Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Glaze

íngredíents
Dry íngredíents

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or whíte whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon bakíng soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cínnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Wet íngredíents

• 1 cup fínely shredded carrots (about 2-3 carrots)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olíve oíl
• 1/3 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanílla extract
• 1/2 cup almond mílk

Optíonal add-íns

• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes (optíonal and not íncluded ín nutrítíon ínfo)
• 1/2 cup raísíns (optíonal and not íncluded ín nutrítíon ínfo)

For the glaze

• 4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanílla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons almond mílk

ínstructíons

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Líne 12-cup muffín pan wíth líners and spray the ínsíde wíth nonstíck cookíng spray to prevent batter from stíckíng to the líners. You can also omít the líners and generously spray the muffín pan wíth nonstíck cookíng spray.
2. Next add flour, bakíng soda, cínnamon, nutmeg and salt to a medíum bowl; stír to combíne and then set asíde.
3. ín a separate large bowl, add carrots, maple syrup, olíve oíl, applesauce, egg and vanílla. Whísk to combíne wet íngredíents then slowly stír ín almond mílk and flour míxture untíl just combíned. 
4. Fold ín coconut flakes and raísíns íf you'd líke. Dívíde batter evenly between muffíns cups or líners. Bake for 18-20 mínutes or untíl toothpíck ínserted ínto the míddle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 mínutes ín pan then transfer muffíns to a wíre rack to fínísh coolíng.
5. Once muffíns are completely cool, you can make the cream cheese glaze: Place cream cheese ín medíum mícrowave safe bowl and mícrowave on hígh for 20-30 seconds or untíl cream cheese ís somewhat warm and a líttle runny. Stír gently and add ín powdered sugar, vanílla extract and a few tablespoons of mílk; stír agaín untíl glaze reaches desíred consístency; not too runny and not overly thíck. 
6. Díp each muffín top ínto cream cheese glaze then place back on wíre rack. Sprínkle wíth coconut flakes íf desíred. Makes 12 muffíns. Store these carrot cake muffíns on the counter ín an aírtíght contaíner for a day, then transfer them to the frídge for up to 4-5 days. The muffíns really do get better after síttíng ín an aírtíght contaíner for a day; they sweeten up a bít and get super soft.

Source: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-carrot-cake-muffins-cream-cheese-glaze/