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Healthy Zucchini Muffins
These healthful Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins are made with natural, nutritious ingredients and no refined sugars. They're tall, moist, flavorful, and loaded with zucchini!
Servings 12 muffins
Calories 178kcal
Cost $4.64
Ingredients
- 2 cups (195g) old-fashioned oats
- 7-8 whole coarsely chopped fresh medjool dates (remove pits), 3/4 cup (117g)
- 1/3 cup (67g) melted coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons mashed banana (~3/4 a large banana)
- 1/4 cup (85g) pure maple syrup
- 2 cups (252g) grated zucchini (See Note 1)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (93g) dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (40g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease 12 cavities of a muffin tin with nonstick spray (muffin liners won't work well).
- BLEND OATS: Add 2 leveled cups of oats to a blender or food processor. Blend until the oats resemble flour -- a fine powder. If needed, stir and continue blending to break up larger chunks of oats. Pour powdered oats into a large bowl.
- BLEND OTHER INGREDIENTS: Remove the pits and coarsely chop up the dates. Measure to get 3/4 cup and then add into the now-empty blender that you used for the oats. Pour the melted coconut oil on top of the dates. Mash a banana to get 3 tablespoons of mashed banana and add that the blender. Blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until you get a thick paste. Scrape all of this paste out of the blender and add to the bowl with the oats.
- FINISH BATTER: In the same bowl, add the maple syrup, grated zucchini (See Note 1), 2 eggs, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Stir with a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer until you have a thick batter (it will seem very dry at first, but keep stirring). Add in the chocolate chips and stir until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tin -- the batter should fill exactly 12 cavities about 3/4 the way full. If desired, sprinkle a few more miniature chocolate chips on top of the muffins.
- BAKE: Bake for 22-26 minutes or until no longer gooey/wet looking on top and the sides are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let stand in the pan for 3-4 minutes before gently removing (use the tines of a fork to gently coax out the muffins) and setting on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- ENJOY: Enjoy muffins warm; these muffins are even better the second day! Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. Best enjoyed within 2-3 days. Freeze leftover muffins.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a grater. If the zucchini is excessively wet, wring it off a few times with paper towel or cheesecloth (I rarely do this unless it's dripping wet).
Nutrition
Calories: 178kcal