Zucchini-Carrot Mini Muffins

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Delicious mini-muffins with a zucchini and carrot mixture that will make these tasty bites approved of by any toddler (and adult)! Plus they are packed with healthy ingredients so mom approves too!

Recipe by Samantha at five heart home

mini muffin zucchini bread

Zucchini-Carrot Mini Muffins

Ingredients

·         1 pound COMBINED zucchini & carrots

·         1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

·         2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         6 tablespoons coconut oil OR butter, melted & cooled

·         1/4 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature

·         2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

·         1 tablespoon lemon juice

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar OR unrefined sugar

      *optional: add 1/4 cup of pinapple juice or almond milk for added moisture

Directions

1.      Using a box grater or food processor, grate the zucchini and carrots. Place mixture in a large colander set over a bowl. As you prepare the rest of the batter ingredients, the sugar will draw the moisture out of the zucchini and carrots. Occasionally press down on them to squeeze more water into the bowl.

2.      Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat two mini muffin pans with cooking spray.

3.      Place chopped nuts on a sheet pan and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until toasted. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

4.      In a large bowl, whisk together nuts, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, stir together coconut oil or butter, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla. Blend in sugar.

5.      Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Press on shredded zucchini and carrots in colander one last time to extract any remaining water. Mix veggies into batter.

6.      Scoop batter into mini muffin tins and bake for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. You will probably have more batter than will fit in two muffin pans. You may bake the remaining batter in an additional mini muffin pan (or reuse a pan after the first batch of muffins comes out of the oven, allowing it a few minutes to cool off). Or you can scoop the remaining batter into small ramekins to make a couple of larger muffins (which will probably take 15 minutes or so to bake).

Tips, Tricks, & Variations

You can use all-purpose white flour if you prefer. You can also use half white flour and half whole wheat flour in lieu of whole wheat pastry flour.

If you wish to use unrefined sugar, Sucanat and Rapadura are popular brands.