Savoury gluten-free zucchini and feta muffins are full of flavour, vegetables and healthy as a snack, to go with soups or salads or even for breakfast.

On their own, zucchini tends to have a bland, watery flavour but adding them to eggs, cheese and seasonings really improve their potential. While baking, the zucchini absorbs the strong flavours of the feta cheese and artichokes plus offers a nice texture to the slice.

Substitutes

You can substitute the olives and artichokes with sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, bocconcini balls, parmesan cheese or anything you love. If you are looking to add some meat, I would recommend slivers of ham or prosciutto, or lightly fried bacon bits.

Serving zucchini & feta muffins

I make these often to have as a snack, a side to soups or with a salad. They are great for a packed lunch or a picnic. If you make mini muffins, these look fantastic on a platter to serve at a party.

Making a zucchini & feta slice instead

In Italy, a vegetable egg slice would be called a frittata and in Spain, a tortilla. Both countries have many variations of fillings and are usually served as tapas or sold in slices to eat on the go. A slice is more solid in texture and doesn’t need any milk or liquid. The large quantities of vegetables give the slice a strong structure and extra nutrition!.

Deciding whether to make it a slice or lots of muffins or both, is entirely up to you. From a practical point of view, I prefer to make muffins as they are easy to eat without utensils and freezing them in zip-lock bags is a breeze. If you intend to make this as a main meal, then I would opt for a slice.

several gluten-free zucchini and feta muffins on a wire rack

Gluten-Free Zucchini & Feta Muffins

by Sandra - Fun Without Gluten
Savoury zucchini and feta muffins are full of flavour, vegetables and healthy as a snack, to go with soups or salads or even for breakfast.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling down time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course baking, Kids' Snacks, Side Dish, Snack, Vegetarian
Cuisine Italian, Vegetarian
Servings 20 muffins

Equipment

  • regular size muffin trays

Ingredients
  

  • 550 g  zucchini, unpeeled & grated (1 large zucchini weighs on average 200 g)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp polenta
  • 5 eggs
  • 125 ml olive oil
  • 1 tbsp  chives, snipped finely
  • 3 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 50 g fresh or frozen spinach leaves, shredded
  • 300 g feta cheese
  • ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 200 g store-bought or homemade gluten-free plain flour
  • 1 tsp  gluten-free baking powder
  • 20 black olives, whole & pitted
  • 5 artichoke hearts, tinned, sliced in quarters
  • snipped chives, to garnish
  • fresh mint leaves, to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Gather and measure the ingredients together.
    Gathering the ingredients together.
  • Cut one end off the zucchinis and grate them into a medium bowl.
    Cutting one end off the zucchinis and grating them into a medium bowl.
  • Add the salt and gently massage it into the zucchini. Leave them for 15 minutes in a colander to drain. This will draw out the excess water from the zucchini.
  • Gently squeeze the zucchini to release any remaining water.
  • Prepare the muffin trays by brushing the bottom and sides with either butter or oil and dust them with the polenta, shaking out any excess.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy. Add the oil, chives, spring onions, spinach, half of the feta cheese, chilli flakes and pepper.
    In a large bowl, whisking the eggs until foamy. Add the oil, chives, spring onions, spinach, half of the feta cheese, chilli flakes and pepper.
  • Add the zucchini to the egg mixture and mix well.
    Adding the zucchini to the egg mixture and mix well.
  • Sieve the flour and baking powder over the zucchini mixture and combine well.
    Sieving the flour and baking powder over the zucchini mixture and combining well.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared muffin trays.
  • Decorate the tops of each muffin with olives, artichoke pieces and the remaining feta cheese, half submerging them into the mixture.
    Decorating the tops of each muffin with olives, artichoke pieces and the remaining feta cheese
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
  • Bake on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes. Use a toothpick to test if the inside is cooked by inserting it in the middle. If it comes out clean, the slice is ready.
  • Leave the muffins to cool down for 15 minutes before removing them to cool down further on a wire rack.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.
    five gluten-free zucchini and feta muffins wrapped partially in baking paper

Notes

  • Keeps for 3 days chilled
  • Bring to room temperature for one hour or reheat in a moderate oven covered in foil
  • Suitable to freeze
 
ALTERNATIVE TIP
Makes a large slice using a baking tin measuring 20 x 20 cm. Allow the slice to cool down for at least 30 minutes before slicing and removing it from the tin.
Keyword gluten-free healthy snacks, gluten-free savoury, gluten-free savoury muffins
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