It’s soon time for summer vegetables and it always seems people are overflowing with zucchini. A person can only eat so much zucchini before, well, you have had enough for the season. That’s when it starts to show up on the unsuspecting neighbors porches or on the counters at work. If you have some extra zucchini, Skinny Taste has a way to use them up in a delicious and lower fat cupcake. Oh, with pineapple, too! While the recipe calls for canned pineapple, I’m betting you could use fresh pineapple for an even healthier (lower sugar) alternative.
Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, optional
- 1 pinch ginger, optional
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 whole large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups grated zucchini, unpeeled, squeezed well of all moisture
- 20 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice, drained well
For the Frosting:
- 8 oz 1/3 fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and spices; stir well with a whisk.
In a medium bowl, combine oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Add grated zucchini and pineapple; mix well. Fold wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, batter will be stiff and dry but keep folding it and it will all come together.
Spoon batter into cupcake tin. Bake at 350° for about 23 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare frosting, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread or pipe frosting over the cupcakes once they are cooled. You can garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired