Healthy Zucchini Apple Muffins

After posting about blueberry cheesecake ice cream and smores brownies, I figured I should make something a little healthier. I had some zucchini and apples that I needed to use up so I threw them into a healthy muffin recipe not really sure what to expect. I had 2 zucchini and 2 apples. I couldn't decide if I wanted to grate the apples or dice them, so I grated one and diced the other. I really liked the bites of diced apple running through the muffin. These came out great and I'll definitely be making them again!

This was my first time making a "healthy" muffin, so I still used a little real sugar and real oil. I think next time I make them I would cut the sugar out completely and just use a little more agave or honey. I definitely recommend keeping the walnuts in the recipe. I'm not usually a fan of nuts in muffins, cookies, or brownies, but in this case the walnuts added a really nice texture to the muffin.

Zucchini Apple Muffins
Recipe: Makes about 16 muffins
Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup AP flour
• 2 cups grated zucchini (squeezed, then packed into a measuring cup) [about 2 medium zucchini]
  
• 1 apple, peeled and grated
• 1 apple, peeled and diced
  
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 agave or honey
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tbls canola oil
  
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin cups with paper liners. Grate zucchini by hand or using a food processor, then gently squeeze grated zucchini to remove some of the water.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg, egg white, then add vanilla, sugar, and agave nectar and mix to combine. Stir in the grated zucchini, and apple then the oil and applesauce.
   
3. In a smaller bowl, combine AP flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture, then fold in chopped walnuts and apples.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let muffins cool a few minutes in the muffin tin or cups, then remove and cool a few minutes more.