Dessert: Mini Carrot-Spiced Cupcakes with Molasses Buttercream

Turn sugar cookie dough into cupcakes. Really! Just add carrots and a few extra ingredients and slather with creamy frosting.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Mini Carrot-Spiced Cupcakes with Molasses Buttercream

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

1 roll Pillsbury™ refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 tablespoon unsalted or salted butter, melted
1 tablespoon full-flavor (dark) molasses
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 °F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Spray 32 mini muffin cups with Crisco® No-Stick Cooking Spray with Flour.
In large bowl, beat cookie dough, melted butter, 1 tablespoon molasses, 2 tablespoons milk, ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and nutmeg with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add carrots and pecans; beat on low speed just until blended. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoonful batter into each muffin cup.
Bake 16 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
To make frosting, in large bowl, beat 7 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon molasses with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 tablespoons milk, beat on medium speed until smooth. Spread or pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Store in covered container.