Guiltless Carrot Cupcakes w/ Vanilla Frosting

I had a very busy day today! I woke up around 11am, did some home for an hour and a half, and had some breakfast. Then I headed over to my friend Gen’s apartment to go swimming at their community pool. We were the only ones there for the majority of the time! If my apartment complex had a pool, I’d be there all the time!

After we swam, we decided to drive down the road to Wasabi sushi restaurant in West Warwick, Rhode Island to meet our friend Kaeli for a sushi lunch. We scored an awesome deal… 1/2 price sushi from 3:30pm-5:30pm! If you’re in the RI area, I definitely recommend this place

I even decided to be an awesome girlfriend and order Brent a Spicy Tuna Roll as a special surprise for him to have when he got home from work! He was very happy that I thought of him!

I did a lot of shopping today after I had lunch with my friends! Does anybody else think grocery shopping is exhausting? After four stores and a few hours hanging out with friends, I was beat and ready for a nap!

{Stop & Shop}

• Fresh Spinach – $1.99
• Mann’s Pre-cut Vegetables – 2/$4 (I used one $0.55/2 MC*)
• Red Bell Pepper – $2.00
• Jalapeño – $0.31
• Strawberries (2 lbs) – $3.99
• Russet Potatoes (5 lbs) – $3.49

{Shaw’s}

• Blackberries (2 cartons) – $1.99/each

{Stop & Shop}

• Ground Turkey (1 lb) – $3.99
• Premio Sweet & Hot Italian Sausages – $3.50
• Skim Milk – $3.29

{Shaw’s}

• Deli Dietz & Watson Honey Ham (1 lb) – $5.99/lb
• Deli Dietz & Watson Provolone (3/4 lb) – $5.99/lb
• Reduced-Fat Sharp Cheddar Shredded Cheese – $1.99

{Stop & Shop}

• Storage/Freezer bags – 2/$3
• Suave Body Wash – $2.00 (I used $0.75/1 MC, which doubled to $1.50 making the total price $0.50)
• Speed Stick Deodorant (6) – $2.00 + $3 off wyb* $10 (I used six $1/1 MCs)
• Toothpicks – $0.45

{Shaw’s}

• Powerade Zero (9) – $0.77/each
• Reduced-Fat Wheat Thins (3) – $1.99/each
• Reduced-Fat Cheez-Its (2) – 2/$4
• Chicken & Beef Broth – $1.25/each

Grocery Shopping Total = $81.99

{CVS}

• Listerine – $3.99 + $1ECB* (I used $1/1 MC)
• Herbal Essences Hair Gel (2) – $3.00/each + $1ECB wyb 2 (I used a $1/2 MC)

{Walgreens}

• Colgate Toothpaste – $2.49 + $1RRs (I used a $1/1 MC)
• Kotex U Tampons – $3.99 + $2RRs (I used a $1/1 MC)

I haven’t made dessert since I started counting calories last month! Sure, I’ve had dessert, but I haven’t made it myself.

As much as I love to make my own food with complete control over what ingredients I use, it’s also a lot easier and (usually) less caloric to choose store-bought treats like ice cream and cereal instead. Plus, we all know how much I love cereal, right??

Well, that was the case until I perfected this awesome Carrot Cupcake recipe that’s super delicious and super low-calorie! Honestly, they’re so tasty that I can’t even totally believe it myself that they’re only 150 calories a pop – including frosting!!

Carrot Cupcakes w/ Vanilla Frosting

(original recipe)

Ingredients (makes 12):

1 1/4 cup Whole-Wheat Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

3/4 cup Egg Whites (3 total)

1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Splenda

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

8 oz Baby Carrots

1/2 cup Cinnamon Applesauce

1/2 cup Skim Milk

Pillsbury Creamy Supreme White Frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Boil carrots in water over medium-high heat for 15 minutes (or until very tender); drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, combine flour, baking soda, and spices in a bowl together.

In a larger bowl, add egg whites and beat.

Stir brown sugar, Splenda, and vanilla into the egg whites.

Using a blender or food processor, combine carrots, milk, and applesauce until smooth.

Slowly add the flour mixture into the egg white mixture until fully combined, then stir in the carrot puree.

Pour the batter into greased muffin liners in a muffin pan.

Bake for around 30 minutes (check with a knife/toothpick every so often).

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Frost each cupcake with 1 tablespoon of frosting.

Enjoy!

(Calories in 1 cupcake with frosting = 150)