There are a lot of foods that sound healthy, but really aren’t. For example, “Simply Fruit” jam that contains less fruit than other ingredients, or “fruit medley” treats for toddlers that primarily contain corn syrup and no other fruit besides white grape juice. Basically, if you want a healthy treat that really is healthy, you are best off baking it yourself. That’s why I like this recipe I created. I started with a formula from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible, and modified the spices and made it into a cupcake.

What I like about the recipe is that the main ingredient is carrots. In fact, the cupcakes contain more carrot than flour, oil or sugar. As an added bonus, using fruit or vegetables in a baked good really bumps the moisture content and lets you easily use whole grain flour. Add some raisins, and this dessert packs a lot of fiber and nutrition for the calories — and still tastes great. Recipe after the jump.Ginger-Carrot Raisin Cupcakes

For the dry ingredients, mix together:

1 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour

1/2 tbs. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

For the “wet” ingredients, cream together:

1 cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. orange extract

1/2 cup canola oil (or you can sub in 1/2 cup applesauce)

Fold in last:

3 1/2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup raisins

2 tbs. chopped crystallized ginger

For the frosting:

4 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

4 tbs. butter, softened

1 tsp. orange extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven 350 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Using a mixer, cream together the wet ingredients for one minute. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined well. Add the carrots, raisins, and ginger, and mix again just until combined. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. Bake for about 30 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.

For the frosting, cream together all the ingredients in the mixer on medium-high speed until light. Frost and decorate as desired.

[This post was written by Beth Bader.]