Hearty Zucchini Muffins

The Inspiration…

Well, it is that time of year. The transition from Summer to Fall. While I dread the idea of Winter being right around the corner, I try to embrace Fall while it is here. These hearty muffins are the perfect way to use up the last of that garden zucchini, while getting a dose of those fall-flavors we all love. The warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg will make you want to throw on a sweater and curl up on the couch. I’ll show you how to make them!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then the first thing we need to do is prepare our zucchini. I used 2 medium-sized zucchinis to yield approximately 3 cups once it was shredded. To shred, you can either use a hand grater or simply blitz it in the food processor using the grater attachment. Shred your zucchini and set it aside in a large mixing blow.

Then, in a medium mixing bowl, we can mix together the butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add in the grated zucchini and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Now pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet and mix thoroughly. If you choose to use dried fruits and nuts, you can add those in now. I love to rotate my add-ins based on what is in my cupboard. Today I used chopped pecans and a mixture of raisins and dried cranberries. I’ve also used walnuts, dates, and dried cherries, before and they all have turned out wonderfully.

Now prepare your muffin tins. I like to use cupcake wrappers, but if you prefer, you can simply grease the muffins pans. Fill each cupcake liner with batter, almost to the top. Bake on the middle rack until golden brown. You’ll know they are done when they bounce back when pressed lightly.

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then you can remove them from the pan and let them cool the rest of the way on a baking rack. I always have to snag one while they are still warm though! Nothing beats a warm muffin with a little bit of butter melting into it!

I have to admit, if the seasons must change, recipes like this one make it a little easier to adjust. These muffins would be perfect to make ahead of time for those busy back-to-school morning, or a little post-school snack! Enjoy!

Yield: 18

Author: Julia Goodrich

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min

These hearty zucchini muffins are the perfect way to transition from Summer to Fall. The warm spices will make you want to throw on a sweater and curl up on the couch. The perfect on-the-go breakfast for little ones going back to school and a great way to use up the last of your garden zucchini!

Ingredients

3 cups grated zucchini, packed
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped nuts* (optional)
1 cup dried fruit** (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
First step is to shred your zucchini. To shred, you can either use a hand grater or simply blitz it in the food processor using the grater attachment. Shred your zucchini and set it aside in a large mixing blow.
Then, in a medium mixing bowl, we can mix together the butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add in the grated zucchini and mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
Now pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet and mix thoroughly. If you choose to use dried fruits and nuts, you can add those in now.
Prepare your muffin tins. I like to use cupcake wrappers, but if you prefer, you can simply grease the muffins pans. Fill each cupcake liner with batter, almost to the top.
Bake for 20-30 minutes on the middle rack until golden brown. You’ll know they are done when they bounce back when pressed lightly. Mine are done in about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then you can remove them from the pan and let them cool the rest of the way on a baking rack.

Notes

*I used chopped pecans but have also used chopped walnuts in the past.

**I used a mixture of raisins and dried cranberries.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

261.71

Fat

12.67

Sat. Fat

5.65

Carbs

33.93

Fiber

1.84

Net carbs

32.11

Sugar

16.53

Protein

4.47

Sodium

174.01

Cholesterol

41.01

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

joyfulforkfull.com/blog/hearty-zucchini-muffins

fall, summer, autumn, zucchini, spices, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, zucchini, muffins

breakfast, snack, vegetarian

Hearty Zucchini Muffins

The Inspiration…