When you can have your cake and eat veggies too….
Oooh girl I don’t know about you but I cannot get enough of these big fresh blooming zukes in the garden. They’re large and in charge and I want them all in my belly. Zucchinis are one of the easiest and most rewarding vegetables to grow. They transform from a teeny tiny sprout to a big honker of a beast in what seems like no time, and then gift you with giant never ending fruits in thanks.
Summer squash growing big and juicy in the garden sun
The first slice of zucchini beading when freshly cut. This is my favorite moment of summer cooking.
Right now it’s prime zucchini time and I’m in my glory. I love them on the grill, in stir fries, pretty much any which way, but sneaking them into a dessert brings a naughty rush like muahaha, sure children, you can have two muffins. Eat three, why the hell not? (I’m talking to my grown ass child self since I may have eaten two cupcakes…) Zucchinis have zero fat, and are loaded with B vitamins, riboflavin, folate, Vitamins C and K, potassium, and manganese, so eating an embarrassing number of these babies ain’t so bad. Plus they’re chalk full of fiber, which I don’t need to get into the benefit of, but they pretty much beat all other sugary treats for the healthiest dessert. I’ll confess, I didn’t put frosting on these until I took the photos, so they were a lot healthier earlier today, too. And on top of that, in Philly it’s a crisp 95 degrees outside so my fluffy photo ready frosting got a little flowy. Maybe Mother Nature is judging my decisions …?
If you have a food processor, this is a 10 minute prep recipe. If not, dats cool because you’ll get really buff grating all of this zucchini up by hand.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
4 cups shredded zucchini
3 ripe bananas
2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Chop your zucchini into about 2” size chunks and toss into your food processor for a minute until you have a coarsely grated texture. You can also use an old fashioned cheese or potato grater like the one Grandma had if you’re feeling more Little House on the Prairie. Add in all of your other ingredients and blend for about 2 more minutes in the food processor, or with a hand mixer. It is literally that easy. I know we’re not still using paper muffin wrappers like it’s the 50s, right friends? So dump your gorgeous banana zuke mixture into silicone muffin tins like these Silpat ones that I have. I’m actually truthfully obsessed with these. I use them to make falafels, freeze fruits in perfect portions for smoothies, and obviously for cupcakes and muffins. It’s so much easier to throw one thing in the dishwasher (like you’re already doing with your muffin tin) and not have to worry about if you have muffin wrappers stocked in the pantry, did you recycle the plastic packaging, and then also mess with peeling off stuck bits of wrapper, creating waste, and getting crumbs every where. No thank you, we’ve evolved. We’re liberated. We use silicone, girrrl.
Bake these at 380 for about 15 minutes. That’s it! These are super easy, nutrient dense, and a perfect summer treat that sneaks in some of those big old zukes you weren’t sure what to do with. Also, these are full of antioxidents and anti inflammatory agents, so you’ll look younger and rejuvenated the more you eat - definitely go for seconds. Wink.
Also check out how to use your zuke in a yummy Italian dinner here: Italian Grilled Veggie Salad