Carrot-Apple Muffins

In the middle of all of the Christmas decadence (which I am certainly enjoying my fair share), I thought that I would share a healthy sweet treat.

These are carrot-apple muffins made with a combination of all-purpose flour and almond flour, so they have a nuttier taste.  In lieu of butter, these cupcakes use a combination of applesauce and grapeseed oil.  The Greek yogurt keeps these cupcakes very moist.  These cupcakes do not have any additional sweetener added, so they are not overly sweet.  If you wanted to sweeten them up, I would suggest adding a tablespoon of honey, coconut sugar, or a sweetener of your choice.

You could make these into cupcakes by adding a healthy frosting, like a dollop of almond butter or even flavored Greek yogurt.

If you are looking for a healthier treat to bring to a Christmas party, these just may be the ticket.  Or, you can just file this away for a recipe to try in January. :)

Happy Baking!

Carrot-Apple Cupcakes
Yields 12 mini muffins

Ingredients:
60 grams (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. almond flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
2 tbsp. applesauce
2 tbsp. nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup shredded carrot

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a mini cupcake pan with 12 muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk together.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg, applesauce, yogurt, grapeseed oil, and vanilla.  Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Drop 1 tablespoon of the batter into each paper liner.  Bake for about 12 minutes until the muffins are golden.  Cool the muffins for 5 minutes before removing the liners from the pan.

Source: Adapted with modifications from Giada De Laurentiis' Feel Good Food