This is a delicious recipe that can be made into muffins, cupcakes (with or without frosting) or a cake! There are multiple possibilities 🙂 Super moist, tons of flavor, and a sneaky way to eat your carrots 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 2 tbsp coconut flour*
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2c cup egg whites
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (could sub greek yogurt?)
• 1/4 cup carrot puree (I used baby food!)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup raisins
• 2-3 tbsp Stevia**
• 1/2 tsp butter extract (optional)
• 1/4 to 1/3 crushed/chopped walnuts (optional)

*You can find coconut flour at most health food stores or online. If you do not have it, you could sub more flaxseed, oat flour, or possibly almond flour. However, you might need to increase the amount by 1-2 tbsp AND/OR decrease the egg whites. Coconut flour bakes differently… it creates very moist/dense recipes 🙂

** Add this last, and taste-test the batter first…It might be sweet enough for you beforehand 🙂

Blend all the dry ingredients together, and then stir in the wet (ingredients) until it is a smooth batter (should not be too runny). Gently stir in the shredded carrots and raisins until it is well blended.

Pour into individual sprayed muffin tins/silicone liners (or sprayed pyrex baking dish). Bake at 350F for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 tbsp whipped cream cheese
• 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Stevia, to taste (I personally used 2 or 3 tbsp…I wanted it sweet!)
• Optional: 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (whey or casein would work; casein would make it nice and thick!)

Mix all the ingredients well and “frost” the mini cakes once they are cooled.

I had these without frosting as muffins, and also with as “dessert”…SO GOOD either way!!!