Low-fat Papaya Coconut Muffins

With the wedding around the corner, I haven't been baking much. Maybe it's a little cliche, but I'm trying to watch my figure and also detox a bit from "the white stuff." I came across this tasty recipe when I was poking around Gina's Skinny Recipes and loved that it was so low in fat, lower in sugar, and used whole wheat flour.

Plus, let's be honest. I was thrilled to have an excuse to purchase a papaya.

They're not much to look at from the outside, but they're beautiful on the inside! Never judge a papaya buy it's cover! Isn't that what they always say?

The batter for these muffins was the loveliest shade of pink thanks to the papaya puree. They were good warm out of the oven and for a day or two beyond.

Low-fat Papaya Coconut Muffins (12-14 muffins)

Ingredients:

1 cup papaya puree
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1 large egg, beaten
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Turbinado, or raw, sugar (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare the muffin tin(s) with baking cups or spray with cooking spray.
• Puree papaya in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add coconut and mix to combine. 
• In a medium bowl, mix egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, and pureed papaya. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. 
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar to give them a sweet crunch (I used 1/2 - 1 tsp. per muffin). Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Then cool for about 10 minutes and enjoy!   

Click here for the printable recipe!