Most parents love the idea of their children munching away happily on vegetables and I am no exception. My son loves vegetables, but for those who don’t I am not adverse to being a bit sneaky by hiding vegetables in yummy dishes and hoping they will like them. That way your children will become accustomed to the taste, get the nutrients they need and hopefully when older or in a less fussy phase they will be more likely to eat the vegetable by itself. Well, that’s my theory anyway.
If like me you love the idea of your child getting lots of healthy vitamins from vegetables and you’re often tasked with making lunch or dinner in a rush, you will love this dish. It is mainly zucchini, but it tastes mostly of egg and cheese and it looks like a muffin, which is always a plus where little foodies are concerned. It is also fabulously cheap, simple and easy. You can even get older children to make it whilst you put your feet up and have a cup of tea.
When we made these for the first time on Theo’s second birthday I was doubtful whether the kids would eat them with all the pizza going around, but 40 of them were gone by the time our second lot of guests arrived so I guess I can say they are a hit at kids parties as well. They will also make the house smell delicious.
Recipe tips
As the name suggests these muffins are made with zucchini. You could also make them with broccoli and carrot, yellow squash, spinach or peas. Have a go and let us know what you come up with.
I am not a fan of dairy but sometimes there is nothing like cheese and this is one of those times. If like my son you really can’t do cheese, you could try it with whatever cheese substitute you use. I haven’t found one I like so I can’t recommend one. Maybe you’d like to recommend one to us? Please let us know in the comments below.
Finally, these can be served alone as a snack or with salad or vegetables or perhaps even better with a rich soup. They make great picnic fare, travel quite well and can be refrigerated for a cold lunch but they do taste best straight from the oven.
Ingredients
200 g (2 c) zucchini, grated
1 egg
70 g (2/3 c) mature cheddar, grated
4 tbsp almond flour (we like this best but any flour will work if you are nut-free)
1/4 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Black pepper to taste
Oil or butter for greasing muffin pan
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F.
2. Drain all water from your grated zucchini by squeezing it out thoroughly with kitchen paper or a tea towel.
3. Whisk egg.
4. Mix in the zucchini, 2/3 of the cheese, almond flour, onion, oregano and black pepper.
5. Lightly spray or brush a medium muffin tray with oil or butter.
6. Spoon mixture straight into muffin sections. Packing them tightly will make it easier to remove them when baked.
7. Sprinkle muffins with the remaining cheese.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until starting to brown.
9. Serve for lunch or dinner with salad or soup, or as a breakfast muffin or a snack.
Preparation: 5 min | Baking time: 15-20 min | Servings: 6
Wow these are so easy and my 1 yr old loves them! I’ve made them with zucchini, corn, carrot, peas, and a mixture of these too. They are also great for an adult snack. Yum!
Hi Lee,
Thank you so much for letting us know!
Oooo… awesome recipe which I’m absolutely positive that both my three year old and I will love. And who doesn’t need to squeeze in some extra veggies in their kids diets? 😉
Thanks Ann-Louise! Glad you like it. It is very quick to make and always popular here with kids and adults alike.
Hi there, I just stumbled upon your site via Pinterest and am so glad I did! I have been looking for a site that has good, sugar-free recipes for baby food and I love your recipes!! Just wondering if I can omit the onions in this recipe? Should I replace with something? I know that when I eat onions my baby gets really bad gas from my milk so I’m fearful that if he were to eat onions on his own it would have the same effect.
Also, have you worked with coconut flour? I have some on hand but have trouble finding recipes for it.
Hi Evelyn, How old is your baby? I understand and I think you could omit the onions but it probably tastes better with them in. I am wondering how old he is because as babies get older they can tolerate more so maybe just a bit of onion would be ok for him. My daughter had the same problem but she can tolerate some onion now. Let us know how you go. Jackie
If you don’t like dairy, lactose free cheese is good. The main issue with dairy is the lactose. Also most people are better with goat’s or sheep’s cheese milk.
I will try out these muffins tonight with an Italian Beef Stew, think they will be amazing!
James 😉
Hi James,
We hope you enjoyed them. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Jackie
Hi! I came across your blog when looking for savoury muffins for kids. You have a great blog and what a yummy sounding (have saved the recipe but haven’t tried it yet!) muffin. My son recently started preschool and because of his nut allergies, I have to pack his lunch so I will be checking out your other recipes for meal ideas!
Thanks so much! We are so glad that you enjoy our site and that it is helpful for you.
Jackie
They look yummy. Have you tried freezing them?
Hi Heather,
No I haven’t. I think they might end up a bit soggy, but it is always worth a try. Cool them completely first, pat them dry with kitchen roll and then put just a few in a freezer bag. Once they are frozen you can store them all together, this will just prevent them from sticking together. Let us know how it works! Jackie