Healthy Zucchini Muffins (made with Olive Oil and Whole Grains)
These healthy zucchini muffins are packed with FOUR CUPS of zucchini, whole wheat flour and oats, and extra-virgin olive oil, and they're naturally sweetened with honey.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners or grease liberally with olive oil. Spread the grated zucchini out on a clean towel and set aside.
Add olive oil (1/2 cup), honey (1/2 cup), eggs (2), and Greek yogurt (1/2 cup) to the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously by hand or use an electric mixer to mix very well until completely smooth.
Add the vanilla (1 teaspoon), ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon), ground nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon), baking powder (1 teaspoon), baking soda (1 teaspoon), and kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon) to the bowl. Mix again until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Add the whole wheat flour (1.5 cups) to the bowl and mix using a wooden spoon just until there is no dry flour left.
Go back to the grated zucchini. Roll up the towel and wring out as much water as you can from the zucchini over your sink. Add it to the bowl, and fold the grated zucchini (4 cups) and old fashioned oats (1 cup) into the mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of the muffins comes out clean.
For best results, allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Notes
These muffins can be kept for 1-2 days at room temperature in an airtight container or zip-top bag. For longer storage, I recommend freezing them. They're easily thawed in the microwave for only about 30 seconds.
The results of this recipe can vary depending on how dry or wet your zucchini is. Garden zucchini tends to be more watery than store-bought. Summer squash can be used as well, which is a bit more watery than zucchini. Just try to get as much liquid out as possible and you should be good to go - put some muscle in when you wring it out! (Note: the original recipe did not include this step to wring out the water from the zucchini, so some reviews said the muffins came out too wet. I edited the recipe based on this feedback to include the step to dry out the grated zucchini.)