ZUCCHINI ORANGE MUFFINS

10-12 muffins, 35-45 minutes (including bake & prep time)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cups (175 g) oat flour

• 1/2 cup (48 g) almond flour

• 1/3 cup (50–55 g) hemp seeds

• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed

• 11/2tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp cardamom

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1 cup (about 125 g) finely grated zucchini

• 3/4 cup (about 85 g) finely grated apple

• 1/2 cup (about 115 g) mashed ripe banana (or ½ cup unsweetened applesauce or ⅓ cup plain yogurt)

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 1/4 cup melted ghee

• Zest of 1 1/2 large oranges

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Optional mix-in: walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or any nut for a crunch
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix the oat flour, almond flour, hemp seeds, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.

3. Finely grate the zucchini and gently squeeze once to remove excess water. Grate the apple, leaving its moisture intact.

4. In another bowl, combine the zucchini, apple, mashed banana, maple syrup, melted ghee, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla.

5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

6. Divide evenly between 10-12 muffin cups.

7. Bake for 20–24 minutes, until the tops are set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

8. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

#kidfriendly #summer #fall #vata #pitta #kapha

Notes

• As I am writing this, it is back-to-school season. Meaning, you are probably looking for quick grab-and-go breakfast or lunch bag items to give to your kids...that are obviously NOT full of sugar, something they will actually enjoy, gut-friendly, and nutrient-rich. And that is why I created these muffins.

• My daughter HATES zucchini, but she will happily eat these without any idea it has veggies in them and are only sweetened with fruit and a little bit of maple syrup :).

• I also made these with the intention of being somewhat iron-rich for toddlers. Each muffin has approximately 1.2-1.5 mg of iron, which is about 17-21% of the daily iron requirement for toddlers (this is a rough estimate and not exact). The vitamin C from the fruit & orange helps with the absorption of iron, plus the oat and almond flour, hemp seeds, and flax contribute to the iron amount - of course, with it being highly digestible and balanced (not too heavy or light, digestive spices to enhance digestion and absorption, etc.)

• For kapha - these muffins are light enough to be great for you even though the moisture, coolness, and heaviness of zucchini is not very kapha-friendly. To be even more ideal, I would increase the spice level of these muffins for you - add some ginger powder, a little bit more cardamom and cinnamon, and use the applesauce option over the banana or yogurt option.