchment paper square inside the muffin cup. Gently press down to shape the paper around the sides of the cup. I like to wiggle the glass a bit to ensure the muffin liner stays in the muffin tin.
4. Repeat the process for each muffin cup, using a new parchment paper square for each one.
5. After these steps, your homemade muffin liners will be ready to use!

Gluten Free Oat Streusel

1. Start by melting the butter in a small pot on the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl. Allow it to cool for a few minutes. Dairy-Free Butter works great here.
2. While the butter is cooling, combine gluten free flour, light brown sugar, rolled oats, cinnamon, and kosher salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk these ingredients together.
3. Using a fork or a small spatula, gently blend the dry ingredients with the melted butter until crumbles start to form. Be careful not to overmix.
4. Place the oatmeal streusel topping in the refrigerator while you prepare the gluten free muffin batter for the carrot cake muffins. You can also freeze the crumb topping for up to 3 months. It's a versatile addition that works well in muffins, coffee cakes, and even cheesecakes.

How to make Gluten Free Carrot Cake Muffins

This recipe for Gluten Free Sourdough Carrot Cake Muffins comes together in no time. Plus, it's a one-bowl recipe, and the muffin batter can be mixed by hand. No need to bring out the stand mixer or even an electric hand mixer. Make sure to use a fine grater to grate the carrots.

1. For tall, bakery-style muffins, line a 12-count muffin pan with 8 muffin liners, leaving space between them. I prefer making my own muffin liners, which help the muffins rise higher, but if you're using standard liners, divide the batter evenly among all 12. Set the pan aside.
2. Peel and finely grate the carrots using the smallest setting on a box grater, then set them aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk or sift together the gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil (vegetable or canola works well), granulated sugar, brown sugar, room-temperature eggs, gluten free sourdough discard, and a generous teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together. You may need to switch to a flexible spatula if the batter becomes too thick to whisk.
6. With a flexible spatula, fold the shredded carrots into the cake batter. Make sure they are evenly distributed.

1. Retrieve the prepared muffin pan and divide the carrot muffin batter between the papers with the large cookie scoop. I fill mine almost to the rim. This way, they will have a beautiful bakery-style dome.
2. Top the muffins with the gluten-free oat streusel.
3. Place the gluten-free muffins in the fridge while the oven preheats to 425F. Allowing the batter to rest, even if it’s just 15-30 minutes, will help hydrate the flour, which builds a better crumb. Also – cold muffin batter will rise higher!
4. Once the oven is fully preheated, bake the sourdough carrot cake muffins for 7 minutes at 425F. After 7 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350F (without opening the oven door) and continue to bake the muffins for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The muffins are done when the top springs back when lightly touched. Keep in mind that baking times may vary depending on your oven and how big you scoop them. (The recommended baking time is based on muffins made with homemade muffin liners.)
5. Remove the gluten free muffins from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and allowing them to cool completely.

Storage & Freezing

Store the gluten free carrot cake muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 - 4 days. While most muffins are best the day they are baked, these were delicious the day after.

To freeze the gluten-free muffins, place them on a sheet tray and pop them in the freezer for 30-45 minutes or until they are solid. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, allow them to thaw at room temperature or nuke in the microwave for 15-30 seconds.

Variations of Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot cake muffins are super versatile! Here are some delicious variations to switch things up.

• Chopped Nuts: Fold in chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for crunch.
• Dried Fruit: Add raisins or dried cranberries for a touch of natural sweetness. Soak the dried fruit in warm water or orange juice for extra plumpness.
• Cream Cheese Frosting: Skip the Streusel Topping and bake the muffins plain. Once fully cooled, top them with some cream cheese frosting. My small batch cream cheese frosting works great here.

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.