By Jyoti Jain | Posted : September 16, 2020
As we transition into fall weather, here is a recipe to use up that last crop of summer squash sitting on your kitchen counter. Recently, my neighbor, an avid gardener with a gifted green thumb, generously shared two large zucchini’s from her bountiful garden with me. Do you happen to have a bumper crop of zucchini from your garden and are looking for ideas on what to do with it? When life gives you zucchini make these muffins! Besides using up all the zucchini, they are a great way of sneaking an extra helping of those veggies into your kid’s meals. Shhh, promise they won’t notice!
The zucchini adds an extra boost of antioxidants and the oats provide fiber and protein, making these muffins the ultimate healthful breakfast treat. They do not contain any refined sugars and are sweetened with coconut sugar instead. The bitter and nutty taste of the raw cacao nibs perfectly complements the sweetness of the squash. Also, raw cacao nibs are a great superfood rich in fiber, potassium, and magnesium, with four times the antioxidants of dark chocolate. The warming cinnamon and cardamom spices are perfect fall spices to bake and cook with this time of the year.
These deliciously moist muffins won’t disappoint and make for the ultimate healthy breakfast treat. Do give them a try!
Zucchini Oat Muffins with Cacao Nibs
(~12 large muffins)
Ingredients (all organic)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups of quick rolled oats, coarsely blended
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup cacao nibs
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup coconut oil, warm till liquid
1.5 cups water
12 muffin parchment paper liners
Method
In a stainless steel mixing bowl combine flour, coarsely ground oats, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and cardamom spices. In a separate bowl, mix half a cup of water to the flaxseed meal to make “flaxseed eggs”. Next add the cacao nibs, walnuts, “flaxseed eggs”, grated zucchini, lemon juice, and coconut oil, and combine with the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Add a little water at a time, and mix the ingredients until just combined. Make sure to not overmix.
In a muffin tray place the muffin parchment paper liners. Divide the batter evenly in the prepared muffin cups and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean (~35 mins).
Do give these muffins a try. I know you’re going to love them as much as I do.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and share. After all, sharing is caring. And as always I suggest you attend a wonderful, FREE Breath and Meditation session, Beyond Breath, with a live instructor to learn about SKY Breath Meditation.
Jyoti Jain is a culinary instructor, food blogger, and food photography enthusiast and has been teaching the Art of Wholesome Eating (AWE) class through the Art of Living Foundation for over 12 years. You can view more recipes at her personal blog www.jyotisorganickitchen.com.
