Flexible Zucchini Muffins

Well, I don't mean that these muffins are flexible as in foldable, or that they can act as flying saucers. But they're flexible in that the recipe can be modified a bazillion ways. They are delicious and very healthful just as they are, too! Personalize them by adding chopped nuts, dried cranberries, raisins, applesauce instead of oil, nutmeg, pine nuts, flaxseed, orange zest, a mix of other types of squash, or -- you choose! I love the muffins sliced in half (in either direction) and stuck back together with a generous blob of light cream cheese. Talk about a portable, healthy breakfast or snack for kids! I heard: "You can't even taste the zucchini!" And "These are really delicious, can we make them next week too?" And "Will you please give the recipe to my mom?" They loved shredding the zucchini into green piles of raw material, and measuring out all the dry ingredients. It's another fun recipe that's a craft project too.

45 min

12 muffins

Breakfast, Snacks

Ingredients

Zucchini muffins:

1 cup whole-wheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar (can be brown sugar)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups shredded zucchini (we did it by hand – watch those fingers! You could also use a food processor)
1/2 cup fat-free milk, or almond or soy milk
2 tablespoons canola oil (measure this first, then use the spoon for the honey and it won’t stick!)
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
cooking spray, or paper cupcake liners

Topping:

1 tablespoon sugar or brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spoon flours into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine whole-wheat flour and next 6 ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in one large bowl and whisk to mix. In a second medium-large bowl, combine the zucchini, milk, oil, honey, vanilla and egg and stir to blend.
Form a well in the middle of the bowl with the dry ingredients, and mix in the wet mixture, stirring just until moist (don’t overmix or muffins will be tough.) Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups with paper liners, or into muffin pans coated with cooking spray.
Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the tops of the muffins.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately and cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before snarfing!

More Information

These are based on Kathie’s Zucchini Muffins from Cooking Light magazine, a wonderful source of nutritious and creative recipes.

Calories: 145 per muffin.

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