Healthy Carrot Cupcakes

These moist and fluffy cupcakes are full of vitamins, fibre, and omega 3s, so there is no need to feel guilty as you enjoy one with your coffee.

Preparation Time: Approx. 1 – 2 hours (depending on if you are serving with icing)

Ingredients

(makes 9 cupcakes / an 8 x 8 cake)

CUPCAKE / CAKE

  • 3 tablespoons flax seed
  • 118ml water
  • 180g flour
  • 113g sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 125g applesauce
  • 52g coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 165g grated carrot
  • 125g chopped walnuts
  • 150g raisins

TOFU CREAM CHEESE ICING

  • 225g firm silken tofu
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • Splash of soya milk as needed

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F/ UK 180 degrees.

Make the flax ‘eggs’. Did you know you can create an egg substitute by using 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with about 3 tablespoons warm water? This acts as an effective binding agent in baked goods. So, for this recipe, just use a fork to whip the 3 tablespoons of flax with the warm water, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until thick.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, unprocessed sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Gently mix the ingredients until well combined.

In another bowl, pour in the flax ‘eggs’ and mix with the apple sauce, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, carrots, walnuts, and raisins. Then, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined but do not over mix.

Transfer the batter to cupcake liners or a lightly-greased cake pan. Bake at 350º F for about 35 minutes until the tops turn golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before attempting to remove them.

Right out of the pan, these make great carrot cake muffins. But a healthy tofu-based icing kicks these cupcakes to a whole other level, and it’s so easy to whip up in under 5 minutes. This icing recipe is light and mildly sweet as written, which is perfect for my tastes, but you could easily add more sweetener or oil for a richer taste. Combine all ingredients into a blender with a few teaspoons of soya milk and blend until creamy. Give it a taste and adjust any ingredients to your liking. Allow to chill for at least 30-60 minutes before icing the cupcakes.

This recipes comes from One Ingredient Chef at www.oneingredientchef.com