An apple adds just the right amount of sweetness to these Cinnamon Apple Zucchini Muffins. It’s all the flavors of fall, wrapped up in a muffin.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans (3 oz/86 gm)
- 3/4 cup grated unpeeled tart apple, such as Honeycrisp, Jazz or Braeburn (3.5 oz/100 gm)
- 3/4 cup grated unpeeled zucchini (3.5 oz/100 gm)
- 1 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free mix) (5 oz/142 gm)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour or gluten free mix) (3.75 oz/78 gm)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (5 gm)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (4 gm)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (2 gm)
- *2 large eggs, room temperature (or 2 flax eggs)
- 3/4 cup raw brown sugar (7 oz/ 200 gm)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used avocado oil) (4 oz/120 ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat 1 (12 cup) muffin tray with baking spray or use muffin liners.
- Spread pecans out on a baking sheet and toast in oven until lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Let cool, chop and set aside.
- Coarsely grate the apple and zucchini. Use paper towels to gently squeeze out some of the excess zucchini liquid. Measure and set aside 3/4 cups of each.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: both flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Break eggs into another bowl and whisk well. One ingredient at a time, add in sugar, then oil and vanilla, whisking after each addition.
- Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold in apples, zucchini and nuts.
- Pour this wet mixture over dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and the last bits of flour disappears.
- Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure to fill muffin cups 2/3’s full.
- Bake 20 – 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool on a baking rack.
- Glaze or frost if desired or sprinkle with raw sugar crystals or powdered sugar.
- If plain, serve with whipped cream cheese or butter (vegan butter ok) on the side.
- Wrap well in an airtight container. Store up to a week in fridge or up to three months in freezer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cranberry Apple Muffins in Elizabeth Alston’s book Muffins