Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins

A muffin with a cup of tea -- or coffee -- hits the spot on a foggy morning like the ones we often experience during a Northern California summer (one of the reasons we love it so!). Waking up to a quiet blanket of gray mist until late morning is so very cozy, and it makes plants happy not to have the sun baking down on them all day. In other words, I'll take it. Along with a gluten free zucchini muffin, please.

There's no way around it - I love these muffins. A combination of gluten free all purpose flour and almond flours balances each other perfectly, resulting in muffins that are slightly hearty yet still nicely tender. Plenty of shredded zucchini adds moisture, and I love to add walnuts for a little crunch. And a little lemon zest added to the batter adds a pop of citrus goodness. Make sure to try my gluten free banana & zucchini bread or gluten free banana zucchini muffins, too.

Why I Love These Muffins

I'm not one to fool my kids by "sneaking" in vegetables to baked items, but I will say that my daughter took a bite of a muffin, identified the zucchini in it, and loved it anyway! The squash adds a subtle sweetness and texture to these muffins, which I adore. Some more highlights include:

• They're easy to make. No mixer needed - just whisk and stir.
• Add-in friendly. Make the recipe as written or try mixing in some nuts, chocolate, or dried fruit!
• The perfect summer-to-fall bridge. I'm not quite ready to let go of summer even in September, and these zucchini muffins are summery enough to keep me holding on to the last golden days of warmth while being cozy enough to serve on a cool, early fall morning.

Ingredients Needed

Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Gluten free flour - I developed this recipe using my homemade gluten free flour blend; feel free to use another 1:1 all-purpose gf flour by weight. Or, turn this into whole-grain muffins with brown rice flour or oat flour.
• Almond flour - I love adding fine-ground almond flour to bakes because it adds moisture and protein. If you don't eat nuts, substitute the almond flour with an equal amount of gluten-free flour.
• Granulated sugar
• Baking powder - Check to make sure your baking powder is fresh/within its expiration date so that you get the beautifully domed tops on these muffins.
• Cinnamon - For a hint of warmth. You can also try ground ginger or a combination.
• Salt - I use fine sea salt and table salt is fine, too.
• Lemon zest - It's OK to leave this out if you don't have a lemon on hand, but I love the brightness a hint of lemon adds.
• Eggs - Large eggs are best.
• Milk - Any type of milk works here, from whole to 2% to dairy-free milk.
• Oil - Use vegetable, canola, or even coconut oil.
• Zucchini - No need to peel the zucchini, but I do like to squeeze out the water before stirring it into the batter.

Add-In Ideas

• Chocolate chips - Semisweet or milk chocolate chips are never a bad idea.
• Nuts - Walnuts, pecans, pistachios ... chop them up and add about ½ cup to the batter for some crunch.
• Dried fruit - Dried cranberries, raisins, or golden raisins add a little extra flavor and texture.
• Shredded carrots - Up the vegetable ante by adding ½ cup of peeled, shredded carrots to the mix along with the shredded zucchini.

Tips & Substitution Suggestions

• How to grate the zucchini? Like many other recipes that call for zucchini, you won't need to peel the zucchini before adding it to the batter. Just give it a wash and trim the ends before beginning to grate it. I do a coarse grind on my box grater for these muffins to give them a bit of texture.
• Rest the batter - Gluten-free flour always benefits from a rest before baking. At least 20 minutes is ideal, although letting it rest while the oven heats also works well. This helps the flour to hydrate, resulting in a better texture after being baked!
• Fill the muffin cups ⅔ full for this recipe - While some muffin recipes advise filling the muffin cups to the brim, I've found that about ⅔ full is the sweet spot so that they rise nicely but don't overflow.
• Refined sugar-free - Swap maple syrup or coconut sugar for the sugar.
• Reduce the sugar - I like a sweet muffin, what can I say? However, if you like your muffins slightly less sweet, use ½ cup of sugar rather than ¾ cup of sugar.
• Dairy-free - Swap out the milk for dairy-free milk, or in a pinch, use water.
• Make whole grain muffins - Use your favorite whole grain gluten free flour, such as oat flour, sorghum flour, or brown rice flour, instead of the gluten-free all-purpose flour by weight.

Proper Storage

Always cool muffins thoroughly before placing them in an airtight container for storage because they may get soggy if they're added while still warm.

• Counter - Place fully cooled muffins in an airtight container and store them on the counter for up to 3 days. Make sure the muffins are thoroughly cooled before placing them in the storage container so that they don't get soggy.
• Fridge - Keep the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Store the muffins in a freezer-safe bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw the muffins completely in the fridge before eating them.