Since my parents host a small party for the Super Bowl nearly every year, I flew into town the Friday before so I could attend and catch up with some of our family friends that I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. But before my family and I headed to bed on the evening I arrived, I convinced them to go to our favorite brunch spot on Saturday morning—just not too early in the day so everyone could still sleep in!
So the following day, we drove to that particular restaurant a little under an hour away, yet when we arrived, we were surprised to find it twice as busy as normal, even in the very late morning. Thankfully, we only waited a few minutes for a table, and less than ten seconds after the hostess set menus down in front of us, we already knew what we wanted to eat.
My brother ordered a cheesy homestyle hash brown dish; Dad asked for a combination of chicken apple sausage, homestyle hash browns, and eggs over medium; and Mom and I opted for plates of steamed veggies with the same homestyle hash browns and a side of protein (scrambled eggs for her, grilled chicken for me). All fairly healthy choices, until…
Three of us ordered towering slices of supremely moist and tender blueberry coffee cake topped with a thick layer of cinnamon streusel. And two people asked for extra butter to slather all over the hot breakfast cake so it’d melt into all of the nooks and crannies for an extra rich and indulgent treat.
I left my slice untouched and boxed it up to take home and savor for dessert that evening, so I focused on enjoying the healthy plate in front of me at the restaurant instead. I finished all of my chicken and steamed veggies, and when I noticed Mom left half of her veggies untouched, she offered to let me bring them home too.
I happily agreed, so for dinner that evening, I polished off another round of the colorful steamed vegetables, along with some of the leftover potatoes, before diving into my blueberry coffee cake. With a wide variety of produce, everything from carrots and zucchini to cauliflower and purple cabbage, those steamed veggies really hit the spot!
When I flew home the day after the Super Bowl, I was still thinking about those delicious and healthy vegetables… So I chose two of my favorites from that wholesome brunch plate to make these Healthy Spiced Carrot Zucchini Muffins!
These muffins are supremely moist and tender with a cozy blend of spices permeating throughout every bite, and they’re packed with fresh carrots and zucchini. Yet unlike most store-bought muffins, these contain no refined flour or sugar and just 102 calories!
They’re just as irresistible as that restaurant’s blueberry coffee cake… And definitely much healthier!
Although I’m guessing my parents still might want theirs warm with extra butter… ?
So let’s go over how to make these healthy spiced carrot zucchini muffins!
You’ll start with white whole wheat flour and spices. Like I mentioned earlier, you need multiple spices! Cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. I love the strong, rich flavor of this cinnamon variety, and the allspice and nutmeg add an extra layer of coziness. I highly recommend using all three for the most delicious healthy spiced carrot zucchini muffins imaginable!
Maybe you’re tired of me sounding like a broken record… Or maybe this is the first time you’ve heard me say this? Either way, white whole wheat flour actually exists—and it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour!
Instead, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They have the same health benefits, like extra fiber, but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… And that lets the rich spice flavor and moist texture of your healthy spiced carrot zucchini muffins truly shine!
Unlike traditional muffin recipes that call for ¼ cup (or more!) of oil or butter to keep them moist, this recipe only requires ½ tablespoon. Yes, that’s it! That shaves off at least 440 calories, if not closer to 800… Which really helps keep your healthy spiced carrot zucchini muffins low fat and low calorie!
Then the rest of their tender texture comes from one of my favorite ingredients. If you’ve scrolled through my recipes before, you probably know what it is… Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture to your batter as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it also gives your healthy spiced carrot zucchini muffins a protein boost!
You’ll skip the refined granulated sugar and sweeten your muffins with another one of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). It’s also highly concentrated. You just need 2 ½ teaspoons to sweeten all 12 muffins!
This is the kind I buy because I love its flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. Although you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
And now it’s time for a…
Nerd Alert!
It may sound a little strange, but the secret ingredient in these muffins is actually something you probably keep in your pantry but don’t bake with very often. Any guesses?
That’s right. It’s…
Plain white vinegar! The vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base) to produce air bubbles. When you slide your baking sheet in the oven, that reaction and those air bubbles make your muffins rise better, and it also gives them a more moist and tender texture.
And I promise you can’t taste the vinegar in your fully baked muffins. You’ll just taste sweet and cozy spices in your healthy spiced carrot zucchini muffins!
But of course, I’m getting a little ahead of myself… You still need to add the vegetables! You’ll use freshly grated carrots and freshly grated zucchini in your healthy spiced carrot zucchini muffins.
I know it’s really tempting to buy pre-shredded ones at the store, but I highly recommend against that, especially when it comes to carrots. Those pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots) are much thicker and drier than freshly grated carrots, so your muffins won’t bake properly or have as moist of a texture if you sub those matchstick carrots.
Then before adding the zucchini to your muffin batter, you must thoroughly pat the zucchini dry with paper towels. The zucchini contains a lot more water than the carrots. If you don’t pat it dry first, the zucchini releases that water into the batter while your muffins bake… Which causes your muffins to turn out underdone and collapse while cooling. Not good.
It only takes an extra minute or two to pat your zucchini dry, but I promise it’s worth the effort! Just put a double thick layer of paper towels on a cutting board, spread your zucchini out on top, and firmly press down with a second double thicker layer of paper towels until both the top and bottom layers are completely soaked through.
One last tip! If using muffin liners like I did in these photos, you must coat your muffin liners with cooking spray. Low fat batters, like with these healthy spiced carrot zucchini muffins, tend to stick to liners (both paper and metallic!) like superglue. By coating your liners with cooking spray first, they peel away much more easily!
Whew! That was a lot of information, wasn’t it? But if you stayed with me up to this point, then all that’s left for you to do is slide your muffin pan into the oven…
And enjoy your delicious baked goodies! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your healthy spiced carrot zucchini muffins!
| Healthy Spiced Carrot Zucchini Muffins | | Print |
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30mL) plain white vinegar
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp (210mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 1 cups (107g) freshly grated carrots (about 2 medium, peeled first!)
- 1 cup (107g) freshly grated zucchini, thoroughly patted dry (see Notes!)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 12 muffins cups with liners and coat them with cooking spray.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining ¾ cup of milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the carrots and zucchini.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 26-29 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or with a few crumbs attached). Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat flour.
Remember to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much will make your muffins turn out dry.
This is my favorite kind of cinnamon! It has a stronger, richer, and sweeter flavor than regular cinnamon. (I buy it online here!)
The muffins require 2 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the muffins maintain their shape and texture while cooling.
For sweeter muffins, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ¼ or ½ teaspoon.
I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) I buy it online here. However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the muffins, substitute 1 cup (192g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar and reduce the milk to ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (90mL). You may also substitute ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (210mL) pure maple syrup, honey, or agave and omit the milk instead. The baking time may vary with either of those substitutions as well.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots). They’re too thick and dry, and they don’t soften properly while baking.
Measure the zucchini before patting it dry. You must pat it dry to remove the excess moisture because that excess moisture will cause the muffins to collapse while cooling. To pat the zucchini dry, lay a double-thick layer of paper towels onto a cutting board, and arrange the freshly shredded zucchini on top. Place another double-thick layer of paper towels on the zucchini, and firmly press down until the top towel layer turns completely wet. Repeat with a fresh set of double thick paper towels on top.
Do not use an electric mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in dense or tough muffins. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Spiced Chocolate Chip Zucchini Mini Muffins
♡ Healthy Morning Glory Zucchini Bread
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Mini Muffins
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Breakfast Quick Bread
♡ Healthy Lemon Zucchini Muffins
♡ Healthy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy muffin recipes!
Nice recipe: I put my grated zucchini in a dish towel aligning it along the diagonal, roll the other corners around it and wringing (twisting tightly as I can) it out completely over the sink. Then put it into a second dry towel and repeat. This removes most of the water. It is an effort, but works. Thanks for the suggestion about sugar replacement as I cannot eat stevia. I used1/2 cup and did not reduce the milk. found it to work great and be a nice moist crumb. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins! Thanks for including your modifications — I always love hearing what tweaks work! 🙂
I love zucchini muffins! They look so delicious and perfect for brunch!
So glad you think so Natalie! Thank you! 🙂