Zucchini Muffins with Feta, Basil & Lemon

Growing up, we often had savoury muffins with our stews and casseroles to mop up all the sauce. For me, the savoury muffin was the most exciting part of the meal!

Ours always had chunky bits in them: sometimes sundried tomatoes, sometimes bacon, and always lots of cheese. We often toasted them in the oven with butter until nice and crispy, and then of course slathered them with even more butter.

These muffins make use of the last of this season’s zucchinis! I love the combination of feta, basil and lemon – the flavours are bright and fresh, and pair perfectly with the fluffy denseness of almond meal.

Whether you serve them with dinner, enjoy them for morning tea or heat them up for breakfast, you just can’t go wrong with a good savoury muffin.

This recipe was first published in the Taupo Herald 05/2023. I contribute recipes on a regular basis to this local publication, which will also be shared here on my website. Keep an eye out on each week’s publication for my newest recipes!

Zucchini Muffins with Feta, Basil & Lemon

Recipe by Olivia Moore

Servings

6

servings

Total time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 150g almond meal

• 75g flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 egg

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 75g butter

• 175ml milk

• 75g grated cheddar

• 150g zucchini, grated and moisture squeezed out

• Zest and juice of 1 large lemon (you’ll need 3-4 tbsp juice)

• 10g basil leaves, finely shredded

• 40g feta, crumbled

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease or line 6 large muffin holes.
• In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat butter and egg for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Add to the dry ingredients along with the milk, zucchini, grated cheese, lemon and basil. Season with pepper and mix until just combined. Add feta and stir gently to distribute.
• Divide among prepared muffin holes, and crumble a little feta over the top of each. Bake for 30 minutes, or until nicely browned on top. The muffins should still be moist, but a skewer inserted should come out mostly clean.
• Allow to cool slightly before transferring muffins to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm, with plenty of butter.