Healthy Carrot Muffins

For my "friend" who complained that this blog is adding pounds to her petite body, here is a healthy carrot muffin recipe. It really is one of my favorites, is good for breakfast as well as snacks and can be jazzed up (see note at end of recipe).

Healthy Carrot Muffins
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or 3/4 cup all-purpose plus 1/2 cup whole wheat)
2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons wheat germ (if you don't have it, leave it out!)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Whisk flour, brown sugar,wheat germ, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. In another bowl lightly whisk the egg, then whisk in vegetable oil and vanilla. Quickly and lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula. Stir in the carrots and pineapple just until evenly moist; the batter will be thick. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin pans. Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Turn out of the muffin pans and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 12 muffins.

Helen's Notes: While these are wonderful as is, they could be iced with cream cheese frosting when cool. Or you could cut a 3-oz. package cream cheese into 12 cubes and press a cube into the batter in each muffin pan before baking. Whenever you bake muffins, turn them out of the pan as soon as you remove them from the oven to prevent soggy bottoms from sweating.