Zucchini Carrot Muffins (AIP)

July 25, 2021 Modified December 28, 2022 By Nicole Charles 37 Comments
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These zucchini carrot muffins are divine! They are super moist, light and fluffy, and perfectly spiced with no added sugar. They’re AIP and paleo and an amazing breakfast that contains both veggies and protein.

three zucchini muffins stacked on top each other

Spoiler alert!

These are currently my favourite muffins on the blog!

They’re moist, fluffy and light, have loads of veggies and hidden bone broth powder that make these filling and delicious. You’ve been asking for quick and nutritious AIP breakfast options and these are the perfect fit!

overhead shot of seven zucchini muffins on white background with bite taken out of one muffin

Here are the main ingredients in these AIP Zucchini Carrot Muffins:

1 ripe plantain (you want it really yellow with black spots) – this is the base of the muffins. It provides them with sweetness and also binds the ingredients together
coconut oil – you want to make sure it’s completely melted/liquid
unsweetened applesauce
coconut flour
green banana flour – if you’re new to green banana flour, it doesn’t taste like bananas but provides its benefits. That means, it’s rich in resistant starch, magnesium, fibre and vitamin E!
cinnamon
carrots
zucchini
bone broth powder – vegetarian or vegan? feel free to omit this to keep the recipe vegan. simply sub with an additional TBSP of green banana flour
apple cider vinegar

To make these muffins, chop your plantain into 1/2 inch pieces. Add plantain to a high powered blender along with melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and applesauce and puree until smooth. In a large bowl, mix together flours with salt, spices, baking soda and bone broth powder. Pour ingredients from blender into dry ingredients and stir until combined. Finally, mix in grated carrots and zucchini and fold in the apple cider vinegar.

zucchini muffins on a black cooling rack

two zucchini muffins stacked on top each other

Zucchini Carrot Muffins FAQs

Can I omit the bone broth powder?

Bone broth powder is included here for because it’s rich in collagen, great for gut health and super nutrient dense. It doesn’t contribute significantly to the structure of the muffins. That said, if you don’t have/don’t eat bone broth powder you can omit it in this recipe, and replace it with 1 additional TBSP of green banana flour.

Can I substitute any of the flours?

I have not tested this recipe with alternative flours so can’t make any guarantees on how substitutes would work, however, cassava is very unlikely to work in this recipe and the muffins will likely turn out gummy.

Can I use bananas or green plantains in this recipe?

No. This recipe uses one ripe plantain (you want to ensure it’s really ripe with lots of black spots on it) because this adds a natural sweetness to the muffins. As you’ll notice, there are no added sugars in this recipe so a ripe plantain is key! Green plantains aren’t sweet and bananas have a different starch composition and will not work as a substitute here.

Where can I buy plantains?

You should be able to find plantains in most major metropolitan grocery stores, usually in the produce section near to bananas. Otherwise, try Latin American, Caribbean or African markets or grocery stores which often carry plantains. Looking for other AIP-approved Caribbean ingredients? Check out my post on my AIP Caribbean Kitchen with tips on where to find some of my favourite AIP ingredients that are commonly used in Caribbean cuisine.

Looking for some more AIP/paleo muffin recipes? Try:

Banana Spice Muffins – a Heal Me Delicious reader fave!
Sweet Potato, Bacon and Chive Muffins
Pumpkin Banana Muffins

I hope you love these AIP Zucchini Carrot Muffins as much as I do and can’t wait to hear your feedback! So, as always, if you tried this recipe I would appreciate it if you would give it a rating and short review. Also, be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious.