Healthy Eggnog Zucchini Mini Muffins

Yields: 32 mini muffins

I’m positively obsessed with these mini muffins! They’re full of cozy zucchini and warm spices, with a sweet eggnog flavor in the background. They’re lovely for Christmas morning breakfast, weekend brunches, or even a mid-afternoon snack! The muffins will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator (and they freeze well, too!).

2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
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 vanilla stevia, or adjusted to taste
½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
¾ cup + 2 tbsp (210mL) vegan “eggnog” or light eggnog
1 ½ cups (160g) grated zucchini, patted dry

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 32 mini muffin cups with paper liners, and lightly coat them with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and vanilla stevia. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of eggnog. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining eggnog, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Fold in the zucchini.
Spread the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes or until the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends will also work, if measured like this.

Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

As written, there’s a fairly strong spice flavor. If you aren’t a big fan of spices, decrease the ground nutmeg to ¼ to ½ teaspoon instead.

I highly recommend using the vanilla stevia! It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. I buy mine online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. If you prefer not to use the vanilla stevia, then substitute ½ cup (120mL) of pure maple syrup, honey or agave. If using this substitution, reduce the eggnog to 6 tablespoons (90mL), but remember, your mini muffins will have a very faint eggnog flavor instead.

This is the vegan “eggnog” that I use. If you can’t find it, this is another good option! (And you can use either in all of these recipes of mine, too!)

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 gently press down until the top towel turns completely wet.

This recipe will also make 12 standard-sized muffins, if you prefer. Bake at 350°F for 24-29 minutes or until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

{gluten-free, low fat, lower sugar}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/12/12/healthy-eggnog-zucchini-mini-muffins/