Zucchini Carrot Cake Muffins

Hello, August! The wonderful month that divides people into two teams. Team summer and team fall…

While some of you are trying desperately to hold on to the warmer temps and beachy vibes, the rest you are dreaming of crisp air and all things pumpkin spice. If you’ve read my post Paleo Pumpkin Ginger Snap Ice Cream, then you probably already know which team I’m on.

Though I’m a sucker for fall treats and giant sweatshirts, I’m not entirely ready to say goodbye to summer this year. It’s been the best gardening year I’ve ever had and the idea of hanging up my gloves for the winter breaks my heart. So, I decided to make a recipe that scratches the autumn itch while still honoring the summer season. Cue the Zucchini Carrot Cake Muffins!

Easy, Peasy, Zucchini Squeezy!

I found the base of this recipe years ago from a flourless muffin recipe from Darling Dishes. In fact, this recipe is the one that introduced me to the almond flour and arrowroot combination I love so much and use in my other recipes.

For these muffins, I doubled the base ingredients, swapped out the berries for veggies, added cinnamon, and topped it all with an optional dairy free cream cheese frosting. The result was a spicy carrot cake-zucchini muffin hybrid that might be my new seasonal favorite!

To make the batter, simply mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Fold in the shredded veggies and scoop into your prepared muffin tins. Bake for 25 minutes and let cool before storing. That’s it!

If you chose to make the optional frosting, just whisk the cream cheese, maple syrup, and cinnamon together according to your taste. Do you prefer a sweeter frosting? Add more syrup. Want it spicier? Add more cinnamon. You really can’t go wrong!

This recipe is a great way to use your excess supply of summer zucchini and sneak some veggies into your kiddos diet. Although, if your child has food aversions to anything colored green (like my son), you can eliminate the zucchini and double the amount of carrot.

Store extra muffins in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 6 months. For best results, pop your leftover muffin in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before eating. If you have any leftovers that is…Wink!

Conclusion

We’ve all heard the phrase “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” This saying can be applied to any number of things, including the seasons. This is why we find team summer and team fall going head to head this time of year. But what if, just for the month of August, we make an exception.

What if we chose to say “You CAN have summer, and eat autumn cake too!” By combining summer veggies into fall flavored cake, we get the best of both worlds. Simply put, these delightful paleo goodies are multi-seasonal bliss!

For other inspirational recipes, be sure to check out the MMB Cookbook pages before you leave!