6 Healthy Ways to Up Your Carrot Cake Game — Fall Fest

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means our opportunities for sampling fresh baked goods are about to quadruple. If you’re choosing between a mammoth slice of cake festooned with buttery frosting and a modest piece of carrot cake, the carrot cake is clearly the better choice. Carrots are in peak season right now, and when used in baking, this vivid orange vegetable offers wonderful texture and natural sweetness. Still, the usual embellishments — chopped nuts, dried fruit, cream cheese frosting — all present opportunities for refined sugar and added fat to sneak in. So whether you prefer your carrots in cake, cupcake or muffin form, follow these six tips for turning your favorite carrot desserts into health-minded fall treats.

Miniaturize Your Cupcakes
Giada De Laurentiis’ Mini Carrot-Apple Cupcakes (pictured at top) are scaled down in size for portion control — but in every other way, they’re classic carrot cupcakes topped with just a touch of cream cheese frosting. Giada uses dark brown sugar, which has a lot of molasses flavor and adds depth to the sweet apples and carrots.

Refined Sugar? Hard Pass
Refined white sugar’s heyday is over. Besides, coconut sugar makes for the most-glorious, creamy meringue frosting. You’ll see for yourself when you try these Coconut Sugar Carrot-Banana Cupcakes with Coconut Sugar Meringue. It gives the topping a hint of salted caramel flavor, without requiring you to actually make any caramel.

Go Bare
Eliminate the frosting from the top of your carrot cupcake and you’re left with a tasty, fiber-packed muffin that would be perfect for a fall brunch. Food Network Kitchen’s Healthy Carrot Muffins are made with a mix of whole-wheat and all-purpose flours. You won’t need much added sugar; the grated carrots and crushed pineapple add naturally sweet flavor.

Go Gluten-Free
Nut meals, like the almond and ground coconut in these Gluten-Free Carrot Coconut Muffins, are always a safe bet for getting a moist texture and plenty of body without the batter becoming heavy. Here, soaked chia seeds and bananas also help produce a moist, cakelike muffin with a lovely, nutty flavor that’s perfect for breakfast.

Use Greek Yogurt for Texture & Tang
Whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt keep these Mini Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Glaze flavorful and moist while adding fiber and protein. Each cake gets one teaspoon of sweet cream cheese glaze — with far fewer calories than the multiple tablespoons of frosting piled onto your typical cupcake.

Swap Butter for Applesauce
Ellie Krieger’s Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are incredibly moist, thanks to the applesauce hidden in the batter. The applesauce also eliminates the need for a lot of oil. Here, there’s only a quarter-cup.

For more ways to enjoy carrots this season, check out these recipes from our friends:

Feed Me Phoebe: Baked Moroccan Chicken with Carrots and Turmeric
Homemade Delish: Thai Carrot Noodles
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Dairy-Free Carrot Cupcakes
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Light Carrot Flans
Weelicious: Carrot Parsnip Latkes
The Mom 100: Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots with Olive Drizzle
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Chicken & Carrot Saute With Coconut-Basil Sauce
Red or Green: Roasted Carrot, Shallot & Coconut Soup
Taste with the Eyes: A Twist on Carrots and Quinoa
Creative Culinary: Roasted Carrots with Honey, Rosemary and Thyme
FN Dish: 5 Showstopping Carrot Cakes to Bake for Thanksgiving Dessert

from Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog http://ift.tt/1HDrWT6