Dozen Organic Carrot Cupcakes:
Yields 12 gluten-free vegan carrot cake cupcakes
or
2 thick gluten-free vegan 6" carrot cake layers
(creams, fillings not included)
 
What you need – we recommend organic ingredients. Use what you have available. 
 
5 Tbsp + 1 tsp (37.5g) Spring/Filtered water (for flax egg)
1 cup (112 g) organic carrots, shredded
3/4 cup (167 g) organic coconut milk (do not substitute with another plant milk)
3/4 cup (184 g) organic apple sauce
1/3 cup (65 g) organic extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (6 g) organic apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon (6 g) organic Vanilla extract
12 cupcake liners
 
Procedure –
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
In a small bowl, make flax "egg" by mixing water with ground flax (included in a small container within the mix).  Allow sitting for a few minutes until thickened.
Mix shredded carrots, coconut milk, apple sauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract together.
Add in flax egg and mix thoroughly.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Bake in a cupcake pan with cupcake liners for 18 minutes or until the cupcake rises and the tops bounce back to touch. (If it doesn't bounce back, it's not fully baked in the center. If it's firm to the touch, it's over-baked and drying out.  
Allow cooling before removing it from the pan.
Layer with your favorite frosting. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freezer for to 2 weeks for shelf life.
 
*Warning: every oven is different.  Please keep an eye on your baking time.  Yours may require less or more time.  When you notice that amazing smell of fresh cake, and the batter has risen, it is most likely done baking!
 
Health Benefits of Oat Flour:
Fiber - The dietary fiber within oats, especially the soluble beta-glucans are one of the grain’s best features. Fiber is lacking in most Americans’ diets (approximately 95% of us) so oats are a great way to add this form of fiber into the rotation via flour.
Heart Health - Oats have been known to reduce blood cholesterol levels, regulate blood pressure, and balance the gut microbiota through the essential mineral, potassium. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved a health claim in 1997 that the soluble fiber from oat products can help to reduce heart disease. Attention was also given to the benefits of oat intake on blood glucose levels.
Type 2 Diabetes prevention - Type 2 diabetes, a chronic metabolic disease, results from resistance to insulin and is the most common form we see among the population. Oats have also shown promising effects on diabetes. Diabetes affects a reported 422 million people worldwide while 1.6 million deaths are associated with this disease each year. Type 2 diabetes is not only preventable but reversible. Diabetes can be prevented and reversed with the proper steps of a healthy, plant-based, nutrient-rich diet. As stated earlier, foods like oats can help manage blood glucose levels which can be a crucial part of the prevention and treatment of Type 2 diabetes.
**Find more nutritional facts about the ingredients in our Organic Carrot Cupcakes on our bake-at-home blog.