Morning Glory Muffins

These are a favorite muffin around here.  They are lightly sweet and chock-full of great stuff like raisins, carrots, bananas and summer squash.   They also freeze very well, and are a great, healthy afternoon snack. 

If you have a food processor, this is one of those times that is worth dragging it out for.  It makes prepping the squash and carrots so much easier.  If you don’t have one, then a box grater can do the same job with a little more effort (aka “love”).

There is a small amount of coconut oil here, but it adds a LOT of flavor.  If you’d like to omit the oil, you could always substitute 2 Tbs. of applesauce or baby food prunes. Canola oil will also work; you just won’t get that coconut-ty flavor.  Enjoy! 

1 pound summer squash (zucchini, patty pan, or geode squash all work well) – seeds removed if necessary, and shredded (or cut into 1 inch chunks if using a food processor).

¼ cup + 2 Tbs. sugar (preferably raw sugar or evaporated cane juice)

2 large carrots, shredded or cut into 1 inch chunks if using a food processor

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup walnuts, chopped

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 ½ ripe bananas, mashed

¼ cup non-dairy milk (soy, rice almond, oat, hemp, hazelnut, etc.)

¼ cup flaxseed meal + ½ cup water, combined in a small bowl

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 375, spray 2 muffin tins with cooking spray

2. In a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, process the zucchini and 2 Tablespoons sugar until zucchini is coarsely shredded (about 15 one second pulses).  Transfer to a mesh strainer and sit about 2 inches over a bowl to drain for 30 minutes (while you prep remaining ingredients).  If you don’t have a food processor, then just shred the zucchini using the large holes of a box grater to shred it.  Same goes for the carrots in the next step.

3.  Place carrot chunks in the food processor and process (again, about 15 one second pulses).  Transfer to a medium size bowl and set aside.  Now you’re done with the food processor, or box grater! 

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, remaining ¼ cup sugar, cinnamon baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nuts).  In a smaller bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients (oil, bananas, milk substitute, flax/water mixture, lemon juice, vanilla and raisins).  Set aside.

5.  Squeeze any excess moisture out of the zucchini with a few paper towels.  Stir the zucchini and carrots into the flour mixture.  Once combined, add the wet ingredients and stir until just moistened. 

6. Scrape batter out of the bowl and into the prepared muffin tins.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick into the center of one and it comes out clean.  Don’t forget to rotate the pans half way through cooking, to insure more even cooking.  Once baked, cool in tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.