the biggest much: Healthy Zucchini Oat Muffins

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Healthy Zucchini Oat Muffins

I've been trying to think of more healthy foods for the kids [with hidden veggies!!!] to replace granola bars, fruit snacks and goldfish. I'm thinking of making different kinds of healthy muffins and freezing them, then popping them in the microwave when they are hungry. I love how these turned out! Recipe adapted from Julie's Eats and Treats.

Dry Ingredients:
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw (or white sugar or Splenda)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1 cup quick oats
3 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp coconut oil (or canola, vegetable etc)
1/ small container applesauce (about 1/3 cup)
2 eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups grated zucchini (about 3 normal size zucchini)
In a medium sized bowl, combine all dry ingredients with a whisk.

Make sure to mix well so that the [small amount] of baking powder and salt is spread evenly throughout.

Set the bowl aside.

I'm no pastry chef, but it's best to use room temperature eggs when baking. (Having took temp eggs aids in mixing the batter. When cold eggs are added to batter, it can make little clumps and lead to uneven distribution of ingredients.)

If you don't take them out of the fridge ahead of time, just stick them in a bowl of lukewarm water.

Grate the zucchini.

Next mix the wet ingredients together (except zucchini) in a LARGE bowl. Here's what my coconut oil looks like.

Then add the zucchini. I had to transfer to a bigger bowl.

Then slowly add in the dry mix until it's well combined. You don't want to overwork it, or your muffins will be super dense. Then add to a greased muffin tin. DON'T use paper cups like I did, because the muffins stuck to the paper.

The recipe should make 12 muffins, but I stretched it so that the muffins would be smaller for the kids.