Zucchini Bran Muffins

A few weeks ago, after lamenting over too much zucchini in my CSA shares, blog reader Erin sent me a new recipe for Zucchini Bran Muffins.  Always willing to try a new recipe, I tried it out.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup unpacked light brown sugar or brown sugar substitute (I use the substitute – can’t tell! I use a Splenda Brown Sugar Blend)
• 3/4 cup bran cereal (I used Nature’s Path Heritage Heirloom Whole Grain Flakes – what was in my pantry)
• 1 cup oat bran flour (I used oatmeal I ground up in my mini chop food processor)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt (I used Stonyfield Farm Fat Free French vanilla)
• 3/4 1 cup grated zucchini (press out the moisture by squeezing it in paper towels)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375*. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, place the brown sugar or sugar substitute, bran cereal, oat bran flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, vanilla, almond extract, yogurt, zucchini, and applesauce. Combine the ingredients from both bowls. (The batter should be slightly lumpy.)

Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool for 15 minutes before removing.
Makes 12 9 muffins

A great recipe – and a very simple tasting muffin.  I bet this would taste amazing with some fresh blueberries.

Thanks for sharing the recipe Erin!