Hello love Muffins…
I must confess, I love muffins.
Great for a quick breakfast, I often make a dozen of these Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins and keep them in the freezer. All you need to do is pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds and run out the door.
One of my standards has been a 92 Calorie Zucchini Protein Muffin, but this week I made a new favorite: Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins.
The zucchini and the pumpkin puree make this super-moist pumpkin bread-esque breakfast muffin.
Muffins for breakfast are usually more of a “treat” food for me because they are SO high in sugar.
If I eat a lot of sugar for breakfast, I crash hard a few hours later at work.
These muffins are a different story. I have been experimenting with xylitol and managed to get the sugar content down to only 5g! Xylitol is a naturally-occurring sugar substitute derived from berries, mushrooms, and other fruits.
Xylitol can be hard to find – I stumbled upon it by accident while checking out a new (to me) natural foods store. I recommend ordering it online if you can’t find it at a local store. It’s well-worth the shipping/extra effort because it doesn’t have that fake taste so many other sugar replacers have.
While there is some sweetener, these muffins aren’t super sweet. If you like a sugary breakfast muffin, try adding a few dates to the mix.
[Tweet “Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins – a healthy, low-sugar fall breakfast!”]
Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
- 1 C whole grain pastry flour
- 1/2 C spelt flour (or protein powder)*
- 1 C quick-cooking oats
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 3/4 C Xylitol (or your favorite sweetener)
- 1/4 C brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (the kind in the carton)
- 1 egg (or flax egg)
- 1 C pumpkin puree
- 1/3 C coconut oil
- 1 C grated zucchini (1 medium)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12-muffin tin with cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix dry ingredients together.
In medium bowl mix together milk, egg, and pumpkin. Add oil, stirring quickly so it doesn’t solidify.
Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring until just combined. Mix in zucchini.
Divide evenly among tins and bake for 20 mins.
Notes:
- If you don’t have spelt flour, you could use protein powder. I like Growing Naturals.
- You can replace the xylitol with white sugar or another sugar replacer.
- The coconut milk can be replaced with regular milk or another milk-like substance. If you don’t use vanilla-flavored, add a teaspoon of vanilla to the wet ingredient mix.
- Use a flax egg to makes these vegan.
Approximate Nutritionals (for 1 muffin): 150 calories, 7.5g fat, 18.9g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, 5.3g sugar, 2.9g protein.
***
Xylitol bonus: it’s good for your teeth!
Do you use sugar replacers?
What’s your favorite breakfast muffin?
Can’t wait to try these out! Have fun at FoodBuzz! 🙂
I love pumpkin muffins, but have never tried zucchini for any of my baking. I’m curious though, there must be *something* to zucchini pastries!
It’s really good! You can’t taste it, but it adds a fantastic moistness (though that work makes me shudder).
Oh these look so delicious!! Love your recipe! Have fun at the Foodbuzz Festival, wish I was going! 🙂
I’m a muffin monster. I love all kinds, and I enjoy making them. Now that I know how well my food processor shreds things, I’ll probably make these or some carrot ones soon.
I’m convinced your yumliciousness knows no boundaries. You’re kickin’ out some serious fall goodies lately. Well done!!! 🙂
The texture on those looks perfect. I haven’t tried xylitol yet but I’ve heard good things about it.
Be careful about xylitol if you have dogs!!! Its is highly poisonous to them! That being said I’m going to try these using stevia, they look yummy!
I love muffins too and love healthier versions even more! Thanks for the recipe!
Gah! So jealous you’re going to Foodbuzz!! I wish I were going! Have so much fun and take lots of pictures!!
I definitely dabble in sugar replacers from time to time – I love trying to make food healthier while keeping the taste! I love agave and sugar in the raw the best 🙂
It’s been awesome so far – wish you were here!! I just met Tyler Florence. 🙂
I want to eat these!!! Thank you for the AWESOME healthy muffin ideas. I need as many of these as possible! I was just talking about how in the winter I don’t get as many veggies/fruits in my breakfast because I’m not in the mood for smoothies or cold fruit. This is the perfect alternative! Genius- yet again! I’m not going to make it to foodbuzz 🙁 I wish I was! Have so much fun!
Thank you!!! You’ll have to go next year. 🙂
Congrats on your Top 9! Liking the look of these muffins. They look very healthy and yet very tasty – the two don’t always go together.
Have a wonderful time at Foodbuzz!
Thank you – I totally agree. I want my “healthy” food to be also be delicious!
I’m a hard core glutton and never use sugar replacers. 😉
Rock on, Glutton! Cheering for LSU or ‘Bama?
I’ll let you know after the game. 😉
Haha – I’m picking ‘Bama. But I really don’t care – just want to see a good game.
I’ve slipped back into the habit of sugary muffins… :/ need to knock it on the head as I actually really like less sweet ones! Yours look great and I love courgette (zucchini) so happy to sneak it in anyway I can!! Have fun at foodbuzz!! Sooo wish I could attend!
Those look good. What natural foods store did you find the xylitol in? Have fun at Foodbuzz!
Rainbow Food. Their hot bar rocks too, btw.
Have fun at the Foodbuzz festival! That’ll be tons of fun…can’t wait to read your recap of it!
I forget my toast at least once a week when I’m running out the door. I relate. The muffins sound great!
Ah, this recipe is a bit beyond my lazy-no-pumpkin-puree capabilties but it looks delicious, and I’m definitely going to check out your protein muffin!
Literally LOL, the leaving the muffin behind comment was just too funny! Very interesting info about xylitol. The muffins look delicious 🙂
I love muffins too! and like you, portion them out by freezing them. I’m not familiary with Xylitol and will definitely be looking into find it. Great recipe!
That is a yummy looking muffin!! I wish I had one right now!
YEAH! I am so very excited that you posted these…now I need to go make them.
Laura you do an amazing job and I just think you need to hear it every now and then.
Keep up the good work.
Wow – you just made my day. Thank you so, so much for your kind words.
Please let me know what you think if you try these out. I’d love to get your take. 🙂
Your first words: love muffins. I knew that we had something greatly in common. I am the type of baker that these muffins would fit right into my kitchen. Thanks! Can’t wait to try them!
Thank you! Let me know if you do – I love seeing others’ iterations. 🙂
Pumpkin and Zucchini muffins sounds SO delicious right now! And a 92 calorie zucchini muffin?? What?? When did this happen? I need to make those this instant….actually I need to make these too!
LOL! I love a low-cal muffin. These are great. Even though they’re over 100 cals – its all good stuff. 🙂
Mmmm I am late to the party on this one, but these muffins look amazing… i love zuke muffs. Great recipe with the coconut oil. I need to get some!
Coconut oil is the best! If you have a farmers market, get it there vs. Whole Foods. It’s much cheaper.
They sound delicious! I love trying new recipes, don’t know where I will find the whole grain and svelte flour. I will also try Turbinado sugar instead of white. I stay away from white sugar and don’t like the Stevia after taste.
Whole wheat flour is really easy to find – and grocery store! Spelt is a bit harder, but you can find it at Whole foods (or a natural foods store). Have you tried using xylitol as a sugar sub? It doesn’t have the after taste that Stevia does!
Thanks Laura. I will look for the Spelt flour in Whole Foods. I haven’t tried xylitol. I actually prefer using real sugar when I bake, I don’t like to compromise taste in my dessert.
I’m the same way, I can’t have any sugar at breakfast or I crash by 10am! These muffins look awesome and I love baking with xylitol!
Thanks! I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!