Almond Zucchini Muffins (Paleo)

Hey foodies!  Well I finally found some time today to make a few different and NEW things!  I was way stoked to be in the kitchen today... so much so that I couldn't sleep... ok, that's not really the reason I was up bright and early but it helped!  After a crazy busy week going to Fire Fighter classes, an ambulance driving class, and a 24 hour on call shift that ended at 8am this morning... I was ready to get the heck out of the fire station and into the kitchen.  As soon as my shift ended I headed to the grocery to get the supplies for the day.

I started out prepping this great paleo chili that needed 8 hours for the awesomeness to simmer and then headed to the gym for a quick workout.  After getting cleaned up I started the muffins which I was dying to make because I've never made any baked good (I don't bake that much anyway) without regular flour!  This was truly going to be an experiment in which I had not the slightest idea how it'd turn out!  Guess what... they turned out great!  I have a few ideas for some changes (trying to stick within the paleo rules still) that I'll try for next time but for the first time with these tasty bites I was pretty happy.

They were moist (isn't that a horrible word? I hate it but what can I do...) and the texture was more on the spongy side.  I love dense healthy muffins so these were a little different.  I just can't wrap my head around the idea that ALMONDS can create muffins with a texture pretty dang close to a normal muffin (not the so dense you know they're healthy muffins).  How the heck does that work?!  I guess I can deal with not understanding and just enjoy the fact that it works!

So... here's how it works....  Oh and by the way, this was actually supposed to be a bread but I wanted to be able to sample them and share them with more people so I decided to go with the mini muffins!  Ready?  Here we go...

Almond Zucchini Muffins (Paleo)
Recipe adapted from Running to the Kitchen
 

Ingredients

• 1½ cups almond flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup grated zucchini, water squeezed out
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two mini bread loaf pans.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Combine wet ingredients besides zucchini in a stand mixer and beat on medium for about 2 minutes. Alternatively, combine in a large bowl and whisk together vigorously.
4. Add zucchini and mix until combined.
5. Pour dry ingredients into wet and mix until incorporated.
6. Pour batter into loaf pans.
7. Bake for 32-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
9. Transfer bread out of loaf pan and cool on wire rack.

ENJOY!!
- Melissa