Zucchini, Lemon, Poppy Seed Muffins
These Paleo Zucchini, Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins are a great way to use zucchini which is in abundance this time of year! The light and fluffy grain free muffins are packed with grated zucchini, lemony batter and lots of poppy seeds. These muffins are Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
Lemon & Poppy Seed is one of my flavour combinations (like in these waffles) so I knew I had to create a muffin recipe for the site. I love the fresh lemony flavour of these Zucchini, Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins! I find that the texture of grain free muffins can often be quite dry and crumbly but these are light, fluffy and so good!
Why you are going to love these Paleo Zucchini, Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins:
- They are light and fresh in texture and the batter has a wonderful lemony flavour
- Hidden veggies! These grain free zucchini muffins are a great way to sneak in extra veggies, you truly can’t taste the zucchini
- Perfect for meal prep: I love making these muffins on a Sunday and enjoying them for breakfast on the go or a quick and easy snack. Store them in the fridge to make them last for up to a week!
Tips for making these Paleo Zucchini, Lemon Muffins:
- Get out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible: Zucchinis are about 90% water which can have a big impact on the texture of things like muffins when baking. I recommend grating the zucchini and leaving it to sit in a sieve. Before adding it to the batter, place the grated zucchini between paper towels to squeeze out as much of the excess water as possible.
- Don’t over mix the batter: Almond flour is high in oil, over mixing the batter causes the flour to release more oil which will result in wet and oily muffins.
- Fill them to the top: As with all grain free baking, the batter does not rise when baked, so be sure to fill the muffin cups to the top, and gently smooth over the surface so they look appear flat on top.
- Keep an eye on them while baking: Depending on your oven (and mine is very old!) I find that muffins brown on the tops quickly when baking. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the top of the muffins after approximately 10 minutes of baking so the muffins could through without burning.
Here are a few other muffin recipes you will love:
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Cranberry, Orange & Pecan Muffins
- Chunky Monkey Muffins
- Rhubarb & Orange Muffins
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins Topped with Pecans
- Peanut Butter & Zucchini Muffins
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Zucchini, Lemon & Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated zucchini (1 large zucchini)
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 tbsp poppy seed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) and line a muffin tray with liners
- Grate the zucchini on a cheese grater. Place the shredded zucchini between paper towels or a clean dish cloth and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible.
- In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest and stir until well mixed.
- Add in the salt, baking soda, grated zucchini, almond flour and poppy seeds and stir.
- Divide the batter between 9-10 muffin cups and fill to the very top. Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the tops of the muffins browns too quickly place a piece of parchment paper overtop while they bake. Allow the muffins to cool in the tray before removing and storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Honestly….moistness wasn’t an issue. Plenty moist with the zukes.
They were sooooo bland! I added 1 c. of lemon juice to amp them up! Cud use more honey, Stevia or something to balance the flavor. Ok with mire lemon juice and let people top with raw honey if they want. Not sure I wud make them again. :-/
I was pleasantly surprised by these muffins. They are light and delicious. My first attempt at baking grain free. I’ll definitely make these again. Thanks for the recipe.
What can I use to substitute honey?
Can I use Self-Raising flour instead. Nut allergies for us Aussies here!
Love this recipe. Always a good way to eat more veggies. Do you think they would work with ‘Flax eggs’? I have. Friends that’s vegan, I’d live to make theses for.
They were made without changes to the recipe. They taste okay but not lemony. I won’t make them again.
I made these last night and they’re so delicious! I even cut down the honey a bit. They make a really good, healthy breakfast. And I actually got 12 muffins instead of 8 (not a bad thing though right?).
Make sure to let them cool completely before eating them because they seem to fall apart when warm. Also, don’t scrimp on the lemon, it’s the best part. I zested 2 lemons fully and the flavor is so fresh.
You could add xantham gum as a binder to help prevent it from falling apart. Also, omit the coconut oil and use regular oil or melted butter. When you bake with coconut oil, temperature matters. I noticed I can’t enjoy my baked goods unless they are refrigerated so they stay more firm.
Love your recipes. Can the zucchini lemon muffins be baked into a loaf and us the a nut free version?
Thanks Laura
These were delicious! They were the first muffins I’ve made with almond flour, and I was worried about them being dry. They were so moist though! My gluten and sweets loving boyfriend loved them! Next time I may add a bit more lemon zest because I love lots of lemon flavor. But, these were delicious as is.