Updated 12th March 2024
ZOE member’s favorite muffin recipes
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We’ll keep this preamble short. No one wants a huge chunk of text before they get to the recipes, but this is a nice little story.
Ten years ago, a Californian named Jacob Kaufman baked his first-ever batch of muffins. As he walked through the streets of San Francisco, he decided to give them out to the unhoused folk he saw.
Since then, each year, on or around February 20th — now known as National Muffin Day — Jacob and hundreds of bakers have made muffins and handed them out to those in need.
So, this is the perfect opportunity to share ZOE members’ favorite muffin recipes.
Below, we provide the ingredients and brief instructions, and you can follow the “recipe source” link for more details. And if you're already a ZOE member, click the “ZOE link” to see how they score for you.
1. Almond banana flourless muffins
Recipe source: Live Simply
Ingredients
2 medium bananas
2 eggs
1 cup (250 grams) of minimally processed almond butter
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (80 g) pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of baking powder
1/4 cup (40 g) mini chocolate chips (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Line a muffin pan with paper muffin liners.
Add all the ingredients to a food processor bowl or blender.
Mix until the batter is smooth.
Divide the mixture into 12 liners.
Bake for about 18 minutes or until they’re golden brown.
2. Banana carrot cake muffins
Recipe source: Healthy Hacks
Ingredients
1 cup (110 g) carrots, grated or pulsed in a food processor
1/4 cup (63 g) minimally processed almond butter
1/2 cup (113 g) of mashed banana
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup (100 g) spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup (63 g) walnuts
1/2 cup (100 g) raisins
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Line 9 cups of a muffin pan.
Add the chopped carrots, mashed banana, almond butter, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract to a bowl and stir.
Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, spelt flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until almost fully incorporated.
Stir in the walnuts and raisins.
Pour the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 14–17 min.
Allow the muffins to cool for around 10 minutes before moving them to a rack to continue cooling.
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3. Cinnamon muffin in a mug
Recipe source: Allrecipes
Ingredients
1 egg
2 tbsp of vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp of flax seed meal
1 tbsp of all-purpose flour
1 tbsp of quick-cooking oats
1/2 tsp of baking powder
2 tbsp of chopped walnuts
1 tbsp of honey
2 tsp of ground cinnamon
Method
Whisk the egg in a microwave-safe mug.
Stir in the walnuts, yogurt, flour, oats, flax, honey, cinnamon, and baking powder.
Microwave until set (90–100 seconds).
Turn out onto a plate.
4. Almond flour cinnamon muffins
Recipe source: Nutritious Minimalist
Ingredients
2 cups (190 g) almond flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/3 cup (100 g) maple syrup
3 eggs
2 tbsp of melted coconut oil
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
Mix the wet ingredients, then stir in the dry ingredients.
Divide the batter into 10 muffin tins.
Bake for 22 minutes.
5. Blueberry oat bran muffins
Recipe source: Oatmeal With a Fork
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups (118 g) of oat bran
1/4 tsp of sea salt
3/4 tsp of baking soda
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 cup (125 g) of minimally processed applesauce
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) of milk (any type)
1 egg white
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/4 cup (48 g) of whole blueberries
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.
Add the wet mix to the dry mix and stir until combined.
Add in the blueberries once the ingredients are almost mixed.
Pour the batter into 12 muffin liners.
Bake for 10–15 minutes.
In the spirit of National Muffin Day, whichever recipe you choose, consider sharing the results with friends, family, or people in need.
