Recipes

One of my favorite desserts of all time is carrot cake, but for some reason it had never occurred to me to try to make a healthy carrot cake until a reader, Amanda, emailed me with the idea. After trying a few different recipe ideas, I finally found one I liked that is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe without all the fat and calories. Instead of doing a traditional frosting, I decided to create a cream cheese whipped cream with reduced fat cream cheese and cool whip. At 1 point per serving, I can definitely see myself using it again. Also, the cupcakes are pretty healthy and could definitely sub in for breakfast as a carrot cake muffin.

Weight Watcher Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
Points: 6 weight watchers pointsplus for cupcake with frosting (5 without frosting)
Servings: 14
Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Nutritional Info: With frosting: 206.3 calories, 8.6 g of fat, 30.3 g carbohydrates, 1.6 g fiber, 5.3 g protein; Without frosting: 163.7 calories, 6.5 g of fat, 25 g carbohydrates, 1.6 g dietary fiber, 4.5 g of protein

Ingredients
2 cups peeled and finely grated carrots
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup non fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spices(or a combination of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg)

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
4 oz light Cool Whip
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together carrots, egg, brown sugar, oil, applesauce, Greek yogurt, vanilla, raisins, pineapple, and coconut.

3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spices.

4. Stir flour mixture into carrot mixture until well combined.

5. Fill each cupcake tin about 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, for 25-28 minutes until cooked through.

6. For creamed cheese whipped cream, beat cream cheese until smooth and at room temperature. Whip in cool whip and powdered sugar.

7. Frost the cupcakes right before serving, Enjoy!