Paleo Zucchini Muffins

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Paleo Zucchini Muffins are made with coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla for a comfort food, grain-free muffin recipe! And they’re topped with a coconut sugar and cinnamon topping, which is the absolute best. These muffins are a delicious way to start the day! Baking tips included! {Paleo}

When we went to a family reunion over the summer, we were gifted some of the LARGEST garden variety zucchinis I’ve ever seen in my life. First of all, thank you to my cousins-in-law for gifting us some of their best produce. Second of all, the result is we have delicious Paleo Zucchini Bread and these Paleo Zucchini Muffins as a result. And because I had so much zucchini to work with, it was easy, and rather enjoyable, to recipe test until we had just the flavor and consistency we wanted.

When I made Paleo Zucchini Muffins, all I could think about were the moments during calm early mornings, before chaos strikes. Those moments when you’re holding a warm cup of tea or coffee. Those moments when you have your thoughts to yourself. And I thought, Yep, Paleo Zucchini Muffins get it. They’re pair well with good books and absolutely satisfying. Nutmeg and allspice ooze comfort vibes. And the double dose of coconut sugar and cinnamon doesn’t hurt either. The overall effect is heavenly.

So let’s make a batch of Paleo Zucchini Muffins together! Calm mornings with a muffin in one hand and a warm tea or coffee in the other await us!

Paleo Zucchini Muffins ingredients

To make your own Paleo Zucchini Muffins you’ll need:

• Fresh zucchini. Two cups, chopped/minced/shredded and drained. Remove as much of the excess water from the zucchini as possible. And just as soon as you think the zucchini is drained, it’s best to check one more time. You’d be surprised just how much water zucchini holds.
• Dry ingredients: Almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
• Wet ingredients: Eggs, maple syrup, almond milk, melted coconut oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar.
• Topping: Cinnamon and coconut sugar.

How to make Paleo Zucchini Muffins

Below are the steps to make your own Paleo Zucchini Muffins! 

1. Set oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan every other well with muffin cups (see image below). Set aside.
2. In a small dish, combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Shred or mince the zucchini and place the zucchini on a thin cloth (a thick paper towel or thick napkin will also work). Lay another thin cloth on top and begin pressing down with the heel of your hand to extract excess water. Do this several times. Then bring the corners of the cloth up, and while standing over a bowl or sink, ring out any leftover water. Set drained zucchini aside. If available, place the drained zucchini on a fresh, dry towel to capture any remaining water.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, prepare the dry ingredients by combining the almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.
5. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the maple syrup, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Fold in the shredded zucchini. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and gently stir them together.
6. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup at least 3/4 full of batter. Then sprinkle the coconut sugar and cinnamon mixture over each muffin. Fill the empty muffin pan slots with water. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees once during the baking process. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean (or relatively clean). Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10-20 minutes before serving.
7. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for 24 hours or for two to three days in the refrigerator.

Why are my zucchini muffins soggy?

• The zucchini retained a lot of water. I typically wring the zucchini out several times. And once I think I’ve gotten all the water I can, I wring the zucchini again. You may need more than one thin towel or thick napkin/paper towel to capture all the moisture.
• The muffins need to bake a little longer. If you feel they need a longer bake time but the tops are browning, then place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the muffins for those last few minutes in the oven. Also give them a few minutes to cool after coming out of the oven. The coconut oil will still be soft and will need time to set.

Why won’t my zucchini muffins rise?

Typically, paleo baked goods don’t rise as much as traditional baked goods. But there is a way to help your Paleo Zucchini Muffins along. And that is to line every other well/cavity in the muffin tin with a line and fill the empty wells with water. This prevents overcrowding and allows the muffins to absorb enough heat to set and rise.

Another option is to generously fill the muffin liners so the batter has a chance to reach almost the top of the muffin liner even before it’s baked. It’s important to note that how the muffins look going into the oven will be similar to how they look coming out. So if presentation matters, then it’s a good idea to shape the batter to your liking before baking the muffins.

All the zucchini flavors!!!!

If you are in the mood for more zucchini recipes then put your eyes on these treats:

Sweet Desserts

• Paleo Zucchini Bread
• Paleo Zucchini Brownies

Savory Dishes

• Easy Veggie Noodle Sauté
• Italian Shrimp Scampi Zoodle Bowl
• Dairy-Free Creamy Avocado Pesto Zoodle Bowl
• Cilantro Lime Shrimp Zoodle Bowl

Spiriteds, I hope this recipe finds you well! Stay well and stay wild. I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Paleo Zucchini Muffins

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Paleo Zucchini Muffins are made with coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla for a comfort food, grain-free muffin recipe! And they’re topped with a coconut sugar and cinnamon topping, which is the absolute best. These muffins are a delicious way to start the day! Baking tips included! {Paleo}

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x
• Category: Baked Goods
• Method: Baking
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Dry ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice

Wet ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/8 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups shredded zucchini, drained

Topping:

• 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

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Instructions

1. Set oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin cups. Set aside.
2. In a small dish, combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Shred or mince the zucchini and place the zucchini on a thin cloth (a thick paper towel or thick napkin will also work). Lay another thin cloth on top and begin pressing down with the heel of your hand to extract excess water. Do this several times. Then bring the corners of the cloth up, and while standing over a bowl or sink, ring out any leftover water. Set drained zucchini aside. If available, place the drained zucchini on a fresh, dry towel to capture any remaining water.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, prepare the dry ingredients by combining the almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.
5. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the maple syrup, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Fold in the shredded zucchini. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and gently stir them together.
6. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup at least 3/4 full of batter. Then sprinkle the coconut sugar and cinnamon mixture over each muffin. Fill the empty muffin pan slots with water. Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees once during the baking process. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean (or relatively clean). Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10-20 minutes before serving. This will give the coconut oil a chance to set.
7. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for 24 hours or for two to three days in the refrigerator.

Notes

• For best results, line the pan with muffin cups every other well (pictured in the blog post) and fill the empty cavities with water. This allows the heat to pass through the muffins more effectively while they bake, allowing them to rise better.
• You can also generously fill each muffin cup with batter so the muffins have a chance to rise to and then beyond the edge of the liner. Please note, the way the muffins look going in will be quite similar to how they look coming out of the oven. So if presentation matters, then shape the batter a little before you begin baking the muffins.
• The amount of coconut sugar and cinnamon topping you’ll need will depend on how thick you want the topping to be. I start out with the amount provided and then add more as desired.
• If the tops of the muffins start to brown but the muffins still seem soft, then place a piece of foil over the top of the muffin pan and let them bake a little longer in the oven.
• I like to use aluminum foil muffin cups because they peel away from the muffins more easily than paper cups do. If working with paper cups, then let the muffins cool completely so they are less likely to stick to the sides of the cups.