January 10, 2013

Zucchini Cupcakes with Greek Yogurt Frosting

So good news.
I FINALLY HAVE A MOVE IN DATE!!!!

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I can't even begin to tell you how long of a waiting process this has been to get in my new house.  I signed all my papers back in August, the house was finished before Christmas and it's currently the second week of January and I'm still waiting on everything to go through.  Well I'm SO excited to finally have a closing date of January 25th which means only 15 more sleeps until I can move in!  WEEEEE!!!  (Can you tell I'm just a little excited?)  And if anyone follows me on Pinterest then you are well aware of how obsessed I am with decorating each room.

I may need to go to meetings.

Ok enough of my house, you all are probably sick of me bringing it up so in turn I give you cupcakes.  HEALTHY cupcakes.  No oil, no butter, whole wheat flour, zucchini and quinoa...yes I did in fact say quinoa.  I'll be the first to admit I was wayyyy skeptical on how these would turn out.  I've never used quinoa in anything baked before, but was pleasantly surprised at how moist these cupcakes were!  These would also make the perfect breakfast muffin for a fun girl's brunch or when you're running out the door to work and need something quick.

These cupcakes are practically fat-free and are super high in protein.  Great to grab before a workout too, hope you enjoy!   

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Servings: 12
Serving Size: 1 cupcake + 2 Tbsp frosting
Calories: 150
Fat: 1.5 g
Fiber: 2.6 g
Protein: 6 g
Old Points: 2.6 pts
Points+: 4 pts
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Here are your ingredients:
Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup shredded zucchini
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla

Greek Yogurt Frosting:

6 oz. plain fat-free Greek Yogurt
2 Tbsp light agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon peel (as garnish)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

To make the quinoa, rinse 1/3 cup of uncooked quinoa in cold water and place in a small saucepan with 2/3 cup water.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to sit for an additional 5 minutes, keeping quinoa covered.  Fluff with a fork and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Set aside.  In a large bowl using your stand mixer (or hand held), beat together eggs and milk.  Then add in the quinoa, zucchini, applesauce and vanilla and stir until well-mixed.  Add zucchini mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined (careful not to over stir).

In a muffin pan coated with cooking spray, fill each cup about 3/4ths full with batter and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow muffins to cool for about 5 minutes before frosting.

To make the frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, agave nectar and vanilla until smooth.  Spread evenly among muffins and garnish with lemon peel, if desired.  Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe 

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Also, don't forget I have a fabulous giveaway going on that ends tomorrow!  Enter HERE to win one year of Weight Watcher's inspired meal plans complete with recipes, grocery lists and points plus values!  Perfect time to jump start your diet just in time for that bikini this summer!

Enjoy friends!!

 

26 lovely comments:

Elizabeth Ann @ Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box said...

seriously, these sound amazing! :-)

Anonymous said...

not sure what looks more delicious the cupcakes or Kelly. both look scrumpdilli-icious. I bet Kelly has less calories. Nothing like a nice pair of cupcakes either. nice job on the recipe and cute blog. Go Kelly!

Chelsea Damon said...

These look sooooo good can't wait to try them out!

Chelsea http://tailsofawife.blogspot.com/?m=1

Ashley Bee said...

Ohh healthy cupcakes! I am all for it!

christine said...

ohhh! need to try these - YUM! thanks for the recipe! i love your site :)

http://allthemarvelousthings.blogspot.com/

Sophie said...

I'm all for cupcakes for breakfast or an after-workout snack! :)

Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar said...

These sound like a total delight!

RavieNomNoms said...

What a great looking cupcake! Looks amazing! :-)

Joan said...

They look really good! I'm all about the zucchini cupcakes but FAT FREE tops the (cup)cake. Could a person not include the quinoa?

Kelly Ann said...

These look and sound amazing, WOW!

xx
Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes

ReneƩ said...

How can I follow you on pinterest?

Jamie Christine said...

These look absolutely delicious - my boyfriend and I are in LOVE with zucchini! Can't wait to try making these! :)

Jamie Christine said...

These look absolutely delicious - my boyfriend and I are in LOVE with zucchini! Can't wait to try making these!

http://foodie-on-foot.blogspot.com/

Laura (Tutti Dolci) said...

These cupcakes look so good! Love the frosting and lemon zest topping!

Charul @ Tadka Masala said...

Amazing pics as usual Katie. And I have to try zucchini in a dessert very soon. I guess will start with your cupcakes.

Stephanie @cookinfanatic.com said...

I am not usually big on baking but I just LOVE these, I might have to actually make them! ;)

Jordyn said...

These look delicious and super moist--and without oil too! Awesome job!

Erin | The Law Students Wife said...

Quinoa in a cupcake! What an idea!! New ground for me, and I'm excited. CONGRATS on the move in date too!

Kristen @ A Modern Mrs. said...

I will definitely be giving these a try. I love zucchini bread, so I'm sure zucchini cupcakes will be a-ma-zing! Congrats on your house!

Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers said...

I'm so excited for you!!! Boy it's going to see like along 15 more days! :)

Your muffins look delish!!

Kristina said...

So fun! I've heard of using quinoa flour but not actual quinoa, will have to try bc those little cupcakes look fabulous! Congrats on the move date girl!!

claire @ the realistic nutritionist said...

These are gorgeous Kelly!!

Sara: FoodAddict said...

THESE ARE AMAZING! (I discovered your blog like 2 weeks ago and ive been trying your recipes - incredible ideas!)

qstn- how would you store these? yogurt = mould....even in the fridge....

you think i can freeze them?

Juniper88 said...

Hi! Thanks for the recipes. My 5 yr old daughter and I made these tonight and...I am not sure what we did wrong! Batter seems great but baked them and the insides did not cook! Baked them longer (lots!) and still...nothing. Any ideas what we did wrong? On the plus side, THEY TASTE AMAZING! (yeah, I still tasted them although they were not cooked through). I want to try to make these again - probably tomorrow. Anybody else actually bake these yet????

Rhonda said...

I made them last week and they turned out. They were slightly undercooked but WONDERFUL !! They are supposed to be a "heavy" textured muffin.

Is your oven working properly?

Kate said...

We had these tonight at a dinner party and they were AMAZING!! Our three kids (ages 4, 4 and 2) gobbled them up!! Can't wait to get these into regular rotation -- and love that the kids thought of them as a very special treat!! YUM!