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.
Spoiler alert!
These are currently my favourite muffins on the blog!
They’re moist, fluffy and light, have loads of veggies and hidden protein powder that make these filling and delicious. You’ve been asking for quick and nutritious AIP breakfast options and these are the perfect fit!
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
- protein powder or 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 protein powder or 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 Carrot Muffins FAQs
Can I omit the protein powder or bone broth powder?
Protein powder is added here as an amazing extra boost of protein in this recipe. I’ve also made this recipe using Bone broth powder that’s rich in collagen. Neither of these contributes significantly to the structure of the muffins so you can omit it in this recipe, and replace it with 1 additional TBSP of green banana flour. If you’re looking for vegan muffins try my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.
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.
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Zucchini Carrot Muffins (AIP)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 muffins 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
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 (can be made vegan) and are an amazing breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1 ripe plantain
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, liquid/melted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup green banana flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 TBSP protein powder or bone broth powder*
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 3/4 cup zucchini, grated
- 1/2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and grease or line 9 muffin tins with baking cups.
- Peel and chop ripe plantain into 1/2 inch pieces (doesn’t need to be too precise, just so that it blends easily).
- To a high powered blender or Vitamix, add coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla extract and plantain pieces and puree until as smooth as possible (you don’t want any big chunks in there).
- In a large bowl, combine green banana flour, coconut flour, protein powder or bone broth powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in plantain mixture from blender.
- Next, mix in grated carrots and zucchini to the batter.
- Finally, gently fold in apple cider vinegar.
- Distribute evenly among 9 muffin tins.
- Bake in middle rack of oven for 22-25 minutes.
Notes
* For a vegan/vegetarian option you can sub with 1 TBSP of green banana flour.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 1278
- Sugar: 40.9g
- Sodium: 2073mg
- Fat: 76.6g
- Protein: 16.3g
These are great! I didn’t have apple sauce so I subbed with coconut yogurt, and I didn’t have bone broth powder, so I used collagen. They worked out great! great little snacks to have on hand.
Do you know how many carbs is in one muffin?
I don’t but can suggest you pop the recipe into one of those online nutrition caluclators!
I had to use cassava flour instead of green banana powder just because I couldn’t find the latter in stores here. I knew it would result in a gummier outcome and was ok with it. I did leave it in the oven for an additional maybe 1 hour too. They turned out sooo good, they didn’t rise at all (could be because of my flour choice) so they’re more like cookies with a very soft center. Incredible recipe. Thank you!
I make these all the time. I add the apple cider vinegar to the blended items so that vinegar / baking soda reaction is ‘better’. It seems to result in moist, lite muffins.
Sadly this did not work for me. It was gooey and moist in the middle even after cooking for an extra 15-20 minutes. It also had a sour after taste. Was it the apple cider vinegar?
I also wonder if the zucchini should be squeezed out?
It just would not cook in the middle.
Suggestions?
Hmmm not sure why it would be sour. The minimal amount of vinegar used just helps activate the baking soda and imparts no real flavor into the muffins so it’s unlikely that’s the culprit of the sour taste. Was the zucchini or any of the other ingredients perhaps off? Did you bake the muffins right after mixing the wet and dry ingredients or did the batter sit out a bit? In terms of squeezing out the zucchini, the high quantity of very absorbent coconut flour plus green banana flour balance out there moisture of the zucchini for a nice texture, eliminating the need to squeeze it out in advance.
Made these yesterday and they are perfectly sweet and yummy! I live in a small town so plantains are not easy to find, but I recently saw some and snapped them up specifically for this recipe, as I’ve wanted to make it for some time. I also made my own green banana flour, which worked great. Thank you, Nicole, for all your recipes! You have been a lifesaver for me since I’ve been on AIP.
Oh awesome! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review
Made these today to the letter and they are delicious! I just started AIP and miss my baked goods, so this is perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe. So fun to work and bake with different ingredients that I’m not used to.
Hi Bianca, we’re so glad you liked them. Thank you for leaving a review!
I love this recipe. So yummy and easy!
Hi!
Can’t wait to try these. Does the zucchini need to be squeezed of moisture before measuring?
Thank you!
moist and fluffy. Def a healthier tasting version. I added 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots. Personally I will add some honey next time, as this is a “treat” for me and I need a bit sweeter taste. Worth making.
I’ve made this recipe three times in as many months and happy added a bit of unsweetened cocoa (a reintro) and though I love, love, love the recipe as-is I was happy to have a little celebratory switch-up : ) such a favorite muffin!
I think these muffins are the nicest AIP muffins I’ve had.
I made these last night and they are LOVELY! I actually had to bake them in a dish so they’re more of a bar (couldn’t find my muffin pan!) So yummy!
Awesome, Jen, thanks for leaving a review!
Can I replace the coconut oil with avocado oil? I can’t have coconut oil☹️
Yes but flagging that this recipe also contains coconut flour!
Yes, thank you! I don’t do well with saturated fats so I remove it where I can:) Thanks! Btw have you ever tried making this into a bread loaf? How long would I need to cook for if I attempted that? We just moved and I can’t find my muffin tins!
I baked these muffins in preparation to leave my partner (who doesn’t cook or bake much) for seventeen days while I care for a family member post-surgery. My partner was so grateful to have them! I brought six with me to the hospital and they were the perfect breakfast and snack for long days of waiting. Perfect texture and really excellent amount of vegetable-sweetness! Like, I love just the sweetness of the carrot without the taste of carrot if that makes sense : )
I followed the recipe to the letter but did not have the bone broth powder so I substituted Vital Proteins Collagen. I absolutely loved the flavor but the insides were a soupy texture and extremely grainy. After cooling they were a little better but not much. Do you think the collagen could have changed the texture?
Hi Melodie, sorry to hear that. When you say soupy, do you mean they weren’t cooked through? I’m not sure what would make them grainy. What brands of flours did you use? I haven’t tried with collagen so I can’t say for sure, but recommend just adding additional green banana flour in place of the bone broth powder.
I had high hopes for this one. But the texture and flavor are way off
Hi Sarah, I’m so sorry to hear that! No other readers have had this issue so that’s strange. Did you make any substitutions and use a ripe plantain?
Yummy! Great job! I love these. I also created a chocolate version by adding 1/3 cup carob powder. And, sometimes add 1/4 cup maple syrup.
Thanks Michelle! Glad you enjoyed
Can I use a different collagen in this? Would the ‘original’ vital proteins work?
Hi Caroline, yes that could work but it won’t be the same type of protein as collagen isn’t a complete protein. You could also just replace it with more green banana flour.
Is there any other flour I can use besides green banana flour as I dont have any at home ? Is Casava or regular gluten free will work too ?
Hi Agnes, unfortunately the flours in this recipe cannot be substituted with the same results. If you’re looking for cassava flour muffins try out my banana spice muffins, sweet potato bacon and chive muffins or pumpkin banana muffins
U try to minimize use of oil – What can I sub for part of the oil in this recipe?
Hi Anjali, the oil here serves many functions, one of which is moisture because the coconut oil and banana flours are very absorbent. I haven’t tried any substitutions so cannot guarantee results but if I had to try I would try something like avocado, perhaps mixed in with some coconut milk so that it’s liquified.
Loved them. I baked them in my air fryer. Could you replace the plantain with bananas?
Thanks again
Thanks Sue! No, unfortunately bananas don’t work the same here.
Do you think this would work with a banana and cassava flour?
Hey Deena, I’m afraid these won’t work the same texture wise. Cassava in particular might be quite gummy in this recipe.
I loved these! They were so good and I loved that they didn’t taste overly sweet like so many muffins do! They make for a great part of my breakfast each morning:)
These muffins were indeed perfectly moist and light! Perfect amount of sweetness for a vegetable muffin. Will make again no doubt.
Thanks Kath!
These look so yummy, do you think they would bake well as 6 larger muffins? Thanks 🙂
Hi Kath. You’d have to increase the baking time but I think they should work!
These are one of the best AIP muffins I’ve made that don’t have cassava or tapioca (I’m sensitive to both). The texture is perfect!
I had some old green banana flour and had no idea what to do with it, so this recipe was perfect! These muffins are so good, I love the two different veggies in there and the cinnamon with ripe plantain was the perfect amount of sweetness. You are an AIP Goddess 🙂
Yay!So happy you enjoyed. Thank you for your review and your kind words <3