Zucchini Bread Muffin Tops
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These chewy zucchini bread muffin tops make a great running-out-the-door breakfast or snack, and kids adore them, too! Naturally-sweetened with applesauce and dates, they have no added sugars (the optional chocolate chunks can easily be swapped for walnuts), and they pack in 1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini. One of my favourite things about these muffin tops—aside from the great taste, of course—is that they aren’t crumbly once cooled, so they’re virtually mess-free (a huge bonus if feeding young kids) and pack well for outings, picnics, and road trips. #winning
Yield
14 to 16 muffin tops
Prep Time
15 Minutes
Cook time
20 Minutes
Total Time
35 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (170 g) lightly packed grated zucchini*
- 1 cup (225 g) packed pitted Medjool dates**
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- 2 cups (200 g) gluten-free rolled oats, divided
- 1/2 cup (50 g) dark chocolate or walnuts, chopped (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Grate the zucchini. With paper towel or an absorbent tea towel, gently press out some of the water in the zucchini (just a bit...it doesn’t have to be bone dry). Set aside.
- Add the pitted dates, applesauce, melted oil, cinnamon, baking powder, vanilla, and salt into a heavy-duty food processor. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Let the processor run for at least a minute to ensure the mixture gets as smooth as possible.
- Add in 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats and process for only 4 to 5 seconds, just long enough to roughly chop the oats.
- Remove the processor bowl from the base, remove the blade, and spoon the dough into a large bowl. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup rolled oats, all the zucchini, and the chocolate or walnuts (if using) until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon a mound of dough, about 2 to 3 tablespoons worth, onto the baking sheet. Do not press down on the dough to flatten—simply leave it in a small mound. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
- Bake the muffin tops for around 18 to 22 minutes, until semi-firm to the touch and golden brown on the bottom.
- Transfer the baking sheet onto a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
- Using a spatula, carefully slide each muffin top directly onto a plate and chill in the fridge until completely cool. (The muffin tops will be delicate and doughy in the middle until they are cooled and chilled in the fridge. I find they taste best chilled, too!) Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, or you can freeze them (tightly wrapped and sealed in an airtight container) for 2 to 4 weeks.
* I use the regular-size grate hole on the grater box. This produces muffins with visible strands of zucchini. If you’d like the zucchini completely undetectable, you can try using the finest grate hole. Just keep in mind that zucchini that's grated more finely will pack more densely when measuring, so you may want to use only 1 cup as opposed to 1 1/2 cups.
** Make sure you use very soft Medjool dates. If your dates are firm, soak them in hot water until softened (and then drain) before proceeding with recipe.
Want in on a little secret? I save dirtying a mixing bowl and carefully stir the 1/2 cup of oats, zucchini, and mix-ins directly into the processor bowl. It’s not an easy feat (which is why I provided the mixing bowl option), but because my processor is fairly large, with some finesse I can make it work. Feel free to use whichever method you prefer!