If you’re a busy mom like me, you’re dying to find good recipes that keep your kiddos happy, healthy and full. These muffins, thanks to Run Fast Eat Slow’s recipe by Shalane Flanagan, have been a staple in our home for a long time. This is the original recipe, but she offers varieties like Pumpkin Spice (our favorite) and Beet Blueberry. They’re packed full of veggies, and are sweetened with maple syrup instead of refined sugar. Almond flour and whole-grain oats replace nutrient-stripped white flour. They can be packed in the kids lunches (as long as there are no nut free restrictions) and are an amazingly delicious quick breakfast to make the morning school routine easier.

Butter provides the healthy fat that helps fuel the rest of your day. Fat helps transport important vitamins throughout your hardworking body and will help keep you satisfied longer.

As a bonus, these muffins are gluten-free.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 12

2 cups almond meal

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free if sensitive)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup currants or raisins, optional

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 zucchini)

1 cup grated carrot (about 2 carrots)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

paper muffin cups

INSTRUCTIONS

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper muffin cups. 

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, oats, walnuts, currants or raisins, if using, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.  

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, carrot, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling each to the brim. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 35 minutes.   

TIP: 

Keep a batch in the freezer for a sweet grab-n-run breakfast. Simply defrost on low power in the microwave

Experiment with different takes and substitutions on this recipe. You can even make it egg free using flax and water instead if you wanted. You really can’t go wrong!

Enjoy!!