Paleo Zucchini Muffins

Paleo zucchini muffins are gluten free, grain free, and refined sugar free! Made with almond flour and sweetened with bananas, these veggie packed muffins are the best breakfast or snack.

Paleo Zucchini Muffins | gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, Whole30, easy, healthy, banana, almond butter, baking | hungrybynature.com

Every since I was diagnosed with Celiacs in December, my baking life has been a little unsteady.

I’ve loved baking baked goods ever since I can remember. Growing up I had the exact same birthday cake every single year – a chocolate bundt cake with a cream cheese and chocolate chip filling with chocolate ganache. The smell of chocolate chip cookies is probably my favorite smell in the world. And I rarely meet an cinnamon roll I don’t like.

Paleo Zucchini Muffins | gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, Whole30, easy, healthy, banana, almond butter, baking | hungrybynature.com

And as I have aged, my love for baked goods turned into a love for baking. Baking became very therapeutic for me and I always find refuge in the kitchen.

But gluten free baking is not very therapeutic.

Paleo Zucchini Muffins | gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, Whole30, easy, healthy, banana, almond butter, baking | hungrybynature.com

Gluten free baking has been a bit of a challenge for the obvious reason – flour. Do I use an all-purpose GF flour blend? Do I try grain free flours like chickpea or coconut? Baking is a science; it’s chemistry. And any sort of change – especially a change to the main ingredient – has ripple effects throughout the whole recipe.

Through my short time experimenting with different flours, I discovered that I reallllly like baking with almond flour. It makes baked goods ultra soft (cookies have an almost cake-like texture), doesn’t leave an almond flavor, and is made 100% from almonds.

So today, we’re baking with almond flour and making Paleo Zucchini Muffins!

Paleo Zucchini Muffins | gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, Whole30, easy, healthy, banana, almond butter, baking | hungrybynature.com

These paleo zucchini muffins are phenomenal – they are grain free, gluten free, and refined sugar free! They are soft and moist, not too dense, and definitely not crumbly like lots of gluten free goods.

Super ripe bananas serve as the sweetener in these muffins. AND there is a cup of zucchini in there too. What more could you want?!

Paleo Zucchini Muffins | gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, Whole30, easy, healthy, banana, almond butter, baking | hungrybynature.com

Nothing. There is nothing more that I want… except maybe chocolate. These muffins would be real good with a little dark chocolate thrown into the mix; they are totally guilt-free as is, so why not add in a little bit of the good stuff 😉 OH! And you can, of course, top them with grain free granola before you bake! In fact, I hiiiiighly suggest it.

Paleo Zucchini Muffins | gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, Whole30, easy, healthy, banana, almond butter, baking | hungrybynature.com
 Tell me: Have you tried gluten free baking?

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Paleo Zucchini Muffins | gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, Whole30, easy, healthy, banana, almond butter, baking | hungrybynature.com

Paleo Zucchini Muffins

  • Author: Ellie
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 9 muffins 1x
  • Category: Breakfast, Snack

Description

Paleo zucchini muffins are gluten free, grain free, and refined sugar free! Made with almond flour and sweetened with bananas, these veggie packed muffins are the best breakfast or snack.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 bananas, mashed*
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed in paper towels to remove as much water as possible

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin.
  2. Prepare the wet ingredients: in a large bowl, mash the bananas and add in the egg, almond butter, and vanilla. Stirring to combine.
  3. Prepare the dry ingredients: whisk together the almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until fully incorporated.
  5. Fold in the grated zucchini. Divide between 9 muffin tins.
  6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Cool in muffin tins for 10 minutes and then remove and finish cooling on a cooling rack.
  8. Store at room temp for 3 days or up to a week in the fridge.

Notes

*Can substitute with 3/4 cup applesauce.

This recipe was adapted from Fit Mitten Kitchen’s Simple Paleo Banana Muffins.

Don’t forget to pin for later!

Paleo Zucchini Muffins | gluten free, grain free, refined sugar free, Whole30, easy, healthy, banana, almond butter, baking | hungrybynature.com

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32 thoughts on “Paleo Zucchini Muffins

  1. jess larson | plays well with butter

    love these, ellie! a couple of my besties have celiacs & i never know what to serve them when we’re having a get-together. definitely pinning this one for our next brunch! (plus, of course adding the chocolate…because, why not?!) xx

    Reply
    1. Ellie Post author

      Perfect! Literally as I was sticking these in the oven I realized I should have added chocolate- but they are still fab as is!

      Reply
  2. Allie @ Miss Allie's Kitchen

    this IS everything I want! Ahhhh! I have the hardest time with muffins so THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  3. Emily

    they are GORGEOUS Ellie! Have you checked out Kristy @Southern In Law’s blog. She has so many amazing Celiac recipes too.

    Reply
    1. Ellie Post author

      Hi Sharon! There are a few things you could substitute… Greek yogurt is a great option and it will increase the protein in the recipe. You could also substitute apple sauce or pumpkin puree! Let me know if you give these a try and how the substitute works!

      Reply
        1. Ellie Post author

          I would do 3/4 cup – that is approximately how much two medium bananas mashes down to. Let me know how it turns out!

          Reply
  4. Sharon

    Ellie, I tried the recipe with 3/4 unsweetened applesauce instead of the bananas and it worked great! They’re delicious!

    Reply
    1. Ellie Post author

      Thanks Nick! I have not tried this recipe with coconut flour. But if you do, I could sub the 1 cup of almond flour for 1/4 cup coconut flour. Coconut flour is super absorbent so you do not need much. Let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
    1. Ellie Post author

      Hi Lauren! You can easily sub any nut butter you have – I have made these muffins with cashew butter and peanut butter too and both were delicious!

      Reply
  5. Phyllis Martin-Butler

    Ellie,
    I so want to try these muffins; but, I don’t use eggs. Would this work with the “flax seed/water” egg replacement?
    Phyllis

    Reply
    1. Ellie Post author

      Hi Phyllis! I’ve never tried these with a flax egg before, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work! If you give it a try, please let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
  6. Phyllis Butler

    Ellie, Thanks for your reply. Since you haven’t tried them with the egg replacement, I’ll give it a go!! Will let you know how they come out.
    Looking forward to following you on your site. With this first visit, I’m impressed with your generousity in sharing your knowledge and providing a “space” here for others to share their comments.
    Phyllis

    Reply
    1. Ellie Post author

      Yes, please do!! Oh thank you so much Phyllis. I am so happy you found me and my site and that I am able to provide this space for you! I appreciate you being here!

      Reply
  7. Phyllis

    Ellie, so sorry to report that my attempt at this recipe did not turn out well at all. I’m not convinced it was the use of the egg replacement. I believe it was in the other ingredients I used. Since I make my own Almond Milk, I end up with the almond pulp. Having been raised in a very large family (I’m the youngest of my parents’ 14 children), I learned at an early age to “waste not want not”; so, of course, I dehydrate the pulp, grind it & sift it. I also do not blanch & skin the almonds for my almond milk, making the use of the pulp more of an almond meal than flour. As a result, it isn’t as fine as almond flour. I also make my own almond butter, which is somewhat thicker than the store bought version with the 2 inches of oil on the top that takes forever to stir in!! The batter ended up being very thick and did not cook through, even after doubling the baking period (no surprise there I guess!). Oh well, it was an experiment. I’ll continue the experiment in the morning when I cut one in half and put it under the broiler and see it that gooey middle will finish cooking. If that fails, I take solice in knowing that here in New Hampshire Winter is nearly upon us (and that means hockey season. You know where I’m going with this don’t you?!!!) As I said, “waste not want not”!! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes; but, perhaps something other than muffins next time.

    Reply
    1. Ellie Post author

      Thank you for reporting back! I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you. But I know you will put them to good use!

      Reply
  8. Taj

    I also had issues with this recipe. Followed all instructions carefully, but the muffins were very gooey even after baking quite some time. Maybe a reduction in the almond butter quantity is needed? They taste… not quite done. 🙁

    Reply
    1. Ellie Post author

      I’m so sorry to hear that Taj. If they were still pretty gooey and wet inside, I would really try and remove as much water as possible from the zucchini – sometimes I place the shredded zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt to draw out any extra water even before I squeeze it out with paper towels. The size of the bananas could also make a difference! It should yield around 3/4 cup of mashed banana.

      Reply

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