It’s that time of year when zucchini is in full abundance. Yay! I love zucchini and there are so many different ways I use them during the summer months. Yesterday I had a couple sitting on my counter left over from last week, conveniently had all the essentials for baking and some time to spare so I whipped these muffins up. They let me enjoy one of my favorite summer veggies while also serving as a reminder that my favorite time of year is not too far off.
Yield: 24 muffins
To make, you will need:
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini (I used a blend of zucchini & yellow squash or “golden zucchini”)
3 cups white flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 15 oz. can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, just pumpkin)
4 eggs
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line 2 standard 12-slot muffin pans with cupcake/muffin liners.
3. Over a clean kitchen towel you don’t mind getting wet or even stained, grate the zucchini and then wrap the zucchini with the towel so it forms a ball. Wring out all of the water in the zucchini over the sink. I did this in two batches instead of one so it let me get more of the water out. Leave grated zucchini in a small bowl off to the side.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together well (flour, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin spice, baking soda & salt) and set off to the side.
5. In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla & pumpkin together and then add in the melted butter.
6. Slowly blend the dry mixture into the pumpkin mixture. I add about 1/2 cup at a time until it’s all blended.
7. Fold in the grated zucchini. You will want to use a spoon or spatula for this step instead of your mixer so that the zucchini stays in tact.
8. Scoop/Spoon the batter into the lined muffin pan. I used a large cookie dough scoop.
9. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes and pull from oven when a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Cool completely before serving. You will be tempted to try a muffin right away, but this is one recipe that really needs to sit & cool first. If they aren’t fully cooled off they will not peel from the liners easily. Trust me, they are worth the wait!
These are great on their own, but you can spread a little butter on them if you desire.
Note: Do not skip wringing the water out of the zucchini. This is an important step in ensuring the batter cooks through and the muffins don’t come out soggy.
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