Giant Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins
These giant fluffy zucchini muffins are packed with cinnamon, vanilla, and zucchini - and topped with a cinnamon glaze!
Servings: 6 giant muffins
Calories: 550kcal
Equipment
- Six 4-inch cake pans (link below to the ones we use)
- Cookie sheet
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 Cup canola oil
- 1/2 Cup browned salted butter instructions below - start with 2/3 cup of salted butter!
- 3/4 Cup white sugar
- 3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 Cups gluten free 1-1 flour mix link below to the one we use - with xanthan gum included (if your mix does not have xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon of it now)
- 3 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 Cups packed grated zucchini don't squeeze out the water
- 1 1/2 Cups chopped raw walnuts optional
For the glaze
- 1 1/4 Cup sifted powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp melted butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, make your browned butter! In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the 3/4 cup of salted butter and stir constantly until melted and simmering. Continue to simmer, on medium heat, for at least a few minutes, until the popping and hissing sounds have completely subsided (this is the water in the butter burning off – you’ll know once it’s silent). Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter reaches a deep amber color and smells nutty or caramelly. The butter may foam, so keep stirring/lifting up spoonfuls of the butter to see the color. The browned milk solids will foam up in the center of the pan – once it does that- immediately take off the burner and let sit for a few minutes, then pour (scrape ALL of the brown bits – that's the flavor!) into a heat-proof small bowl and let it cool to just above room temp (still liquid).
- Once your browned butter is cooled but still liquid, make your muffin batter! It will need to rest for 30 minutes before baking. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar (white and brown), oil, melted cooled browned butter (you'll end up with about 1/2 cup of browned butter), and vanilla. Then stir in the gluten free 1-1 flour mix, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Finally, fold in the three packed cups of grated zucchini and the 1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts until just combined. Do not over-mix or your muffins won't rise. Let the batter sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
- Finally, preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and place your six 4-inch cake pans on a cookie sheet. Spray each pan with cooking spray, then spoon batter into each one evenly (they should be about 2/3-3/4 full). Bake for 40-45 minutes until the tops spring back with touched (do NOT open the oven while baking or the muffins will deflate. To check if done, open the oven only once very little and tap muffin with your finger). Let cool nearly-completely before turning out and glazing.
- While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze! In a medium cereal bowl, stir together all of the glaze ingredients (start with 1 Tbsp of milk and then add more if needed) until smooth - this will take some working. Check the consistency of the glaze: you're looking for a glaze that can drizzle over the muffins, but doesn't flow too quickly or it will simply run off and not hold on top of the muffins. Add more powdered sugar if it seems too thin/runny. Once it's a pourable consistency, drizzle over your muffins!
- You can let the glazed muffins sit at room temp for 30-45 minutes for the glaze to harden, then put into zip-top bags and keep in the fridge or freezer for up to a week. Best-served slightly warm, so pop them in the microwave for 10-20 seconds from room temp!