Sweet Potato Zucchini Muffins

My perfect day would always involve a hearty muffin. Nothing too sweet, nothing too dense. Just hearty & delicious. When done right, they really are the perfect snack/treat no matter what the situation.

Right after Ruby was born, one of my friends brought over a large ziplock bag full of mini zucchini muffins. She labeled them "midnight nursing treats" & they were the best! Nursing made me super hungry, & mini muffins are just so easy to pop in your mouth, so it was a complete score.

My kid is the world's slowest eater at breakfast (usually when we need to be somewhere). Muffins can be the perfect breakfast on the go, minus the crumb factor.

And then there's just general business. Muffins are great when you need a little pick-me-up & don't have time to make something really healthy. They freeze well, too, so like in my case, I usually make 2 or 3 batches of a particular muffin we like, freeze the majority of them & then take them out as needed.

Although my husband could eat Kwik Trip muffins for the rest of his life, I know we are just too good for that. Those are pure sugar bombs & although I will admit that their double chocolate muffins just might be one of the most rich & chocolaty treat I've had, I shudder to read the ingredients,

My friends, these muffins I share with you are really the best of both worlds. They are hearty, they are mildly sweet, & guess what? There are 2 different veggies packed in them (plus 1 fruit). The veggies aren't hidden in puree form, so they make a sort of confetti look (one that Ruby generally picks out & squeals, "spinach!" before shoving it in her mouth).

I might be one of the only people who would prefer a more savory muffin to the crumb topped sugary ones, but I think that even the traditional muffin enjoyers would be satisfied by this muffin. If you're looking for a few other simple muffin recipes, check these ones out too:

• Blueberry muffins
• Whole wheat pumpkin, walnut & chocolate chip muffins
• Whole wheat carrot walnut muffins

I have a whole board on pinterest dedicated to muffins. Looks like I need to try out a few more recipes in the near future. What are your favorite muffin recipes?

Sweet Potato Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup demerara sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup milk
1 overripe mashed banana
2 tbsp ground flax seed (+4 tbsp water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated sweet potato

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a box grater or food processor, grate 1 cup of fresh zucchini (it took about three small zucchinis). Peel 1 medium sweet potato & do the same.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl & stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine 2 tbsp ground flax with 1/4 cup water & set aside to thicken into a “flax egg.” Once thickened, combine all wet ingredients & add to the dry mixing bowl.

Grease your muffin pan (unless you are using silicone cups, there there's no need!) & spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown & cooked through. If using silicone cups, pop them out of the cups immediately & allow them to cool on a cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from The Daily Garnish