This recipe is inspired by a pineapple zucchini bread my Aunt was always famous for baking. After a little research, it seems the original recipe came from Sunset magazine in the 70’s. But I grew up knowing it as Aunt B’s zucchini bread. I never knew what was in it growing up. But it’s shocking to look at the recipe and find it has 2 cups of white sugar and a full cup of processed oil! So I set out to create a recipe in the spirit of the original, but with ingredients that didn’t make me cringe a little. To my surprise, it was super easy to make this recipe much healthier. That’s not always the case. But it seems this recipe was made to be reworked into a paleo-friendly & naturally gluten-free option.
Ingredients for these Paleo Pineapple Zucchini Muffins
Almond flour – this replaces the processed refined flour in the original recipe with great results. It also helps to reduce the amount of oil needed to make this recipe work. Tapioca starch – just a touch of tapioca starch is what works together with the egg to bind the almond flour together and make a perfectly fluffy muffin. Cinnamon and nutmeg – these are the original spices from the recipe, and their flavor is spot on in this zucchini muffin. Zucchini – as you might expect of a zucchini muffin, zucchini makes this recipe perfectly moist. Crushed pineapple – adds a touch of sweetness and some additional liquid to the batter combined with the zucchini to make for the perfect moistness. Maple syrup – my natural sweetener of choice for paleo baking and muffins. Avocado oil – I love using avocado oil in place of refined oils in my recipes for a healthy fat that doubles as a dairy-free option. Just be sure to look for a quality brand like Chosen Foods or Mariannes. Eggs – work together with the tapioca starch to create the best fluffy texture.
Now… let’s make these muffins step by step
Step 1; Mix together the dry ingredients, and then add the zucchini & pineapple. Step 2: Next add the wet ingredients and mix to form the muffin batter. Step 3: Portion the batter evenly into a muffin tin lined with paper liners. Step 4: Bake until puffed up and done in the centers. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with moist crumbs. Cool for 5-10 minutes in the muffin pan, then remove them from the muffin tin to cool on a wire rack. I sure hope you enjoy this new take on my Aunt B’s zucchini bread recipe! If you do make these muffins, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here.
