Easter Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
¼ cup Splenda brown sugar blend
4 Tablespoons Smart Balance buttery spread
1 cup carrot puree
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons crushed pineapple
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup raisins
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
3 Tablespoons ground flax

Frosting:

1 (8 oz) package fat-free cream cheese
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tablespoons crushed pineapple

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 º F.
2. In a bowl, mix brown sugar blend with Smart Balance.
3. Stir in carrot puree, egg, pineapple, vanilla, and raisins. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and ground flax. Stir until combined. Do not over mix; the batter will have lumps.
4. Divide the batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake until the tops of the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the muffin.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
6. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, crushed pineapple in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread the frosting on muffins after they have cooled.

Yield: 18 brownies

Nutrition information per serving: 200 calories, 6 gm protein, 31 gm carbohydrate, 2 gm fiber, 5 gm fat with 1 gm saturated, 291 mg sodium.

Source: Adapted recipe by Julie Pryer, RD/LD