On the hunt for a new Easter recipe?

See what I did there? HUNT? Like, Easter egg hunt?

Social isolation is making me SO FUNNY!

Sigh. I miss adult interaction.

About a month ago I ordered some adorable Easter dresses for the twins and myself. Seeing as how we'll be doing Easter Sunday at home, likely in jammies, I had my husband take some photos of us in the dresses before I mail them back. Sorry Macy's!

Though we not be wearing our Easter finest, I felt compelled to come up with a fun recipe for our breakfast. Enter carrot cake donuts! Is this an eat-it-every-day food? Nope. Bakery carrot muffins can pack nearly 700 calories with 55 grams of sugar, so these are a just-as-delicious substitute that are a fraction of the calories. Like many things I bake, these end up in the freezer. Just microwave to reheat! A quick note- I used tub spread "fake" butter instead of the real thing because that's what I had on hand. It worked just fine and actually has a better fat profile than regular butter anyway (more heart healthy fats, less of the not-heart-healthy saturated fats).

Carrot Cake Donuts

For donuts:

1/2 cup butter substitute (the spreadable stuff you find in a tub)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (omit if using vanilla yogurt)

2/3 cup crushed pineapple with juice drained

2/3 cup plain or vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt

2/3 cup shredded carrots (2 medium carrots' worth)

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional- I left these out 'cause I have a picky kid)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Tiny pinch of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

For glaze:

4 oz cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon or so milk (I used unsweetened almond milk but soy or cow's milk will work too)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously spray a donut baking pan with nonstick baking spray. You could use a regular ol' 8x8 if you don't have a donut pan.

Beat together butter spread and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Mix in pineapple, yogurt, carrots, raisins, and walnuts. Add dry ingredients just until combined.

Place the batter in a sealable plastic bag and snip about a half inch off the corner. Pipe the batter in a circle in the pan. Do your best to not overfill. I overfilled about half mine and while it's fiiiiiine, I should've ended up with more donuts than I did.

Bake for 10 minutes. While donuts cool, layer a paper towel underneath a cooling rack. Let cool for about 5, then run a knife around the edge to loosen, then flip onto a cooling rack. My donut pan has rings for 6 donuts, so I made two batches. Again, if I was a bit more mindful with the size, I could've gotten 15 donuts.

Meanwhile, microwave the cream cheese in a microwave-safe dish for about 15-20 seconds, until really soft and stirrable. Add milk and powdered sugar. You want it thick, but still drizzly. Once donuts have cooled, drizzle glaze. Top with additional nuts, if desired.

Per donut (using my 12-donut yield): 194 calories, 32 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 51 mg sodium, and 16 grams sugar.

Maybe it's for the best that the twins won't wear their dresses. I know for a fact they'd have sticky fingers after chowing these down!

Happy Easter!