Carrot Cake Muffins

These carrot cake muffins are light and moist and unlike other muffin recipes, don't contain lots of oil.

You could easily add some fruit such as dried raisins, fresh blueberries or blackberries to the completed mixture. A handful of chopped nuts would also work, but make sure to count the extra calories if you are watching your weight. 

The recipe will make 12 muffins.

Ingredients for the muffins

• 150ml low fat milk

• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

• 1 medium banana. Peeled

• 1 egg. Lightly beaten

• 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence 

• 4 sweeteners. Crushed with a spoon

• 2 teaspoons of honey

• sprays of Fry Light One Cal spray

• 200g self-raising flour

• 1 level teaspoon / 5g baking soda

• 2 level teaspoons / 10g baking powder

• 1½ teaspoons of cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon of nutmeg 

• ½ teaspoon of ginger

• 225g carrots. Topped, tailed, grated and excess moisture

removed

• 1 medium orange. Zest only

Ingredients for the frosting

• 25g low fat butter butter spread

• 100g low fat (or extra low fat) cream cheese

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

• 2-3 sweeteners. Crushed with the back of a spoon

• 1 medium lemon. Zest only

• crushed walnuts for decoration 

Method

1. Blitz the the milk, olive oil, banana, egg, vanilla essence, sweeteners and honey together in a food processor or with a hand blender and leave to one side.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a muffin tin with paper cases and lightly spray with the spray oil. 
3. Next sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg into the bowl and stir to combine. 
4. Make a well in the centre and add about half the liquid and stir to combine. Add the rest of the liquid and stir again to ensure there are no lumps.
5. Add the grated carrots (The easiest way to remove the excess moisture if to squeeze a ball of grated carrots between both hands over the sink) and orange zest to the bowl and stir again to combine.
6. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the mixture into each cases until all the cases are approximately half filled. 
7. Bake on the middle shelf for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
8. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. 
9. To make the frosting. Mix the butter and cheese in a small bowl until combined. Add 2 of the sweeteners, vanilla essence and lemon zest and stir to combine. Taste to ensure it's sweet enough and the third sweetener if it needs it. Top each muffin with approximately half a teaspoon of the mixture and add the chopped walnuts. Store in an airtight container or biscuit tin and refrigerate.