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Easy Healthy Zucchini Applesauce Oat Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, No refined sugar)

Tender, fluffy, moist Flourless Zucchini Applesauce Oat Muffins, that are easy, healthy, and gluten-free, dairy-free, made with no refined sugar!


They’re so easy to whip together in the blender and have a hearty flavor with a boost of nutrition from all the healthier alternative ingredients.




The sugar is replaced with applesauce, and a little agave or honey, and the flour is replaced with whole grain oats. It's packed with fresh zucchini, spices, and toppings of your choice, like chocolate chips, raisins or blueberries, to give it that classic zucchini bread flavor.


These are perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert! My toddler and husband loves these just as much as I do, so I always make a double batch every time, to individually wrap half of them and pop in the freezer  for when a craving hits!


Add in raisins, blueberries or even chocolate chips!



Healthy Zucchini Applesauce Oat Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins (recipe easily doubles)

Ingredients:
  • 8oz rolled oats, pulsed into a flour in the blender (or use 2 1/2 cups oat flour)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 
  • 2 small or 1 1/2 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
  • 3/4 cup apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup greek yogurt OR an additional 1/4 applesauce for a dairy-free alternative)
  • 1/2 cup sweetener: agave, maple syrup, honey, etc.
  • 1/4 cup oil: avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or olive oil
  • 2 large eggs (or vegan flax eggs)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • optional 1-2 tablespoons additional mix-in, like: flax seed meal, wheat germ, chia seeds, oat bran, peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, etc. added to the wet ingredients
  • 1 cup mix-ins, optional: blueberries, chopped nuts, dried fruit (raisins, chopped prunes, dried cherries), shredded coconut, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, etc.

Directions
:
Preheat oven to 350℉ and spray a 12-hole muffin tin with non-stick spray.

Add oats to a blender and blend until the oats resemble a flour. Add the baking soda, cinnamon spice and salt to the blender and blend/pulse until incorporated. Pour into a large mixing bowl and set aside. 

Add zucchini, applesauce, yogurt (or additional fruit puree), sweetener, oil, eggs and vanilla to the empty blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides and continuing to blend as needed. Pour into the mixing bowl with the oat flour mixture and stir together until well combined, to create a batter. Fold in mix-ins with a spatula or spoon.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin tin holes. Bake for about 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean (fresh fruit like blueberries will take a few minutes longer than other mix-ins). Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Allow the muffins to cool completely before transferring to an air-tight container. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days or individually wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw: Microwave one frozen muffin at a time for about 45 seconds, or thaw frozen muffin at room temperature for about an hour or overnight in the refrigerator, and rewarm gently in the microwave if desired.