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

Blueberry Muffins (&silicone baking cups)

No, this is not a "gender reveal" muffin post. I'm not even pregnant, so don't even think about asking (see my last post re: gaining weight in the winter). When did having a "gender reveal" party even become popular? Did I miss something?

Babies were all I could think about when I was using these new silicone baking cups. I mean, they are pink & blue for crying out loud! Besides all the baby thoughts, I was trying to contain my excitement over these new cups I splurged on. We are definitely a muffin family. I love having a simple, handy snack or breakfast when we need to be somewhere before 9:00 (have you ever witnessed how slowly my kid eats?) And if we're going to treat ourselves with muffins, I just make sure they're not "too" much of a treat. I really don't like the overly-sweet muffins that most people looove. Don't get me wrong, every once in awhile, they're fine, but they're definitely not something I want lurking around our house constantly. When I make muffins,  I make them full of as many nutrients as possible. I fill them with things like bananas, blueberries, whole wheat flour, usually 1/2 the sugar (honey), applesauce, wheat germ, flax & yes, even vegetables get tossed in there (especially sweet potatoes, zucchini, & squash!) And no one ever complains... at least to my face (these whole wheat, pumpkin, walnut & chocolate chip muffin & whole wheat carrot walnut muffin recipes are two of our current favs).

My friend Angela is a fantastic baker, so I asked her about using silicone baking cups before I bought them. Although she had never tried silicone cups, she suggested going with the Wilton brand (a link is over in my "Favorite Things" widget on the right) & I definitely have not been disappointed. One of the reasons why I wanted to go with silicone is because I make so many muffins & to be honest, I'm just so sick of buying muffin liners & throwing them away. It seems like such a waste of money! But if you start reading reviews, you will see them all over the board. Some people love them, some just can't conform.

But I'm a believer. All I did to "prep" these bad boys was wash them in warm, soapy water & let them air dry. Some people suggest doing an additional step of spraying them with vegetable oil the first time you use them, but I didn't & had no troubles. I also popped the muffins out immediately after I took them out of the oven & they came out quite easily. Some people will tell you to wait until they have cooled, but I had luck with the hot muffins (just be careful to not burn yourself on all of the gooey hot blueberriness).

What are your favorite muffins or go-to items for a quick, nutritious snack?

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup agave nectar (you could also use honey, but maybe a bit more than 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 3/4 cups blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line your muffin pan with liners (try silicone!)

In a small bowl, combine whole wheat flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, ground flax seed, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt & stir to combine. In the large bowl of an electric mixer beat together agave nectar, oil, bananas, eggs, & yogurt until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients just until combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Divide mixture between the prepared muffins cups, filling each one until almost full.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. If using silicone baking cups, take the muffins out immediately & let cool at least 5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from: Cherionice.com

(This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you purchase something from amazon, I will get a small compensation).

Whole Wheat Pumpkin, Walnut, & Chocolate Chip Muffins

I may or may not have eaten 2 or 3 of these immediately after baking them. I've been on the near-constant hunt for healthier alternatives to heavy muffins, & I'm not sure these are really "them" but they are quite a treat & don't contain any processed sugar (yah!)

Whole Wheat Pumpkin, Walnut, & Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup demerera

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin pans or line them with liners. In a large bowl or mixer, mix the flour, demerara, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Make a well in the center & put in the  eggs, pumpkin, apple sauce, & honey. Mix just until the dry ingredients are absorbed. Mix in nuts & chips. Spoon into muffin pan until they are 2/3 full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a tooth pic comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Whole Wheat Carrot Walnut Muffins

I made these beauties last night. They are the perfect "breakfast" when John has to go to work early or when I need a midnight snack. Or more like any time snack. And the best part is that they are made with whole wheat flour & are white sugar free. Oh yeah, & they taste amazing!

Whole Wheat Carrot Walnut Muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

1/4 cup demerara

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup  unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 carrot, grated

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Using butter grease a muffin tin, or line the tin with paper liners. Next, prepare the carrot by chopping it into 1 – 2 inch pieces & pulsing in the food processor. It’s so much easier than sitting there grating the carrot.

Next, combine dry ingredients in one bowl & the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients & lightly mix. Once just combined mix in the carrots & walnuts. (Note: I like to additionally pulse my walnuts in the food processor to make them nice & small.)

Once everything is combined, using a regular sized ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into your buttered muffin tin. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until when tested with a toothpick the toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from Living Lou