lemon cranberry summer squash muffins

Sweet and tart, a perfect way to start the day!  

lemon cranberry summer squash muffins ~vegan, gluten free~

I’ve been hearing from a lot people that their gardens are overflowing with summer squash and zucchini!  Adding shredded summer squash to muffins  is a great way to decrease the fat content all while keeping the taste and texture similar (or better) than regular muffins!   It’s also a great way to get more veggies into your day!  I took my zucchini muffin recipe and altered it by adding lemon and cranberries.  To balance out the tartness I topped each muffin with a small pinch of raw cane sugar.  I used gluten free all-purpose flour however, you can use regular wheat flour if you prefer!

lemon cranberry summer squash muffins ~vegan, gluten free~

Lemon Cranberry Summer Squash Muffins

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 6 tablespoons water

1 cup shredded yellow summer squash

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup agave

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour (I used trader joe’s brand)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

raw cane sugar for topping

-Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a muffin tin with paper cups or grease using an all-natural cooking spray.

-Combine flax meal with water in a small bowl.  Let sit for a few minutes.

-In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, agave, shredded summer squash, vanilla, lemon and lemon zest.  Add flax “egg” and mix together.

-In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt.

-Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Gently stir in dried cranberries.

-Pour batter into muffin tins, sprinkle each muffin with a pinch of raw cane sugar.

-Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly brown and knife comes out clean.

-Enjoy!

lemon cranberry summer squash muffins ~vegan, gluten free~

www.beginwithinnutrition.com

lemon blueberry muffins ~vegan & gluten-free~

Happy Friday!

I never knew vegan, gluten free, dairy free muffins could be so fluffy, moist and light!  These don’t fall short of sweetness either thanks to little bit of pure maple syrup.

 I hope you all have wonderful plans for the weekend!  Start it off by making a batch of these to enjoy!

lemon blueberry muffins ~vegan, gluten & dairy free~

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

adapted from happy.healthy.life

mix these together:

1 and 3/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill but regular flour works too!)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 heaping tablespoon ground flax seeds

melt these together:

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup almond milk

Fold in:

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 large ripe banana, mashed

1 cup fresh blueberries

top with slivered almonds

lemon blueberry muffins ~vegan, gluten & dairy free~

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with cups.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together gluten free flour, salt, flax seeds and baking powder.

3.  In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over low heat and remove from flame.  In a small bowl add coconut oil with maple syrup and almond milk.

4.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until combined.

5.  Fold in vanilla, lemon juice, zest, mashed banana and blueberries.

6.  Spoon into muffin cups, top with slivered almonds.

7.  Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and center of muffin is set.

8.  Let cool and enjoy warm!

lemon blueberry muffins ~vegan, gluten & dairy free~

~The original recipe says this makes 12 muffins however, it actually made enough batter for 14 muffins~

www.beginwithinnutrition.com