Years ago, I used to frequent this coffee shop that had these giant zucchini muffins that I couldn’t get enough of. They were moist and sweet and spicy, and loaded with walnuts and green flecks of summer squash. Ever since, I’ve loved zucchini muffins, and made them many times with varying success. Problem, of course, is that even though they are made with vegetables, they’re still loaded with refined sugar and flour.
So I set out to make a healthier muffin. One that you can eat with your morning coffee and not feel like you need a nap for the rest of the day, but also has some spicy flavor, and maybe a few more nutrients. I think these are a hit — they’re pretty easy to make, and freeze well in case you don’t want to eat them all at once.
They’re made with a few ingredients you know — zucchini, eggs, walnuts. And some that may surprise you — oat flour, dates, and Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil. The oil is important because it adds moisture. It also uses Ava Jane’s Kitchen Pumpkin Pie Spice, a delectable combination of cinnamon and spices that is perfect for more than just pies. These muffins are gluten-free as long as you use certified gluten-free oats, so you don’t have to feel bad about refined flour. Perfect for a guilt free afternoon snack.
Makes 12
Prep time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons Ava Jane’s Kitchen Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 pitted dates
1/2 cup Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil
1/4 cup honey
2 medium zucchini, grated
2 eggs
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
Put the oats, Pumpkin Pie Spice, baking soda, and salt in a blender and blend until very fine, like flour. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Add the dates, Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil, and honey to the blender, and blend until fairly smooth. Add this to the bowl with the oats.
Add the zucchini, eggs, and walnuts and mix until you have a thick batter.
Fill the muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, until tops spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool before serving.
Easy to download PDF: Gluten free zucchini muffins
I really like that a good number of the recipes that I see on here do not have almond flour in them when it says it’s gluten free. I can’t eat a lot of almond & so many recipes use almond flour as alternative to wheat flour. Thank you.
In you comment section you mention that you use oat flour, but in the ingredient you list rolled oat. Which is better? By the way the Colima salt is fantastic.
Hi Kath- I actually use rolled oats, but grind them up in my blender until they are a flour like consistency. You can probably buy oat flour, but I would imagine it is more expensive than oats.
how many ounces of zucchini is the weight of the 2 zucchini listed in this receipe? I am not that familiar with zucchini so having this conversion will be most helpful. Thank you.
Hi Conni — I’m not sure of the weight of the zucchini. I have a medium sized one in my fridge and it is about 5 ounces, so that’s probably a good estimate.