BIRTHDAY CAKE PROTEIN CUPCAKES

Estimated Time: 25 minutes

1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats

½ cup plain or vanilla protein powder (or an additional ½ cup oats)

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

3 large egg whites

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (or low-fat milk)

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon butter extract (or vanilla extract)

1 cup sweetener that measures like sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles, plus more for garnish

1 (8-ounce) container light whipped topping*, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with silicone or foil muffin liners and spray with cooking spray. In a blender or food processor place the oats, protein powder, applesauce, yogurt, egg whites, almond milk, almond extract, butter extract, sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend until the batter is completely smooth. Stir in the sprinkles. Pour the mixture into the muffin cups. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely and top with whipped topping and additional sprinkles if desired. (Be sure to wait until they are ready to serve to top with whipped topping.) Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator.

Yields 12 Cupcakes

Nutritional Information Per Cupcake: 71 calories per serving; 1 gram fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 2 grams sugar; 7 grams protein

* I recommend truwhip or Light Cool Whip.

This recipe is a healthy spin on a very popular birthday cake mix. These cupcakes are so healthy that you could actually eat them for breakfast! They are only about 70 calories, packed with 7 grams of protein, and have no added sugar, flour, or butter. They are also easy to whip up and are a great way to celebrate a birthday or bring some fun to any day of the week.