Zucchini Mini Muffins

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything to the blog, but I'm getting back into the swing of things here! I figure there's no better way to start than with a fantastic zucchini muffin recipe. It's spring which means it's time to plant our garden and enjoy months of fresh veggies! Last year was our first year gardening, and we truly loved it. I can't wait to get the garden going again in a week or so. Last year we had several zucchini plants and they produced very well! I am looking forward to lots of zucchini again this summer since I just LOVE it! In sweet or savory recipes...zucchini is always delicious! If you're looking for a a way to introduce your kids to zucchini bread, this mini muffin recipe is for you! My kids absolutely love these, and they are not fans of zucchini. Luckily zucchini hides very well in sweet treats. The muffins themselves have little green flecks in them from the shredded zucchini, but the flavor is sweet and cinnamon-y. 

This muffin recipe starts like any other...first whisk together the dry ingredients (white whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and all spice) in a bowl. 

Next, shred your zucchini. I used the smaller holes on a box grater to make finely shredded zucchini. I wanted the green flecks to be as small as possible. You could use the regular holes or the smaller ones. Make sure you do not squeeze the liquid from the zucchini, we want to add all that was shredded to our muffins. I usually don't use an entire zucchini to get the 2/3 cup called for in this recipe. Just shred up what you need and set the rest aside for another use. I made these recently and squeezed the liquid out just to see how we liked them, and I have to say they are a bit more dry that way, so I recommend leaving the liquid in. Also it is much less work to just leave all of that liquid in the zucchini. 

To the shredded zucchini in the bowl, add the rest of your wet ingredients: 1 egg, brown sugar, melted coconut oil, melted butter, applesauce, milk, and vanilla. Whisk it all together. This makes a fairly sweet muffin in my opinion...I think I will try reducing the brown sugar to 1/3 cup the next time I make these. The original recipe had no applesauce, only oil and butter. I reduced these and subbed with some applesauce since I always have it on hand. If you don't keep applesauce around, feel free to use the 3 Tablespoons of oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter that the original recipe lists. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix together until just combined. Do not over mix! 

Pour the batter into a greased mini-muffin tin, and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. 

Muffins are finished cooking when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the muffin tops spring back when you press them lightly. 

These are very tasty muffins! My kids adore them. 

I originally took the pictures for this post about a year ago and never got around to posting it! The picture on the left is my daughter last year (just under 2 years old) and the one on the right is her today at 2.5 years old...the little stinker refused to take a bite for the picture! Ah well, I think I'll give her a pass since she's so cute! My son is at preschool right now, so he'll have muffins for breakfast tomorrow. I hope you'll give these a try, they are easy and delicious! 

Zucchini Mini Muffins 
Recipe adapted from: MyRecipes.com

1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour (all-purpose also works) 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2/3 cup finely shredded zucchini
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or less if you like them less sweet) 
2 Tablespoons applesauce 
2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted (or sub canola oil)
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
2-3 Tablespoons milk (as needed) 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. 
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a medium bowl. 
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the shredded zucchini (with all of its liquid), brown sugar, oil, butter, milk, vanilla, and egg. 
4. Add flour mixture to zucchini mixture, stirring batter just until combined. Do not over mix! 
5. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean.

If you're looking for more breakfast zucchini recipes, here are some others that I have tried and love: 

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread from Sally's Baking Addiction 
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread from Chef Savvy 
• Healthy Zucchini Bread from Tastes Lovely 
• Whole Wheat Zucchini Pancakes from Two Peas and their Pod