Apple Carrot Zucchini Muffins w/Flax & Orange Zest

For some reason, I’ve really been in the mood for a moist, gritty muffin. Maybe it’s the fall air that’s got me wanting comfort food, or maybe it’s because I haven’t had bread in so long, but by golly when I woke up this morning, I told myself I was making muffins!

Now, I don’t really eat bread these days, and when I do, it’s in small quantities because too much will make my stomach hurt and make me feel all bloaty. So I wanted to make a muffin that was more fruits and veggies than bread. What I did was take an Apple Carrot Zucchini muffin recipe I had and tweaked it a little. For one, I decided to add golden flax meal, extra zucchini and grated orange peel. We recently got fresh oranges, and I just couldn’t resist adding some of that fresh peel!

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw milk
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar, sucanat, rapadura, etc.
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (cracked)
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup diced, peeled apple
• 1/4 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup grated zucchini (I probably used 3/4-1 cup)
• 1 Tbsp grated orange peel

Directions:

1. Beat egg lightly in a large bowl and then add oil, milk, brown sugar and vanilla and mix well.
2. In another bowl, mix the flour, flax seed, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together and then add to egg mixture (stir just until combined).
3. Stir in apple, carrot and zucchini.
4. Spoon into 10 paper lined medium muffin cups filling almost to top.
5. Bake at 400˚F for 18 to 20 minutes or until firm to touch.
6. Makes 12 muffins.

After the muffins cooled a little bit, we each ate one, and boy-oh-boy did they come out perfect! They were the moistest muffins I’ve ever had—not a bit of dryness in ’em! The flax also gave it a lovely gritty texture that if you don’t know what I’m talking about, would be hard to describe. It’s a lovely texture, whatever it is.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and if you like it, leave me a comment below!