Coconut Cucumber Muffins (Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free)

Zucchini is like the washed up desperate celebrity of the hidden vegetable baking world. He was one of the first to appear in a dessert (zucchini bread), and he’s made the rounds being added to cakes, brownies, cookies, muffins, you name it. If there was a hidden vegetable dessert made, zucchini made it’s way to some rendition of it.

Now zucchini is a little passé and needs to make way for the newer generation of vegetable treats that he’s already overextended himself in. His cousin, the cucumber, is ready to take on one of these new roles.

Sure, a cucumber looks like a zucchini, but it doesn’t necessarily act like one when baking. Cucumbers are less fibrous, have a higher water content (96% water!), and have a waxier skin.

Let’s not forget the whole ordeal about cucumbers technically being fruit. 

All this aside, cucumbers baked into muffins add a nice level of moisture and zero cucumber flavor (not even really sure what a ‘cucumber flavor’ is, they just taste like water, right?).

This recipe is very adaptable to your taste preferences. If you don’t have coconut sugar, use white sugar for a lighter flavor, if you want a warm spiced flavor, add 1/2 cup apple chunks and 1 tsp of cinnamon, if you’re not GF sub all-purpose flour.

It’s a great base for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetable rich muffins. Who doesn’t want a go-to recipe that fits that description! I used one of my blends for gluten-free baking, if you have a favorite cup for cup GF blend feel free to use that.

To frost or not to frost is your own decision, I personally think it adds a nice textural element and distracts from the hearty flavor of the brown rice flour.

I’ll be making more renditions of this recipe so stay tuned and happy baking!

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Coconut Cucumber Muffins (Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free)

Course Brunch

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 10

Author Fiona Saluk

Ingredients

• MUFFIN
• 1 cup cucumber skinned and pureed
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 eggs room temp
• 2/3 cup coconut oil melted but not boiling
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 c gluten-free flour blend link to one I used above
• FROSTING
• 1 1/2 c powdered sugar add more to taste
• 1/2 cup coconut shortening
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 tbsp almond milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 and line two muffin tins with muffin liners
2. In a medium bowl cream together the coconut oil, lemon zest and juice, sugar and vanilla for a few minutes until well incorporated.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined.
4. In a small bowl sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) and add half to the wet ingredients.
5. Add the cucumber puree into the wet ingredients before adding in the rest of the dry ingredients.
6. Stir in the coconut until just combined, Mixture should be pretty viscous.
7. Fill muffin liners 7/8 with mix and bake muffins for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven an allow to dry in the muffin tin for 15 mins.
9. While muffins are cooling, combine all frosting ingredients together with a hand beater in a small bowl and frosting once cooled.