Baked Sweets and Treats

Chai Carrot Pear Muffins – Vegan & Gluten Free

Gluten Free Carrot Pear Muffin Recipe on MarlaMeridith.comDo you remember that Chai Carrot Pear Sauce recipe I posted a few months ago? There was such a great response to it which made me really happy because it was soooooo tasty! You know what is even better….enjoying that sauce as is and then using it in these muffins!

With 2012 around the bend you know I will be sharing a slew of healthy recipes to keep your taste buds happy and your waistline slim. Let’s go make some muffins!

Breast Cancer Awareness healthy muffin recipe with orange carrot ribbon.

Originally (back in October) I styled these with that little ribbon because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This awareness month was originally created to promote mammography as a tool for early cancer detection. Later on the  Susan B. Komen foundation further branded the issue with the pink ribbon and all kinds of charity events.

Gluten Free Carrot Pear Muffin Recipe on MarlaMeridith.com

According to me, each and every month we should be aware of finding a cure. I bet that you would agree with that too.

So these muffins were made with BIG flavor and styled with awareness in mind. Together we can take action no matter what month it is, yes?

Fresh pears, healthy muffins topped with pistachios on pink background.

Let’s take a look at the stunning color and glow of that pear carrot sauce…

It is oh so healthy too! Nothing but sweet fruit, carrots and some spices. That’s all it takes for a healthy snack.

Homemade Apple, Carrot, Pear Sauce | MarlaMeridith.com © MarlaMeridith.com

The cupcake liners are something kinda special too!

Pretty Cupcake Liners | MarlaMeridith.com

I love making muffins. They are perfect for Project Lunch Box. Speaking of which I have lots of new recipes coming up that you can pack to-go for work or school. Stay tuned for those.

Did I mention these muffins are gluten free, refined sugar-free and vegan? That’s a lot of bang for the buck!

Gluten Free Carrot Pear Muffin Recipe on MarlaMeridith.com

What is your favorite muffin recipe? Do you like to have them for breakfast, brunch, snacks or all the time?

Do you pack them in your lunch box?

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Healthy Muffin Recipe Links

~ Marla Meridith

Join the Conversation

60 thoughts on “Chai Carrot Pear Muffins – Vegan & Gluten Free

  1. I keep meaning to find chai seeds, but they aren’t readily available where I shop. Time to google them and see if I can find them online. I’d love to make these muffins, they sounds fantastic. Have a good new year!

    1. Hi Kristi! There are two different things “Chia” is a seed and “Chai” is a blend of spices & seasonings. Here is a bit more info on chai. It is traditionally an Indian tea most commonly flavored with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper. These days people use the seasonings in all different combinations to flavor lots more than tea. I hope you can give it a whirl sometime. It is a fragrant, tasty and relaxing mix of ingredients.

  2. I couldn’t eat it because I don’t eat pear. But I could replace it with apple!!! i’ll try this way and i’ll come back to tell you 😉 Thanks for the recipe and Merry (belated christmas!!!)

  3. second picture, with the orange curly thingey on top of the muffin = stunning image.

    The color, the light, the reflective and flat surfaces, the tones, just everything…stunning.

    Hope you’re having a blast…just got home after a 24 hour travel day. Oh, the joy. It’s cold here, too. Lol Havent felt anything this cold in a month!

    1. Thanks Averie! It is always difficult to figure out which photo to put first in the post. I suppose you would have put #2? I was a bit conflicted on this one, but something about the mood in picture #1 grabbed and tugged at me. Edits & choices….a daily battle of love 🙂
      24 hours is a crazy long travel day. Especially with a little kid in tow. Glad to hear you made it home safe and sound. Now back to the So Cal lifestyle (even though a tad chilly right now) Can’t wait to see you in 2012! xo

  4. Great recipe! However, the Breast Cancer Awareness Month wasn’t created by Komen, but by the American Cancer Society in partnership with AstraZeneca in 1985 to promote mammography as a tool for early cancer detection. The Susan G. Komen came up with the pink ribbon motif, which is a great branding/awareness idea.

  5. I just have to tell you … this post makes me so happy! The healthy food and the bright, cheery pictures… its all just a big dose of all natural JOY!

    Thanks for all you do~
    Amanda

  6. While not typically being a nut and fruit/baked goods kind of girl- these look so amazing. I love the flavor combo!

    And wow with the photography Marla. I mean- you really have a gift.

  7. Marla, these look wonderful! I love a healthy muffin! My favorite muffin has always been your basic blueberry muffin! They can be healthy, not healthy it doesn’t matter I just love them! But with the new year upon us, I am definitely sticking with healthy! I can’t wait to see what healthy recipes you have in store for us!

    Now I need to check out your carrot and pear sauce, it sounds yummy!

    1. Jennifer, it is awesome that “Healthy” can also mean decadent & filled with flavor. Certainly not bland and boring. Oh happy days! I hope you get to try these muffins. I love blueberry ones too!

  8. Oh, these look outstanding, Marla…so moist and flavorful. And your carrot pear sauce is amazing, too! Hope your Christmas was wonderful…and sending you wishes for a joyful new year!!!

  9. These sound awesome Marla! I would love to start experimenting with different types of flours this year. I need to bookmark this recipe to try. My kids would love these in their lunchbox.

    1. Aggie, I have so much fun experimenting with different flours. Especially the lower carb ones like almond flour. My kids can’t even tell the difference. These still have the cake crumb that we all know and love!

  10. Hi Marla,
    Just saw the photo of these muffins at Rosas’s blog and couldn’t resist to have a peak at the recipe. Delicious!!
    Cheers,
    Lia.

    1. Hi Melissa, I used 1/2 oat flour in this recipe. Using only almond flour would certainly change the behavior of how these muffins would bake. I did not test them like this. If you are looking for a muffin recipe that only uses almond flour you can try my Mango Muffins.

    1. I am not sure Dennis, the coconut milk I use is generally a bit thicker and I think more fat than the almond or soy milk. I say give it a try and see what happens ~ be sure to report back. OK 🙂

  11. Hi!! I love your recipes but I have made these muffins twice now and both times they did not cook even tho I had them in the oven for double the amount of time. Any suggestions?

  12. I just made these as well, using flour exactly as the recipe calls for and I had the same problem, the middle is still raw? Wondering what I did wrong? 🙁
    I made the pear/carrot sauce right before I made the muffins so it was still hot….should it be cold?