Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour: 1 cup (120g)
- Whole Wheat Flour: 1 cup (120g) – Using a blend offers a softer crumb than 100% whole wheat.
- Baking Soda: 1 teaspoon
- Baking Powder: 1/2 teaspoon – A combination ensures a good rise.
- Ground Cinnamon: 1 ½ teaspoons – The quintessential muffin spice!
- Ground Nutmeg: 1/2 teaspoon – Adds warmth and depth.
- Ground Ginger: 1/4 teaspoon (optional, but lovely)
- Salt: 1/2 teaspoon – Balances the sweetness and enhances flavors.
Wet Ingredients:
- Large Eggs: 2 – At room temperature if possible, for better incorporation.
- Maple Syrup: 1/2 cup (120ml) – Or honey. Adjust to your preferred sweetness.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: 1/4 cup (60g) – Adds moisture and reduces the need for excessive oil.
- Light Olive Oil or Melted Coconut Oil: 1/4 cup (60ml) – Any neutral-flavored oil works.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: 1/2 cup (120g) – Full-fat or low-fat. This is key for moisture!
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon – Pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
The Star Ingredient:
- Grated Zucchini: 1 ½ cups (about 1 medium to large zucchini, approximately 200-220g before squeezing) – Do NOT peel. Squeeze out excess moisture thoroughly.
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well with butter or cooking spray. If using silicone liners, no greasing is typically needed.
- Grate and Squeeze Zucchini: Wash your zucchini well. There’s no need to peel it, as the skin contains beneficial nutrients and softens during baking. Grate the zucchini using the medium-sized holes of a box grater or a food processor with the grating attachment.
- Crucial Step: Place the grated zucchini in the center of a clean kitchen towel, cheesecloth, or a few layers of sturdy paper towels. Gather the ends and twist, squeezing out as much excess liquid as possible over the sink. You’ll be surprised how much water comes out! This step is vital to prevent soggy muffins. Aim to get about 1 ½ cups of squeezed zucchini. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (if using), and salt. Whisking helps to aerate the flours and evenly distribute the leavening agents and spices, ensuring a consistent rise and flavor in every muffin.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Then, add the maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce, oil (olive or coconut), Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredient mixture. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the ingredients together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! A few streaks of flour remaining are perfectly fine at this stage. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to tough muffins.
- Fold in Zucchini and Add-Ins: Add the squeezed, grated zucchini to the batter. If you’re using any optional add-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit, add them now as well. Gently fold them into the batter until evenly distributed. Again, avoid overmixing.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups. Each cup should be about two-thirds to three-quarters full. An ice cream scoop with a release mechanism is excellent for portioning batter neatly and evenly.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are okay, but no wet batter). If you press lightly on the top of a muffin, it should spring back.
- Cool Muffins: Once baked, carefully remove the muffin tin from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes. This allows them to set up a bit and makes them easier to remove without breaking.
- Complete Cooling: After 5-10 minutes, gently transfer the muffins from the tin directly onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely. Cooling them directly on the rack prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy from condensation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One Normal Portion
- Calories: 170-190
- Sugar: 9-11g
- Fat: 7-94g
- Saturated Fat: 1-2g
- Carbohydrates: 22-25g
- Fiber: 2-3g
- Protein: 3-4g