My baby turned ONE yesterday!
It seems unreal. Just one year ago, on the twelfth of January, she was in just a baby bump one minute and the next she was a breathing, crying, beautiful little baby girl who immediately captured my heart.
If I sit down and really think about it, it’s still unbelievable to believe that I’m even a mom. I still feel like a 20-something woman living her life with a husband and two little doggies.
But when she came into the world {and even before} everything changed. All the work stress, worldly struggles, personal competitiveness, seemed to melt away. It’s not really that they dissolved, but more just didn’t seem as important {at least temporarily}.
All the money, power, & fame in the world can’t compete with being a mom. It’s truly the best job in the world!
So on her day we celebrated a mommy-daughter day. A day to remember and cherish the magical {albeit painful} moment when she came into the world. We started and ended the celebration with these healthy {rd-mommy-approved} birthday cupcakes that are a take on harvest or morning glory muffins.
Baby Birthday Cupcakes
Makes 16 muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 medium bananas, mashed
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup carrots, shredded
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1 heaping teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare the cupcake pan by either spraying non-stick spray or lining each cup with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, and spices. Mix well.
In a second bowl, combine the mashed bananas, applesauce, carrots, egg, and oil. Stir well to combine.
Combine the dry and wet ingredients. And then fold in the nuts and dried fruit until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix!
Using an ice-cream scoop, portion out the mixture into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Prepare the frosting by combining the yogurt, cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon. Dollop the frosting onto the cupcakes once they have fully cooled.
These cupcakes are perfect for breakfast or snack for kids, toddlers, and older babies! There are no-added sugars {the sweetness simply comes from the fruit} and they are 100% whole grains! Just because I approve of them for my 1-year old {gosh, I’m gonna have to get used to saying that, sigh}, doesn’t mean they aren’t delicious and a perfectly healthy option for adults too!
I will say that the frosting is definitely not something I’d consider sweet, in fact since there’s no sugar added natural or otherwise, the cinnamon and vanilla are doing all the flavor enhancement there. LEM did not mind it at all, but she does not eat any added sugars {well, at least for the most part}. For those with the need {or want} for something slightly on the sweeter side, my Greek Yogurt Spiced Whipped Cream would be delicious, yet still lower in sugar and definitely more natural.
Note: The frosting ingredients yields enough to frost 6 muffins/cupcakes. The remaining more adult-friendly ones, I’d recommend making more of a crumb or whipped cream topping.
So if you’re looking for a perfect baby birthday cupcake {or breakfast muffin} these are a perfect fiberous, all-natural, worry-free, mommy-tested, rd-approved option!
Happy birthday to my beautiful, smart, funny, and one year old!
xo,
Becca
twistednutritionblog.com 