I often want to eat a gluten-free dessert for breakfast without feeling bad about it. So, I messed around with an old Italian favorite – Olive Oil Zucchini Cake with Lemon Crunch Glaze and came up with a healthier gluten-free, sugar-free version. These muffins have moved to the top of my favorites list.
I know that I still haven’t sold everyone on garbanzo bean flour – but I love the higher protein flour blend I’ve been using. It has a more fiber and protein than other flours without being loaded with fat. Low carb diets have never worked for me – I always feel sluggish and hungry. Instead, I go for healthier carbs and work on balancing carbs, protein, and fat in my diet.
A couple of weeks ago, Trish from Gluten-Free in SLC linked up her Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins. I had pounds of zucchini on hand at the time – these muffins were inspired by her recipe.
Yields 12 muffins
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Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups high protein gluten-free flour blend
- ¼ cup teff
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup agave
- 2 1/3 cups coarsely grated zucchini*
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese at room temperature (light cream cheese)
- generous ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a standard muffin tin with cooking spray or line with cupcake papers. If using cupcake lines, spray lightly with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour blend, teff, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Add salt and, using a whisk, mix until uniformly combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together applesauce, eggs, olive oil, and agave until combined. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Stir in zucchini and then stir in lemon juice.
- Using a spring-release ice cream scoop, put one scoop of batter into each hole. Bake for 22 – 25 minutes, until muffins test clean with a toothpick. Let muffins cool in tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then carefully remove and set on a wire rack lined with a paper towel.
- Put cream cheese, zest, and agave in a bowl and mix on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined and cream cheese has lightened slightly.
- Serve muffins warm and allow guests to spread with room temperature lemon cream cheese.
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