Healthy Zucchini Banana Muffins
These gluten-free zucchini banana muffins are loaded with healthy nutrients and taste too good to be true. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and can be made paleo and low carb as well.
Soft and fluffy, sweetened only with bananas, sweet potatoes, and a touch of decadent chocolate chips, this zucchini banana muffin recipe is to die for.
I seriously cannot think of a better way to sneak some veggies into a recipe.
Just like my :
Not only is this made with zucchini, but it has sweet potatoes in it too!
The zucchini is shredded up so it’s super fine and you can’t even tell it’s in there, making this a perfect recipe for those little rascals who don’t like to eat their veggies!
The other great thing about this recipe is that you can easily switch it up with other ingredients that you like in your muffins.
Some of my favorite are walnuts, pecans, and/or berries.
Ingredients Needed to Make Zucchini Banana Muffins
You guys know I like to keep my recipes simple, tasty, and easy to make and this one is no different.
All you need is 7 simple ingredients to make these yummy banana zucchini muffins!
You will need:
- Medium zucchinis
- Eggs
- Ripe Banana
- Steamed or Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Coconut flour
- Almond butter
- Chocolate chips
You can swap out any nut butter that you like to use in your recipes if you don’t want to use almond butter.
I love using peanut butter (not paleo) but any smooth nut butter will work too.
The nut butter is a healthy source of fats and protein that you can use in place of butter in baked recipes and make it more heart-healthy.
How to Make Zucchini Muffins
First, using a box grater, grate the zucchinis into fine shreds.
Drain the water out of the zucchini shreds by placing them in a nut milk bag or paper towel and squeezing out as much water as you can
You will need 1 cup of zucchini shreds AFTER draining.
Make sure to really squeeze out as much as you can because if there is too much water in the zucchini it could lead to soggy muffins that fall apart.
Second, take all of your wet ingredients: eggs, banana, sweet potatoes, and almond butter and mix them together.
Do not add the zucchini or chocolate chips in yet.
Add your dry ingredients to the wet and thoroughly combine.
Then, gently fold in the zucchini shreds and add chocolate chips (if using) to the batter before baking.
Bake muffins at 375 F for about 27 – 30 minutes; until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
What’s the Best Way to Shred Zucchini?
Shredding zucchini and adding it to your baked goods is a great way to sneak extra veggies in without anyone knowing.
I personally prefer to use a box grater, because the small holes grate the zucchini so that it’s super fine and can basically go unnoticed once baked.
I’ve also used the medium size holes on the grater and found there to be more noticeable pieces of the zucchini here and there.
If you choose to use the smaller holes to shred the zucchinis, the zucchini will pretty much dissolve in the muffins once baked.
So take your pick! You can use either size, just depends on what you prefer for texture!
What Can I Substitute Sweet Potatoes with in Zucchini Muffins?
Using sweet potatoes in baked goods is a great way to add extra nutrients such as
- Vitamin A
- Beta carotene
- Fiber
But it also adds a pretty orange hue and helps to give the muffins a richer texture.
When using sweet potatoes in a recipe, you will need to bake them first so they are soft and can be easily mixed.
To make the sweet potato mash, roast your potatoes in the oven at 400 F for about 40-50 minutes, or steam for an hour (depending on the size of sweet potatoes).
Peel off the skin and mash up the potato. One medium-sized potato yields approximately 1 cup of sweet potato mash.
I love baking with sweet potatoes, but if you don’t like them or you are just trying to keep the recipe on the low carb side instead:
- Applesauce
- Pumpkin puree
How to Store Healthy Zucchini Banana Muffins
These muffins will hold up really well if you want to freeze them and keep them longer
So you can totally make a larger batch and use this as one of your meal prep recipes for a perfect on-the-go healthy breakfast or snack.
You can also keep them in an air tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Have you ever made sweet potato muffins? Leave a comment below!
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS
More Healthy Muffin Recipes you may like:
1. Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
2. Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins {Video}
3. Paleo Morning Glory Muffins (Gluten Free)
Get the recipe:Healthy Zucchini Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup ripe bananas 2 medium
- 1 cup cooked sweet potatoes cooled
- 1/2 cup peanut butter *
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup coconut flour, packed **
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips divided
- a pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar, optional ***
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, drained ~ 2 medium zucchinis
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F
- Cut the ends and stems of the zucchinis. Use a box cheese grater to shred them. Then drain it using a nut milk bag/cheesecloth, or several paper towels. Measure the drained zucchinis for 1 cup. And set aside.
- Mash all the wet ingredients – ripe bananas, cooked sweet potatoes, peanut butter, eggs or pulse in a food processor until smooth,
- Combine the dry ingredients – coconut flour baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Mix well then fold in shredded zucchinis and 2/3 of the chocolate chips.
- Grease muffin cups or muffin pan down with some coconut oil. Evenly divide up the muffin batter into the cups. Fill it up close to the top.
- Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top and an extra pinch of sea salt (optional). Bake for 27 – 30 minutes until toothpick come out clear after sticking through the middle.
- Let it cool for 10 – 15 minutes then rest them on a cooling rack. Store in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- *You can also use cashew butter or almond butter instead for a paleo option.
- **Make sure to pack the coconut flour tight in the measuring cup to get the accurate amount.
- ***Coconut Sugar is optional. it won’t affect the texture.
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
Loved these muffins! Great texture and flavor, will definitely make again.
I substituted the potato for pumpkin purée, and did everything else the same. They were way too moist this way. Suggestions?
I just made these and they were way more delicious than I thought they were going to be! I used cashew butter instead of peanut, I added the optional coconut sugar and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. I cooked them in my ninja foodi on Air Crisper setting, 170 degrees Celsius for 14 minutes and they came out perfect! Planning to freeze them for quick breastfeeding snacks. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Shivi,
So glad that you love it. I have so many muffins stocked up in the freezer and it sure comes in handy postpartum right now 🙂
Shuang
Definitely recommend making these! I found that they’re actually better the next day heated up. Very tasty and they make for a great breakfast or snack!
Hi Liz,
Yes totally agreed! I love the texture even more overnight. So glad you enjoyed them!
Shuang