I don’t know what possessed the first person to put zucchini in bread, but I’m so glad they did.
I’m a muffin girl. Whenever I have over ripe fruit or any extra of something on hand I turn it into muffins. I’ll eat them for a breakfast on the run, or have them as a midday snack. They’re just perfect to me.
I have a surplus of muffin recipes in the archives, but it’s safe to say they all are adapted from one of my favorites: Spiced Parsnip Muffins. The recipe contains everything you would imagine in baked goods: flour, eggs, baking powder, sugar, etc. I’ve lightened up the recipe using a two-ingredient homemade applesauce in replace of oil and added a couple heaping spoonfuls of flavored Greek yogurt.
I’ve used the base of that recipe for almost everything you could think of throwing in a muffin. Parsnips, carrots, bananas, coconut, and now zucchini.
I wouldn’t use this recipe as a base for blueberry muffins. I don’t know about you, but when I decide to eat a blueberry muffin I expect the full-fat, sugared crumbled, buttery muffin. Let’s call this recipe the opposite of that. The opposite of everything I want in life.
The batter is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves…or pumpkin pie spice if you have that on hand. I filled my muffin tins to the top because I like things extra big, however it will only yield about 6-7 muffins. If you fill it up half way (which I’ve done in the past) you can get about 10 muffins.
I added some chocolate chips to half of the muffins unsure if it would be a good combo. OH if only I could go back. I tore those chocolate muffins up, literally ate every one leaving the boring ones for the fam.
Like I said, these muffins aren’t enriched with buttery fatness so you’re not going to get that out of this muffin. I wouldn’t treat these as dessert (although sometimes I do), and more of breakfast or a snack. They’re moist, incredibly delicious, and it is nearly impossible to eat just one.
If I were you I would double the batch because if you were me, they’d be gone in like 2 minutes. Enjoy!
- 1 red apple - peeled, cored, chopped
- 1/2 c. water
- 1 c. all purpose flour
- 1 t. baking powder
- 3/4 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 c. brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 6 oz. low-fat vanilla yogurt
- 2 large zucchinis - grated (I didn't peel mine)
- 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 375
- In a small sauce pan, combine the apples and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the apples are tender. Puree in a blender until smooth. Set 1/4 c. aside and allow to cool.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, add the yogurt, cooled applesauce, and eggs. Mix until combined. Make a well in the center of the flour mix and add the wet ingredients.
- Mix until nearly combined, then toss in the grated zucchini. Fold until batter forms. Will be thick and lumpy.
- Grease muffin pan and portion equally into each tin. Top with chocolate chips if desired (you can mix into the batter for a more chocolate bite).
- Bake 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Drizzle with honey if desired.
