Zucchini Nut Muffins

These zucchini nut muffins get their great flavor from the zuccchini and the cinnamon and nutmeg. They would be insanely delicious with cream cheese frosting (You can find my recipe here). 

Without the frosting, they make a great breakfast or midday snack. With the frosting, they make a sweet and delicious dessert.

What You Will Need:
Muffin Tins
Muffin Liners
Cooling Racks

Ingredients:
3 cups Zucchini, shredded (3 medium or 4 small)
1 2/3 cups Sugar
2/3 cups Canola Oil
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups Soy Flour
3/4 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
3/4 cup Potato Starch
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 cup Walnuts, chopped (I actually break them up by hand.)

Directions:
Line muffin tins with muffin liners. Set aside.

Crafty Tip: Reuse a jar to store your muffin liners. I use a salsa jar. I soaked off the labels and painted the lid with some spray paint. I love this because it keeps the liners from getting squashed, and it looks pretty in the cupboard.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Put shredded zucchini in a large bowl. (I used a cheese grater to shred my zucchini.)

Add sugar.

Add oil.

Add eggs.

Add vanilla.

Mix together.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthum gum, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder.

Add dry ingredients to wet zucchini mixture. Mix just until blended.

Mix in walnuts.

Use medium scoop to pour batter into lined muffin tins. Fill approximately 3/4 full. 

Makes approximately 24 muffins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops of muffins bounce back when touched.

Cool in pans for a few minutes, then cool completely on cooling racks. Store in air tight containers in refrigerator for up to 10 days. (These also freeze well.)

Oh, if you could only smell them. They smell as good as they taste!

"Be the reason someone smiles today."

Sharing some of these muffins with someone will definitely give them a reason to smile.

Sheryl

Banana Nut Muffins

When the bananas in my house start looking like the ones below, I only have two choices: 1) freeze them for future use in smoothies or 2) make banana nut muffins; because nobody in my house is going to eat them. Let me share a little secret with you, I did both! hehe. I love smoothies with frozen bananas! They are so smooth and banana-y, but that is not what this post is about. So let's get to making banana nut muffins, cuz I love them too.

Makes 24 muffins

What You Will Need:
KitchenAid mixer or hand mixer
Muffin Tins
Muffin Liners
Cooling Racks

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup Sugar
2 large Eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cup Mashed Bananas (3-4) (I used four fairly large bananas, cuz I like them banana-y)
1/2 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vinegar
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup Soy Flour
3/4 cup Potato Starch
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup Ground Flax Meal (If you don't have flax or don't want to use it, you can substitute 1/4 cup soy flour and 1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour)
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Chopped Walnuts

Directions:
1. Mash bananas. Set aside. (I just used a fork, because I am all about keeping it simple; but you could use a potato masher or whatever you have. Your hands would even work, if you are into that kind of mess.)

2. In a small container or measuring cup, mix milk and vinegar. Set aside. (The vinegar makes the milk a little sour and thicker. Kind of like buttermilk without the expense.)

3. In a small bowl, whisk together soy flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthum gum, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

4. Place muffin liners in muffin tins. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350° F.

5. With your KitchenAid mixer set on medium-high, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.

6. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.

7. Add milk mixture.

8. Add mashed bananas.

9. Add vanilla.

This is what your mixture should look like at this point.

10. Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. 

This is what your batter should look like.

11. Remove bowl from KitchenAid mixer. Add nuts and mix by hand.

12. Pour batter into muffin tins.

13. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. 

They are super moist with just enough crunch from the nuts. Thankfully the recipe makes 24, so there are plenty to share. Enjoy!

"Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful of your life." ~ Mark Twain

Sheryl