Fresh Zucchini Muffins

In summertime, when zucchini are extremely affordable at the grocery store and there are home gardeners around willing to unload these on unsuspecting neighbors, this is one of my favorite zucchini recipes to make. And kids have no idea there may be a vegetable or two lurking inside, which makes them even better.

To make these a tad bit more “healthy” the oil has been substituted in part with yogurt and applesauce. You can also substitute 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour to get some extra grains in these as well. Top these muffins with a bit of cream cheese frosting and they are practically a treat!

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/3 cup of oil

1/3 cup applesauce

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 cup well drained crushed pineapple (optional)

3 cup flour 

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Bake in muffin cups at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes, or until done.