Every once in a while, I use an ingredient and it absolutely makes the difference between good and great. I kind of hinted at it in the title of the recipe...Nut Free Maple Zucchini Muffins. Even though zucchini is a great vegetable to bake with, it's not the star. That spotlight is saved for maple syrup. Even though only 1/4 cup is used in this recipe, the flavor really comes through.
My oldest daughter has some sort of gift for being able to detect even the most minute amounts of ingredients in just about any food. She's really good at it. After she took a bite of these muffins, she was able to rattle off four of the main ingredients in this recipe. Zucchini wasn't one of them. I'm not so sure that would be a good thing if she had been able to do it.
Earlier I wrote up a recipe for Almond Zucchini Muffins that are ideal for Apple Types (those who gain most of their weight through their belly area). Full of healthy fat and plenty of protein, they're an ace in the hole for anyone that wants something muffin-y without all the sugar (the recipe is free of refined sugar).
Anyway, I wanted to balance things out by creating a recipe that was good for the Pear Types out there (those who gain weight through their hips and thighs. I mentioned this in my Almond Zucchini Muffin post, but the reason I emphasize this is because the foods we eat have a direct (and often profound) impact on where our body stores fat.  Of the four body types I talk about in The Belly Burn Plan, Apples do better on a higher fat/higher protein diet and Pears do better on a lower fat diet (but not even close to fat free). This is definitely more of a Pear-Type in contrast to the Apple-Type Almond Zucchini Muffin recipe.
I also have a lot of friends who have children with nut allergies. I don't take this lightly and want to make as many foods as possible easy for anyone to eat. Fortunately, my kids don't have allergies. Nonetheless, just because mine don't doesn't mean I shouldn't be aware or considerate of those around me who are often permanently inconvenienced by both sensitivities and allergies. It's great that food companies are developing new food products that suit people with allergies, but they're still products (translation: processed). If you have a chance...always go for the unprocessed version.
Nut Free Maple Zucchini Muffins
Yields 12
2 cups gluten free baking flour (this is the brand I used)
1 cup zucchini, finely shredded
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Line baking tins with 12 cups.
- In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, eggs, apple sauce, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Mix together until all ingredients are blended.
- Pour the muffin mix halfway up each baking up.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins are golden brown.
