It’s officially back to school time! Call me a nerd, but this is one my favorite times of the year. The weather, the “fresh start” feel, and of course, the final harvest of summer produce.
Before I start stocking up on apples, pumpkins, and root vegetables, I’ve been experimenting with any and every way to use warm weather veggies, especially zucchini.
What this summer squash lacks in flavor, it makes up for in versatility. It’s been a staple in our kitchen over the past month. Some of my concoctions have included: zucchini noodles with peanut sauce or homemade tomato sauce, zucchini blended into green smoothies, and Flourless Peanut Butter Zucchini Brownies from Hummusapien. And earlier this week, I figured out a way to use this veggie in a healthy breakfast option.
Today’s recipe is rich in fiber, filled with veggies and fruit, and the perfect on-the-go option for kiddos heading back to school! Plus, it’s allergy friendly, free of gluten, dairy, or nuts.
Grab those last zucchini, get to shredding, and pop these bad boys in the oven! Your kids (and you!) will gobble them up in no time.
Zucchini Carrot Oat Muffins
This delicious muffins are filled with veggies and fruit, and perfect for breakfast on busy weekday mornings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oats (to make these gluten-free, make sure the oats are certified gluten-free)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 cup banana, mashed (about 2 large)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 cups grated zucchini (do not squeeze out water)
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Dark chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line muffin pans.
- Use food processor to grind oats into a flour.
- Transfer oat flour to large bowl, and add baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, mash bananas and add beaten eggs, maple syrup, grated zucchini and carrots, and vanilla.
- Add wet ingredients to dry bowl and mix with rubber spatula. **Note: you can now let the mixture sit for about 20 minutes to get thicker. I think the recipe would still work if you skip this step, but the muffins will be fluffier and fuller if you let the batter sit.**
- Scoop mixture into greased muffin pans. I filled them very close to the top.
- If desired, add about 5 to 7 chocolate chips to muffins. I made 6 muffins without chocolate and 6 with, and both kinds were equally delicious!
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Let them cool slightly, and enjoy! Muffins will be moist in the middle. You can keep these muffins in the fridge or freeze them for busy weeks.
You can’t even really see those veggies. Kids won’t even know! 😉
Chocolate always makes everything better…
Enjoy!
Lizzie
