Klean Protein Carrot Cake Raisin Muffins with Cream Cheese Topping

Created by Karlyn Grimes, MS RD LDN CSSD⁺
(biography click here)

Choose the protein cream cheese frosting option and you will obtain 10 grams of protein from these bad boys (5 grams from the non-cream cheese frosting option). The carrots, bananas, raisins and cream cheese frosting infuse these muffins with a pleasant sweetness and add to their moist crumb. A great on-the-go snack, these muffins offer a more enhanced nutrient profile compared to the regular store-bought, high-sugar, high-fat varieties. To keep it neat, put a bit of the cream cheese frosting in a small container so you can slather it on your muffin when you’re ready to nosh. And a few seconds in the microwave or toaster will make your muffin warm and welcoming to the delicious cream cheese dressing. Enjoy!!

CARROT CAKE RAISIN MUFFINS
PREP TIME: 10-15 minutes
READY IN: 30 minutes
YIELD: 18 muffins

Step #1: CARROT-BANANA MIXTURE

• 2 bananas
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated (you can use a food processor to make the job easier)
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup applesauce or crushed pineapple its own juice, drained
• ⅓ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
• ⅓ cup raisins

Step #2: WET INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup honey or agave syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Step #3: DRY INGREDIENTS

• ¾ cup white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour (try oat flour for a gluten-free option)
• ½ cup Klean Whey Protein Isolate™
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Spray 18 muffin tins with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour. You can also use muffin liners, but spray the inside of the cups with cooking spray once they are placed in the muffin tins. This will prevent the muffin batter from sticking to the paper.
3. Step #1: Carrot/Banana Mixture: In a medium-sized bowl, peel and mash the bananas with the tines of a fork or a masher. Peel and grate the carrots, and add to the bananas. If using the walnuts or pecans, chop them coarsely and add to the carrot/banana mixture. Pour the oil and applesauce over the other ingredients in the medium-sized bowl.
4. Step #2: Wet Ingredients: Beat the eggs, brown sugar, honey or agave syrup and salt in a mixer for about 3 minutes or until light and airy.
5. Step #3: Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour, Klean Whey Protein Isolate™, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg over the Wet Ingredients and fold to combine.
6. Step #4: Gently mix the Carrot-Banana Mixture into the ingredients combined above.
7. Fill each muffin cup three-quarters full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until muffins are cooked through and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Do not overcook, as it will reduce their moisture.
8. While the muffins are baking, mix up a batch of high protein cream cheese frosting. See the recipe below. Extra Yum!!

Nutrient Content per Muffin: Calories: 145; Carbohydrate: 23 grams; Fiber: 2 grams; Protein: 5 grams; Fat: 4 grams; Calcium: 4% Daily Value (DV); Potassium: 3% DV; Sodium: 3% DV; Iron: 5.5% DV; Magnesium: 3.8% DV; Phosphorus: 4.3% DV; Selenium: 7.1% DV; Vitamin A: 7.3% DV; Vitamin B₆: 5% DV; Niacin: 5% DV; Vitamin C: 5.5% DV; Vitamin E: 6.6% DV; Vitamin K: 5% DV; Folate: 3.25% DV; Thiamin: 6.66% DV; Riboflavin: 5.88% DV.

CREAM CHEESE PROTEIN FROSTING
YIELD: 12 servings

Note: All ingredients should be at room temperature for easy mixing

Ingredients:

• 8 oz package Neufchâtel cheese (low fat cream cheese)
• ½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup Klean Protein Isolate™ – Natural Vanilla Flavor
• sprinkle of stevia (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix Neufchâtel cheese with Greek yogurt until smooth.
2. Add Klean Protein Isolate™ – Natural Vanilla Flavor and stevia. Mix well.
3. Refrigerate until cool and firm. Slather on your carrot muffins. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrient Content per 1/12 of Recipe: Calories: 65; Carbohydrate: 2 grams; Protein: 5 grams; Fat: 4 grams.

Bio
Karlyn Grimes, MS RD LDN CSSD, is the founder of Simply Simple Health (SSH) and author of The Everything Anti-Inflammation Diet Book. SSH creates and administers nutrition, fitness and health education programs for athletes, educators, coaches and sports teams at schools and colleges throughout the Boston area. Its programming includes individual and group sports nutrition counseling, as well as sport-specific personal training. SSH also contributes to numerous academic textbooks and magazines.

Karlyn has a dual Master’s degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Colgate University, with a minor in economics. She is a registered dietitian (RD) with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a certified specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) and a licensed dietitian nutritionist (LDN) in the state of Massachusetts. She is currently a faculty member in the Nutrition and Biology Departments at Simmons College in Boston, where she teaches sports nutrition, medical nutrition therapy, exercise physiology, anatomy and physiology, general biology, and numerous other courses.

⁺Our medical advisors are retained consultants for Klean Athlete.