Mini Zucchini Muffins
A couple of years ago, I found myself needing a nut free lunch option for a picky elementary aged student. I experimented with a few options, but my son enjoyed these mini zucchini muffins the most!
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Nut Free School Lunch
My son is a super picky eater, despite the grand plans I had when he was a baby. When I could no longer pack a PB&J for lunch, I tried these mini zucchini muffins instead. Feel free to tweak the recipe to suit your kid’s own tastes.
I would pack four of these little muffins as his main lunch staple. I am no dietary expert. The rest of his lunch included fruits, veggies, and a snack. This worked best for his food needs, but I suggest you do what makes most sense for your family.
Mini Zucchini Muffins
This recipe is based off of my brother’s healthy zucchini bread recipe, though I’ve made some changes. I felt like this was a good school lunch option because it packs in veggies, fruit, and whole grains.
I also loved being able to make a batch of mini zucchini muffins and have over two weeks worth of school lunches. To store, I wrapped them up in four packs, then placed them into a giant bag in the freezer. Each week, I’d take a couple out and store them in the fridge for an easy grab and pack lunch.
Chocolate Protein Powder
With whole wheat flour and a bit of cocoa powder in the mix, a dash of chocolate protein powder helps create a light brown muffin with a yummy flavor. From what I understand, not all protein powders work the same when baking. For what it’s worth, I used Optimum Nutrition chocolate protein powder.
Not everyone may want to include protein powder in their kid’s lunch. For us, this was a small amount that could add a bit of needed protein to his meal.
Toppings
I experimented with sunflower seeds, mini chocolate chips, and turbinado sugar on top of the muffin batter. Ben’s favorite by far was the turbinado sugar. He loathes sunflower seeds/ butter, so he didn’t even try that. The chocolate chips were okay in his opinion, just not a fave.
Including sunflower seeds in the batter and on top would be a great way to cram more nutrients into this recipe. So if your child likes them, I highly recommend that option!
Related Reading: Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
Skip the Liner
The first time I made these, I used mini cupcake liners in my pan. That was a blunder. The batter stuck to them and made a mess to separate the finished muffin from the paper.
After that, I simply sprayed my mini cupcake pans with baking spray, making sure they were well coated. With a little help from my thin plastic spatula, I could easily remove the muffins from the pans.
Enjoy!
Whether you choose to make these mini zucchini muffins as a nut free lunch option, or simply as a tasty little snack, I hope you enjoy this recipe! The little muffins are soft, moist, and just sweet enough.
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Mini Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 oz whole wheat flour
- 3 oz cake flour
- 3 Tbsp chocolate protein powder
- 1 Tbsp wheat germ
- 1 Tbsp cake enhancer optional
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 7 oz unsweetened applesauce
- 3 oz light brown sugar
- 4 fl oz canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 fl oz whole milk
- 5 oz shredded zucchini
- 3 oz mini chocolate chips
- Turbinado sugar for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Liberally spritz two mini muffin pans with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add flours, protein powder, wheat germ, cake enhancer (if using), baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add applesauce, light brown sugar, oil, eggs, and milk. Whisk to combine. Add the shredded zucchini. Stir until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold gently to combine. Once the mixture is nearly incorporated, add the mini chocolate chips. Fold until just combined.
- Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to divide the batter among the prepared pans. Top each muffin with a pinch of turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake until a skewer comes out with only a few moist crumbs, about 10- 11 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 5- 10 minutes. Slide a thin spatula or knife around the edges to loosen, then transfer the mini muffins to a cooling rack.
Notes
- I usually get between 44- 48 mini muffins.
Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
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