Another Great Recipe - Healthy Mini Cupcakes

Healthy mini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Here is a recipe I found for mini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. If your kids know what cupcakes are, then I would call these muffins with frosting because they are definitely not cupcakes like most kids (or adults) would think of them.

I tried these twice, once in big muffin pans (because I didn’t have a mini pan) and once in (new) mini muffin pans. I would recommend the mini pans over the large pans (which is what the recipe calls for anyhow). The cupcakes are very dense and full of fiber. They are good, but not very sweet. I think the ratio of cream cheese frosting to hearty healthy cupcake is more balanced in the mini size. The frosting, by the way, is the BEST part (it is soooo good). The cupcakes also freeze well if you want to freeze some for later.

Mini cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups shredded/grated carrots
1/2 cup ground nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cup dried cranberries (or whatever dried fruit you want – I’ve even used two kinds at once)
1 1/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder

Mix all the ingredients together. Full each mini cupcake in the tin to the fullest it can go. Cook at 350 for 15 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and top with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Combine all ingredients and mix well with an electric mixer:

1 1/2 cups organic softened cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 Tablespoons maple syrup

Enjoy!