I’ve been searching for a good health-ier carrot cake recipe that I could turn into cupcakes. Most of the carrot cake recipes has too much oil and sugar which is fine for layer cakes or loaves as I have tried them; but to turn them into cupcakes.. not a good idea, at least in my experience.
So I searched for carrot cupcake recipes that doesn’t have too much oil or butter; most of the recipes are quite the same, I was getting frustrated. I thought maybe carrot cakes/cupcakes really has to have a good amount of fats/oil to make it moist.
Some people (like my husband) think that I shouldn’t be baking if I’m too concerned about calories and my health/weight. I’ve thought of that, but then again I’m more concerned about my happiness; cause you see, baking sweets makes me happy; a happy me=healthy me=productive me=happy me=happy family. Confused? Me too 🙂
Sweets/desserts make me happy, that and watching Bill and Sookie (Tru Blood) or The Tudors are great de-stressers for me.
I know, someone for sure has a healthier version of this, and I was right, in fact I found 2, completely different but both are healthier than my old recipe. Baked goods are quite hard to tweak, you cannot just decrease the amount of sugar or replace an ingredient or two and expect the same quality and taste, that’s why I was happy to find this recipe. It has about 1/2 cup of butter in it too but considering the other ingredients, and the absence of sugar in it, evens it out.
The cake itself isn’t as sweet, it’s more like a carrot bread than cake in taste, but the texture is definitely cake-like. The simple cream cheese frosting complements it. I’ll post the other recipe too, as soon as I’ve tried them, promise.
so, here goes…
sift dry ingredients in a bowl and stir in walnut pieces
add grated carrots, mashed bananas to dry ingredients
mix in eggs and yogurt
stir ..
…and pour into lined muffin pans and bake for 20-25 minutes
RECIPE FOR SUGAR FREE CARROT CUPCAKES
adapted from 101 Cookbooks/Heidi Swanson
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used half pastry flour and oatmel)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces unsalted butter, heated until just melted ( I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup dried dates, seeded and finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (2% or lowfat is ok)
2 eggs, lightly whisked
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup (or to taste) ( I used honey)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Put cupcake liners on muffin pans OR
Butter a 9x5x3 / 8-cup loaf pan (or 8×8 cake pan) and line it with parchment paper
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the walnuts and set aside.
Stir the dates into the melted butter, breaking up the dates a bit.
In a separate bowl combine the bananas and carrots. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps as you go. Whisk in the yogurt and the eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir until everything just comes together. Spoon into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 50 – 60 minutes for loaf pans and 20-25 minutes for cupcakes or until a toothpick tests clean in the center of the cake – it’ll be less if you are using a standard cake pan. Remove from oven and let cool.
While the cake is baking whip together the cream cheese and agave nectar. Taste. If you like your frosting sweeter adjust to your liking. When the cake has completely cooled frost the top of the cake with an offset spatula.
Makes one carrot cake or 16-18 cupcakes
Happy Baking!
Olive
Sugar-Free Carrot Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 CUPS WHOLE WHEAT PASTRY FLOUR I USED HALF PASTRY FLOUR AND OATMEL
- 2 1/2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
- 1 1/2 TEASPOONS CINNAMON
- 3/4 TEASPOON FINE GRAIN SEA SALT
- 3/4 CUP FINELY CHOPPED WALNUTS
- 4 OUNCES UNSALTED BUTTER HEATED UNTIL JUST MELTED ( I USED COCONUT OIL)
- 1/2 CUP DRIED DATES SEEDED AND FINELY CHOPPED INTO A PASTE
- 3 RIPE BANANAS 1 1/4 CUPS, MASHED WELL
- 1 1/2 CUPS GRATED CARROTS ABOUT 3 MEDIUM
- 1/2 CUP PLAIN YOGURT 2% OR LOWFAT IS OK
- 2 EGGS LIGHTLY WHISKED
- 6 OUNCES CREAM CHEESE ROOM TEMPERATURE
- 3 TABLESPOONS AGAVE NECTAR OR MAPLE SYRUP OR TO TASTE ( I USED HONEY)
Instructions
- PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F. PUT CUPCAKE LINERS ON MUFFIN PANS OR
- BUTTER A 9X5X3 / 8-CUP LOAF PAN (OR 8×8 CAKE PAN) AND LINE IT WITH PARCHMENT PAPER
- SIFT TOGETHER THE FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, CINNAMON, AND SALT. STIR IN THE WALNUTS AND SET ASIDE.
- STIR THE DATES INTO THE MELTED BUTTER, BREAKING UP THE DATES A BIT.
- IN A SEPARATE BOWL COMBINE THE BANANAS AND CARROTS. STIR IN THE DATE-BUTTER MIXTURE, BREAKING UP ANY DATE CLUMPS AS YOU GO. WHISK IN THE YOGURT AND THE EGGS. ADD THE FLOUR MIXTURE AND STIR UNTIL EVERYTHING JUST COMES TOGETHER. SPOON INTO THE PREPARED PAN.
- BAKE FOR ABOUT 50 – 60 MINUTES FOR LOAF PANS AND 20-25 MINUTES FOR CUPCAKES OR UNTIL A TOOTHPICK TESTS CLEAN IN THE CENTER OF THE CAKE – IT’LL BE LESS IF YOU ARE USING A STANDARD CAKE PAN. REMOVE FROM OVEN AND LET COOL.
- WHILE THE CAKE IS BAKING WHIP TOGETHER THE CREAM CHEESE AND AGAVE NECTAR. TASTE. IF YOU LIKE YOUR FROSTING SWEETER ADJUST TO YOUR LIKING. WHEN THE CAKE HAS COMPLETELY COOLED FROST THE TOP OF THE CAKE WITH AN OFFSET SPATULA.
- MAKES ONE CARROT CAKE OR 16-18 CUPCAKES