Fluffy and moist, sweet and fruity, and a little floral, too. Blueberry Zucchini Muffins with lavender are practically made for the season. Perfect for snacks, dessert, or even breakfast! We use whole wheat pastry flour to add fiber, date paste for sweetening, plus no butter or oil. So these muffins are a delicious and healthier option for those noshing sessions.
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Even though these muffins taste like Spring or Summer, the ingredients are easily available year round, so make them anytime the mood strikes! They freeze well, too, so you can thaw exactly what you need without feeling like you have to eat a whole dozen.
Try some other delicious muffins, too, like Applesauce Carrot Muffins, or Strawberry Cardamom Muffins! Round it out with our lovely Whipped Coffee, or Iced Pineapple Matcha beverages.
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Heart Health Benefits of Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
Your mouth will only know how delicious this muffin is! But the rest of your body will appreciate its healthfulness. The ingredients we pack into this recipe are known for benefits like reducing LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, and improving endothelial function and inflammation.
Macronutrients
Blueberry zucchini muffins are lower in calories than many muffin varieties, with just 112 calories each. Also low in carbohydrates and fat and a good source of fiber, these muffins make a great snack, and leave room for spreads or side dishes.
Micronutrients and Bioactive Components
Bioactive compounds are substances that have effects within the body that promote good health. Here are some of the most abundant bioactive compounds in blueberry lavender muffins:
- Insoluble fiber - (in whole wheat flour and dates) type of fiber that does not dissolve in water, and helps add bulk to the stool, reducing constipation risk (1, 2);
- Soluble fiber - (in zucchini) a type of fiber that dissolves in water and can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar (3);
- Ferulic acid - (in whole wheat flour) a phenolic acid with strong antioxidant activity, it's one of the most well studied and most abundant phenolic acid in whole grains (4);
- Linalool - (in lavender) a monoterpene alcohol present in some aromatic medicinal plants that is being studies for its possible role in reducing blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy, and improving inflammation (5);
- Potassium - (in dates and zucchini) a mineral that helps to lower blood pressure by helping the body eliminate sodium;
- Magnesium - (in whole wheat, zucchini, and dates) a mineral with important roles in blood sugar control, muscle and nerve function, blood pressure regulation, and heart rhythm regulation;
- Genistein and daidzein - (in soy milk) soy isoflavones that can help lower LDL cholesterol and improve heart health markers (6, 7);
- Carotenoids and vitamin C - (in zucchini and lemon zest) antioxidant vitamins that help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation (8); and
- Anthocyanins - (in blueberries) a purple/blue pigment in some fruits and vegetables that can reduce the risk of fatal heart events, hypertension, improve endothelial function, and reduce cholesterol levels (9).
Ingredients
Here is what you'll need for this recipe, along with some applicable substitutions and notes.
- Whole wheat pastry flour - don't substitute whole wheat flour. It's too dense for this recipe.
- Baking powder
- Shredded zucchini - wrap it in a clean dish towel and squeeze as much water out of it as you can
- Lavender buds - make sure you get some that are for culinary use, and not for soap or candle making!
- Date paste - make it ahead of time and freeze in batches for easy baking!
- Soy milk - or whatever nondairy beverage you prefer. Just be sure to choose the unsweetened variety
- Lemon zest
- Blueberries - either fresh or frozen will work just fine. You can substitute any other berry (like blackberries or raspberries), or chopped apricots or peaches.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make blueberry lavender muffins:
- Step 1: Measure the flour into a large bowl. Add the lavender and a few spoons full of the flour into a spice grinder.
- Step 2: Grind until the lavender is completely powdered.
- Step 3: Dump the lavender flour into the mixing bowl with the rest of the flour, along with the baking powder and lemon zest. Mix well.
- Step 4: Put the shredded zucchini on a clean kitchen towel and wring the towel to remove as much water from the zucchini as you can.
- Step 5: Add the milk, date paste, and zucchini to a bowl and mix well.
- Step 6: Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredient mixture, and stir until just combined.
- Step 7: Add the blueberries.
- Step 8: Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Step 9: Scoop the batter into a prepared muffin tin (either with cupcake liners or spray the cups with cooking spray).
- Step 10: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Hint: adding the flour to the spice grinder with the lavender makes it easier for the spice grinder to work properly, because it needs more volume of contents. If your spice grinder is very high quality, you may be able to grind the lavender outright.
Variations
Try these variations:
- Blueberry Vanilla Muffins - instead of lavender, add 2 teaspoon vanilla extract for a classic pairing
- With nuts - add ½ cup chopped nuts to the batter when you fold in the blueberries. Chopped almonds would be particularly complementary, but walnuts or pecans would also be delicious.
- Mini muffins - spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray, and drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 12 minutes.
See this mini peanut butter oatmeal muffins version!
Equipment
Besides a muffin pan, be sure you have measuring cups and spoons, two mixing bowls and mixing spoons, a spice grinder, microplane (to zest the lemon), and a box grater or shredder. Affiliate links for equipment are in the recipe card.
If you don't have a microplane, you could use the fine grating side of a box grater.
Storage
After the muffins are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
The muffins can be frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw completely and warm for a few seconds in the microwave if needed.
Healthy heart pro tip
A recent study with over 3100 participants tracked for over 10 years found that people that ate a diet that was rich in polyphenol containing foods had better blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and and experienced a slower rise in cardiovascular risk over time.
The study called out 3 notable ingredients in our muffins - whole grains, berries, and citrus - among other foods like cocoa, tea, coffee, nuts, and olive oil (10). Certainly no single food can treat heart disease, but isn't it nice when something so delicious fits so nicely in a heart healthy lifestyle?
FAQ
I haven't tried it, but it should work fine with a 1-to-1 gluten free flour. You may find you need less milk, and the flour may not be whole grain.
Yes, any other berry will work. If you choose strawberries, chop them first.
Related
Looking for more muffin recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Blueberry Zucchini Muffins:
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Zucchini Muffins with Lavender
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- 2 teaspoon Lavender buds
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 ¼ cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
- 1 cup Shredded Zucchini liquid squeezed out
- ½ cup Date Paste
- 1 ½ cup Blueberries fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare your muffin tin by adding paper liners, or spraying each cup with nonstick cooking spray.
- Measure the flour into a mixing bowl.
- Put the lavender buds, along with a few spoons full of the flour from the mixing bowl, into a spice grinder, and grind until you get a smooth powder.
- Pour the lavender flour into the mixing bowl, and add the baking powder and lemon zest. Mix well.
- Combine the milk, shredded and squeezed zucchini, and date paste in another bowl, and mix well.
- Add the zucchini mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.
- Now add the blueberries and gently fold into the batter.
- Divide the mixture among the 12 muffin cups, filling each cup about ¾ full.
- Bake for 22-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Allow to cool about 5 minutes in the pan, then remove the muffins and cool completely on a cooling rack.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate, and will change based on the brand and individual ingredients and amounts you use. This is provided for your convenience only.
Food safety
These are important safety tips for blueberry zucchini muffins:
- Wash hands before beginning, whenever they are soiled, and after touching face, hair, pets, etc.
- Cook foods completely through
- Do not taste the raw batter. Even without raw eggs in it, raw flour is not a ready-to-eat product and can harbor illness-causing bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended
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