Paleo Carrot Cake (Or Carrot Muffins)

We love carrot cake and carrot muffins in our house.  All three of us.  Perhaps when the baby is old enough, she'll love them too.  She'd be crazy not to!? 

After going Primal/Paleo in May, I wasn't sure we could enjoy special treats like carrot cake.  But I searched through several recipes out there, tested out a few, tweaked them to finally created my own that is perfect for our family.  I don't even think this needs any cream cheese frosting.  It's perfect as is. 

Paleo Carrot Cake (makes one 9 x 13 size)



OR
Paleo Carrot Muffins (makes 10 muffins)

Ingredients:olive oil for greasing the baking pan
2 cups of almond flour, blanched
1 cup of pecans, finely chopped
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
3 eggs
1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
4 Tbsp applesauce, all natural and no sugar added
1 and 1/2 cups of finely shredded carrots (1 to 2 large carrots, steamed and shredded)
1/3 cup of pureed dates
1/3 cup of raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan OR a muffin tin with olive oil.  I don't measure it, just eyeball it. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine your almond flour, finely chopped pecans, baking soda, sea salt, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and almond extract. 

In a separate mixing bowl, beat your eggs.  Add in the maple syrup and applesauce.  Mix well.  Pour the shredded carrots, pureed dates and raisins to the wet mixture.  Make sure it's all blended well. 



Pour the wet carrot mixture into the dry flour ingredients.  Use a soft spatula to mix well.  Scoop out into the cake pan or the muffin tin, depending on what you want to make. 



Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly brown on top and mixture begins to pull away from edges. 

Such good, good eating!  Parent and kid tested and approved.  If a rabbit would try it, he would approve it too.  Enjoy!

Giant Pumpkin-Custard Pancake

I love one-dish things.  Sometimes my mornings are a rush.  My daughter loves pancakes but we don't always have the time to make the individual little cakes.  So one day I was looking at pumpkin flavored pancake recipes and turned an ordinary idea into one giant winning dish.  Everyone loved it!   We will eat this year round, not just during October and November when the peeps are pumpkin-crazy. 



Giant Pumpkin Custard Pancake
(Serves 4 to 5)

olive oil for greasing skillet
1 can of puree pumpkin, all natural (or 15 oz of puree from your own pumpkin)
4 eggs
1/4 cup of coconut flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp of Enjoy life chocolate chips - optional



Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a large skillet with olive oil.  Set to medium heat. 

In a large bowl, mix your canned pumpkin with the eggs.  Blend well.  Then add in your remaining ingredients - coconut, cinnamon, pie spice, baking soda and sea salt.  Stir until all is combined.  If ou want to sweeten it up or have kids who love chocolate, then add in about 2 Tbsp of Enjoy Life chocolate chips to the mixture.  Stir until combined. Pour into warmed, greased skillet on the stove.  Let it cook for about five to seven minutes on the stove.  Then remove from stove top and place in your oven.  No flipping required! 

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Or until the edges of the pumpkin custard pancake turn slightly brown and pull away from sides of skillet. 

Remove carefully from the oven.  Let it cool for about five minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve with pure maple syrup.  Or skip the syrup since it tastes great just as it is. 



You'll thank for me for this one!  It tastes like a cross between a pancake and custard.  In fact my husband eats any leftovers straight from the fridge like it's dessert.  I've made this every week for a month now!  :-) 

Kids love to help with this one too.  My sweet Vivian sure does!