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Foodist Approved: Gluten-Free Maple Zucchini Nut Muffins
maple zucchini nut muffins
I typically don’t condone eating muffins for breakfast since they’re usually just a minuscule step up from a cupcake. Even the wannabe bran muffin is loaded with sugar and unhealthy oils, and will leave you feeling drained and hungry with lunch still hours away. But the illustrious muffin is a convenient food for busy mornings when you just need something to grab, so I set out to create a Foodist-approved muffin recipe.
The winner of my muffin escapades in the kitchen were these Maple Zucchini Nut Muffins. They’re the perfect balance of hearty and healthy. My zucchini muffins are free of refined sugars and flours (the gluten-free crowd will love ‘em!) and are loaded with protein and healthy fat from the nuts, oats, flax, eggs and organic butter.
Best part—counts as eating veggies for breakfast!
Maple Zucchini Nut Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 3 eggs
- 6 tablespoons organic butter, melted
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups finely grated zucchini, about 2 medium size
- large muffin cups
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups.
Mix together the dry ingredients––almond flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, flax and walnuts––in a large mixing bowl.
Beat the eggs with the maple syrup, melted butter and vanilla extract. Combine wet and dry ingredients thoroughly. Fold in the grated zucchini.
Spoon the batter evenly into 12 muffin cups.
Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
Elyse Kopecky is a social media and digital technology consultant based in Portland, OR. After 10 years working for NIKE and EA SPORTS in Portland, Amsterdam and Geneva she briefly left her desk job for the chance to study culinary nutrition at the Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. Follow her adventures in the kitchen and on the trail at freshabits.com and @freshabits.
Thanks for another great breakfast idea! I made them after work today, doubled the recipe,and am excited to feed the five of us breakfast for a week. My zucchinis were a little small so added a carrot. Worked great. We lived off of your granola recipe all last winter. Thanks again!
Hi Tami ~ Now that I’m a mom hearing that my recipes are helping you fuel your family make me so happy. Thanks for sharing! Elyse
These sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try. I really love the recipe feature on Summer Tomato.
Thanks Tracy! Hope the muffins turned out delicious for you.
Elyse, I tried your recipe last night and this morning my kids and my husband loved it. I added some pecan nuts because I was short on walnuts, but I think that is okay. I love the fact, that they are not too sweet. So everyone choose his or her favorite jam and had it with the muffin. My boy (17) loves to make jokes about vegies, but he had to admit that this Zucchini muffin were good in spite of the Zucchini. You could not get a better compliment from him. Thank you for the recipe, I will make it on regular base.
Thanks Barbara for sharing your story. Why veggies aren’t considered cool amongst kids I will never understand. 🙂 You should definitely try my pesto zucchini noodle recipe on your son. http://summertomato.com/foodist-approved-zucchini-pesto-pasta/
I did and he liked them. He eats a fair amount of veggies, just row tomatos he does not like. But he like a lot of teenaged boys he enjoys his fair share of meat and joes about it.
This looks awesome! What about substituting oat flour for the almond flour?
Hi Kristen – The almond flour makes the muffins hearty and delicious but oat flour would be good too. Let me know how they turn out. Elyse
This recipe sounds delicious! I’m so excited to try it! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Michelle! I know you’ll love em.
Loved this–gluten free and veggies! I am amazed that almond flour subs in so easily for wheat flour
Thanks Caren! 🙂 Yes almond flour is now my favorite baking companion.
Hi there –
I’m not a big baker, but these sound delicious and so healthy! Would it be best to use salted or unsalted butter? I live in Australia and generally find it difficult to find organic unsalted butter for some reason, though organic salted butter is popping up everywhere.
Thanks!
Lara
I used unsalted butter when I made them & they turned out very nicely. I didn’t have any walnuts & so subbed in unsalted raw sunflower seeds, which my husband really liked. I baked them a bit longer than recommended, as he likes his baked goods “well done”. He’s really enjoying them for breakfast on the road – he’s working away from home during the week for several weeks & not having to commit a lot of time to making breakfast for himself really puts a smile on his face in the morning. Thanks, Darya!
Hi Mary ~ Awww so sweet! Glad you can keep your husband happy and healthy while on the road. I on the other hand am guilty of hiding them from my husband 🙂
Elyse
Hi Lara,
I use organic salted butter for everything. Salt brings out flavors in both sweet and savory.
Enjoy!
Elyse
Thanks Elyse! Also, I’ve heard from a celiac friend of mine… Rolled oats are almost never gluten free due to processing. I looked and my packet says “contains gluten”
I love these muffins! Thank you so much for the recipe! I substituted pecans for the walnuts and they turned out perfectly! I love that it is not too sweet! I ended up with 18 muffins (on the small side) but eating 2 kept me full until lunch! 🙂
Hi Cheska ~ Awesome to hear, thanks for sharing your love of these muffins! Elyse