Zucchini Bread Muffins (with Tiger Nut Flour)

Grain free. Nut free. Soy free. Dairy free. Gluten free. Low carb. 

These muffins are a creative way to use up the endless amount of summer zucchini coming out of your garden or being dropped off by your neighbor from their garden. I don't have a garden currently but am lucky enough to have a neighbor who does:)

Last week our neighbor dropped off a big harvest and after making lots of zucchini pasta, I had to think of something else. And that is how this muffin recipe was born. You can make a regular or chocolate version of these muffins that are both super moist, fluffy, delicious, and filling! These are incredible and packed with vegetables and fiber to keep your blood sugar stabilized. A MUST TRY!! 

I like to pre-shred the zucchini onto some tea towels or paper towels and let it sweat out some moisture. Then blot with the towels to get rid of more moisture before using in the recipe. Store leftover shredded zucchini in 1 cup serving sizes in a freezer safe zip lock. This will allow you to defrost it at a later date for another batch of these fabulous muffins when a craving strikes! And it will...these are addictive! You can also stir shredded zucchini into a pasta sauce or casserole or lasagna for some added veggies:)

Lately, I've been experimenting with nut free flours and avoiding coconut specifically and was really surprised to find Tiger Nut Flour which I absolutely LOVE! It has both sweet and nutty notes and nice light texture. Despite its deceptive name, Tiger Nuts are not nuts are all, they are actually from the tuber family. So they are perfect for those who want grain free and nut free flour options. You can read more about tiger nuts and tiger nut flour on my post: What is Tiger Nut Flour? In the meantime, check out this recipe...you will not be disappointed!

Zucchini Bread Muffins (PRINT RECIPE)
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup tiger nut flour**
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 organic, pastured eggs
¼ cup honey, agave, or coconut nectar
½ cup applesauce
1 heaping cup shredded zucchini (with green peel on)
 
For the Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins: (use same recipe above with adjustments listed below)

• Add 4 tablespoons organic cocoa or cacao
• Decrease cinnamon to 1 teaspoon
• Omit the nutmeg
• Optional -Add dark chocolate or vegan chips if you want to desire:) It doesn't need them, so I left them out to keep the sugar content lower. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin cup liners. Some liners will stick, so you can also spray them lightly with some coconut oil to help if you want.
2. Shred the zucchini onto tea towels or paper towels to allow it to sweat out some of the moisture. Blot it dry with the towels before adding to the batter.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, mix well, then set aside. If making the chocolate ones, include the cocoa powder in the dry ingredients.
4. Add wet ingredients including eggs, sweetener, and applesauce to the bowl of a stand mixer. Alternatively you could use a large bowl and  electric beaters. 
5. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then beat on high for 1 minute or until eggs mixture is frothy and foaming.
6. Add the shredded zucchini and beat on low for 10-20 seconds to incorporate.
7. With the mixer running or your electric beaters running on medium, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until completely incorporated. I like to stir it by hand the last 30 seconds  with a large spatula.
8. Pour evenly into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 of the way full – they will rise, don’t worry!
9. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and they are golden brown on top.
10. Remove from muffin tin to cool on wire rack. Allow to cool completely before removing muffin liner paper so that muffin doesn’t stick.
11. Eat and enjoy!

*Each muffin has a total of 10 grams of sugar, but keep in mind that 5.8g of these come from the tiger nuts naturally. The remaining amount is the honey. You can ditch the sweetener completely and increase the apple sauce by 3 tablespoons if you are watching your sugar intake closely. I did this on one of my batches and the muffins still had a good amount of sweetness to them. 
 
**You can find Tiger Nut Flour online on Amazon or Thrive Market and it is also making its way onto shelves at some Whole Foods and other natural grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can substitute almond flour here in the same amount if you’d like. 

Let me know what you think! Enjoy...
​~Billie