These are great cupcakes whether you are watching your sugar intake or not. The cupcakes are full of orange flavor, and they are soft and moist. Because the cupcakes include a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, and whole grains, if you're diabetic, they are a nice treat that is less likely than many sweets to cause major blood sugar swings. I like the cupcakes because they taste good. The cupcakes get their sweetness from dates and orange juice, and the ricotta cheese provides flavor and moisture (as well as protein and fat). Pecans give a bit of crunch, and cinnamon complements the orange and date flavors. I usually air fry the cupcakes, but you can bake them in the oven if you prefer. Because the cupcakes are unfrosted and include "good for you" ingredients, they are just as at home on the breakfast table as for dessert. Enjoy!
Low-Sugar Orange-Date Ricotta Cupcakes -Makes 12
1 cup of chopped, pitted dates
1/2 cup of orange juice
2 large eggs
Grated zest of an orange
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 cup of low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of oat flour (just grind up regular or quick oats in the food processor)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of chopped pecans, plus extra to decorate
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Combine the dates and orange juice in a large bowl and microwave them for 2-3 minutes. Let them cool and mash the dates/juice mixture with a fork or the back of a spoon. Add the eggs, orange zest, oil, and ricotta and whisk or stir everything well to combine the wet ingredients. Add to the bowl the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, 1/2 cup of pecans, salt, and cinnamon and stir them into the wet ingredients until completely combined. Spritz 12 cupcake/muffin wells or cups with non-stick cooking spray and divide the batter among the wells or cups. Put a pecan half on top of the batter in each well/cup to decorate the cupcakes.
Air Fryer: Air fry the cupcakes at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until browned and a pick inserted in a cupcake comes out with no wet batter attached. Let the cupcakes cool in their wells/cups for 10 minutes before removing them to cool completely.
Oven: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake the cupcakes for 25-30 minutes or until browned and a pick inserted in a cupcake comes out with no wet batter attached. Let the cupcakes cool in their wells/cups for 10 minutes before removing them to cool completely.
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