Carrot Pineapple Coconut Muffins

This recipe was inspired by my love for carrot cake! I wanted to make this treat healthy and satisfying enough that it could be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert. For a fun seasonal twist,  I added pineapple and coconut to the muffin mix . To cut down on the calories, I used applesauce in place of some of the fat and cut back on the added sugar.

Baking this weekend also gave me the chance to play around with the new fancy camera I got for my birthday!  I think the pictures came out pretty well for my first try :)


Carrot Pineapple Coconut Muffins

Ingredients

•    1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
•  1 teaspoons baking powder
•  ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• ¼ cup milk, fat-free (can substitute with coconut or almond milk)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups carrot, grated (about 4 medium carrots)
•  ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
•  1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into ¼-inch dice or “tidbit” size -or- use canned pineapple tidbits, drained -or- 1 cup frozen pineapple tidbits

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or place cupcake wrappers in a standard-size, 12-cup muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together applesauce, milk, brown sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk just until all ingredients are incorporated. Gently stir in the carrots, coconut, and pineapple.

5. Divide the mixture between the muffin cups. Cups should be filled to the top.

6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until muffin tops spring back when poked and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7. Allow to cool for 5 – 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tin. Serve plain for breakfast or with pineapple cream cheese glaze for dessert (recipe below).

8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 – 3 days, or freeze.

Nutrition Information (per muffin): 192 calories, 30 grams carb, 6 grams fat, 3 grams protein


To make these muffins into a sweet treat, top with my pineapple cream cheese glaze!

Pineapple Cream Cheese Glaze
(makes enough to frost 12 muffins)

Ingredients
-1/2 cup,1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)
-1/2 cup powdered sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-3 tablespoons pineapple juice

Instructions: Whisk together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Then whisk in vanilla and pineapple juice.

 Nutrition Information (per frosted muffin): 229 calories, 35 grams carb, 7 grams fat, 4 grams protein