By Caitlyn Elf
The cooler mornings we’ve had lately serve as a nice reminder that autumn is just around the corner. While we often associate the season with back to school, it also marks a significant change in our eating. Suddenly peaches, strawberries, and plums are out, and pears, apples, and yams are in! With that in mind, I set out to make a lighter version of these Sweet-Potato Pecan Cupcakes for all to enjoy just in time for the season!
sweet-potato-pecan-cupcakes-462×242.jpg , make the below substitutions and you’ll have a mouthful of autumn flavors in no time!
- 2 cups sugar — I substituted this with 1 cup of turbinado sugar + 2/3 cup agave for a more natural sweetness
- 1 cup butter, softened — To cut down on fat, I used 1/2 cup vegan butter + 1/4 cup of plain yogurt
- 4 large eggs — To lower the cholesterol, I cut the amount of eggs in half, using only 2, and substituted 1/3 cup liquid egg whites for the rest
- One 16-oz. can mashed sweet potatoes — I used one large, fresh sweet potato here that I mashed myself
- 3 cups all-purpose flour — I split this, using 1.5 cups whole-wheat white flour and 1.5 cups all-purpose
- Cream Cheese Frosting — To lighten this recipe further I used low-fat whipped topping; however, low-fat cream cheese would also be a good option!