Cardamom Carrot Zucchini Muffins

Gluten Free, refined sugar free, and packed with veggies, these have a delicious carrot cake flavor and a soft crumb. Cinnamon is usually star of the show when it comes to baking with carrot and zucchini, but I love the subtle spice of cardamom here. If chocolate is more your style, then check out my recipe for Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins as well!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup grated zucchini 

1 3/4 cups gluten free rolled oats, or 1 1/2 cups flour**

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 

1/4 cup coconut sugar

Pinch sea salt

1 cup nondairy milk

1/4 cup neutral 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, optional (this batch is nut free) 

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with parchment liners. 

Grate carrot and zucchini into a large bowl. Add gluten free oats to a food processor and process until a fine flour forms. Add baking powder, baking soda, spices and coconut sugar to the food processor and pulse to combine. Add flour blend to the grated veggies in the large bowl. Stir gently. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and add the milk, oil and vanilla and stir until just combined. Divide batter between 9 or 12 Muffin tins depending on how large you want your muffins to be. Bake for 18-22 minutes.

I made 12 small muffins for snacks and school lunch this week, and baked for 18 minutes. Next time I will make 9 mega bakery style muffins and add few extra minutes to the baking time!

**Flour note: we are making our own gluten free oat flour here, but if you are not gluten free, feel free to substitute regular flour. Whole wheat pastry flour works great here!!