By Leanne Brown

I wasn’t sure I was going to put these muffins in my book Good Enough until I served one to my two-year-old and she shimmied her shoulders and said “So yummy!” and “So good!” over and over again. I mean, it’s the law now. Everyone has to have these. Zucchini adds texture and moisture, and these muffins have an incredibly floral, bright, sweet aroma and flavor. My senses always feel dull and far away in the morning, and these muffins smell and taste like stepping into a quiet garden, with the gentle breeze on your skin bringing a light scent. They gently and lovingly awaken your senses to the undeniable truth: They are so yummy.  

Zucchini, Pistachio, and Lemon Muffins 

1 cup grated zucchini

½ cup ground pistachios (see note)

½ cup sugar 

Zest of 1 lemon

1 large egg

½ cup plain yogurt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Note: Take a heaping half-cup of shelled pistachios and grind them in your food processor, adding more until you get a half-cup ground. I like them to be crumbly but not powder-fine.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with silicone or paper liners.

Note: I highly recommend investing in silicone molds if you bake muffins or cupcakes often. They are reusable so you cut down on waste.

2. Place the zucchini, ground pistachios, sugar, lemon zest, egg, and yogurt in a large bowl and mix well.

3. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

4. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the zucchini mixture and gently mix until the flour is just incorporated. Don’t overmix, or the muffins won’t be as tender. 

5. Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters of the way full with batter. Bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the muffins cool to room temperature before enjoying. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 days. 

Makes 12 muffins

Excerpted from Good Enough: A Cookbook by Leanne Brown, illustrations by Allison Gore. Workman Publishing © 2022.

Leanne Brown, one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30, is the author of Good Enough: A Cookbook (Workman Publishing, 2022) and the New York Times bestselling Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day (Workman Publishing, 2015). Find her at leannebrown.com.