Blueberry zucchini plantain muffins (vegan, grain-free, nut-free, AIP)

Zucchini bread is one of those things that always surprised me when I was little. Something that sounded so icky always tasted amazing.

Now, I realize it was probably because of all the sugar in there. Seriously, guys. I just looked up a standard zucchini bread recipe out of curiosity and the first two I clicked on had AT LEAST TWO CUPS OF SUGAR. This is not food. At least not food you should be eating on a regular basis.

As I always say, I want anything I bake to be healthy enough to consume as breakfast food. Ideally, I hope it will also be nourishing, filling and sustaining. These muffins are a solid candidate. They do have natural sugars from plantains and blueberries, but when they are combined with fat and fibre, it makes for a much more satisfying treat in the long run. The two cups’ worth of zucchini doesn’t hurt, and somehow, you can barely taste it.

I like to gently warm these in the toaster oven (unless they’re freshly baked) and eat them with a smear of nut or seed butter, like my pumpkin seed butter, for a full breakfast. Since they are made from highly perishable fresh ingredients, I recommend keeping them in the fridge or freezer.

Plantains are nice and starchy, which keeps this recipe simple; it doesn’t require any additional starches or binders, unlike many recipes that use coconut and/or tiger nut flour. You can learn more about tiger nuts on my chocolate pudding tart post. In addition, the water from the zucchini works in lieu of wet ingredients, a double-bonus because: a. You don’t have to squeeze out the zucchini, which is always a little messy. b. You don’t need to add in any milk or other liquid.

I have made these with absolutely zero added sugar, so they are kind of savoury. I love that. If you need a touch of sweetness, feel free to drizzle a little honey on top or add a couple tablespoons to the batter. Just don’t go overboard. Please, don’t put in two cups of sugar. You don’t need it. And if you do it and I find out, I will cry. And so will you, because you will be hungry all morning. Got it?

Blueberry zucchini plantain muffins

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 22 mins

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Keyword: AIP, autoimmune disease, autoimmune paleo, butternut squash, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, plantains, tiger nuts, vegan, vegetarian, zucchini

Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 plantains yellow with a hint of green

½ cup coconut oil softened

2 cups zucchini shredded (2-3 zucchinis)

¾ cup tigernut flour

⅓ cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.*

2. In a food processor or high speed blender, combine the plantains and coconut oil until smooth.

3. Combine the plantain mixture with the shredded zucchini in a large bowl. No need to squeeze the zucchini; the liquid will contribute to the texture without the need to add additional wet ingredients.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the tigernut flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

5. Pour in the dry ingredients and stir until fully combined.

6. Gently fold in the berries and distribute evenly in the muffin tin.

7. Bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

8. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the muffin tin.

9. Store in the fridge or freezer; due to the high volume of perishable ingredients, they will only last for a couple of days at room temperature.

Notes

Tip: Make your coconut oil last longer by using the residual coconut oil from the recipe (on the spoon/measuring cup) to grease the pan.