Enjoy zucchini egg cups as a low carb breakfast idea. Perfect for an on the go breakfast idea or a sit down brunch, this healthy breakfast recipe is easy to make, prep and freeze.
Zucchini Egg Cups
Learn how to make zucchini egg muffins for a low carb, gluten free food. These are perfect for meal prep because you can store them for several days after you make them. If you’re looking for healthy breakfast ideas, this is perfect. It also makes a light brunch, lunch, or even dinner on a hot summer day.
Zucchini egg muffins are easy to make. I like them for breakfast on the go because they are easy to put in a container and take with you. They aren’t messy to eat, so you can eat them in the car or anywhere without worrying about making a mess. Instead of packing sugar filled prepackaged foods for a road trip, try this quick and easy zucchini egg cups recipe.
Baking with Zucchini
Most people plant a couple of zucchini plants in their garden each year. Even if you don’t plant a garden, you likely know someone who does. Those two zucchini plants can quickly yield more zucchini than you know what to do with.
When zucchini are in season, I use them to make several recipes. Zucchini works well in most recipes because it doesn’t have much flavor, so it blends in well with other ingredients. It’s a great way to add more vegetables to your diet, even for picky eaters who don’t like vegetables.
Zucchini is also extremely versatile. It can be used it both sweet or savory recipes. For a sweet treat, try this zucchini brownies recipe. For a savory recipe, try my recipe for no cheese zucchini egg bake below.
First, however, I want to share the health benefits of this low carb breakfast idea, as well as answer some common questions you may have about this zucchini recipe.
What are the Health Benefits of Zucchini?
Zucchini has several health benefits in healthy breakfast ideas. Zucchini health benefits include:
- Zucchini is high in antioxidants, specifically lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene. These antioxidants support your heart, skin and eyes. They can also offer some protection against certain types of cancer.
- Zucchini promotes better digestion due to its high water content. It also has soluble and insoluble fiber to help food move through your body.
- The fiber in zucchini may also help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent spikes after meals.
- Pectin, which is naturally found in zucchini, can reduce both total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels.
- Zucchini is high in vitamin C and beta-carotene, which are important for eye health.
What are the Health Benefits of Eggs?
Eggs provide the main bulk of these zucchini breakfast muffins. Eggs have several benefits for your health including:
- Eggs are high in cholesterol, but they don’t seem to affect overall cholesterol levels.
- They contain choline, which is a nutrient that most people don’t get enough of in their diets. Your body uses choline to build cell membranes.
- In addition, eggs also contain both lutein and zeaxanthin. There are antioxidants that benefit your eyes.
- Eggs are also high in protein and amino acids that your body needs to make tissue.
Pan Variations for Baked Zucchini and Eggs
I used a muffin tin to make my no cheese zucchini egg bake. However, you can use a different pan for your needs. For small zucchini egg muffins, use a mini muffin pan. You can also use a silicone egg bite mold. While this mold is made for the Instant Pot, you can use it in the oven to make this zucchini egg cups recipe.
To make a zucchini egg bake in a larger pan, you can use an 8×8 pan or a 9×9 pan. To use a larger pan, double the recipe for a 9×13 pan.
Cooking times may vary for different sized pans, so watch your zucchini egg cups recipe carefully as it bakes. Mini muffin tins may cook quicker, and the pan may take a few extra minutes.
Tips for Making Zucchini Egg Cups
Although this is a quick and easy no cheese zucchini egg bake, here are some tips to ensure that they turn out well:
- This zucchini egg bake has a fluffy and light texture because of the baking powder. To make firmer zucchini egg cups, make it without the baking powder and add ¼ cup coconut flour for keto zucchini egg muffins or ¼ cup cornstarch for gluten-free bites.
- This no cheese zucchini egg bake makes a great meal prep recipe for healthy breakfast ideas. They last for a few days on the counter or freeze well for storage, so you can make them and use them later.
- Substitute shredded cauliflower or broccoli for the the shredded zucchini for a variation
- I made this as a no cheese zucchini egg bake, but you can add shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese if you want to.
- Using a muffin pan, this recipe makes 12 zucchini egg cups.
How to Shred Zucchini to Make Zucchini Egg Bake
To shred zucchini, start by washing the zucchini and trimming off both ends. Then slice it lengthwise and scoop out the large seeds. Shred using a cheese grater or a food processor. Alternately, you can also finely chop the zucchini for this recipe.
How to Freeze Zucchini Egg Muffins
These zucchini egg muffins freeze very well. You can mix all of the ingredients together and freeze in a plastic container and cook when you’re ready. Let the mixture thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake as usual.
To freeze zucchini breakfast muffins after baking, wrap each cup in plastic wrap. Place individually wrapped zucchini egg cups in a freezer bag or freezer container. Then remove from the freezer, unwrap and heat in 30 second intervals until hot.
No Cheese Zucchini Egg Cup Ingredients
To make zucchini breakfast muffins you will need the following ingredients:
- Shredded zucchini
- Eggs
- Tomato
- Fresh spinach
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Pepper
- Baking Powder
How to Make Zucchini Egg Cups
Here is how to make this zucchini egg cups recipe:
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While oven preheats, prep the zucchini and tomato. You can either shred the zucchini or finely chop it until you have about 2 1/2 cups. Dice the tomato and chop the spinach.
- Now crack open the eggs and combine in a large bowl. Use a whisk to beat the eggs for several minutes. You want the eggs to be light and fluffy.
- Once beaten, add the smoked paprika, salt, pepper and baking powder to the eggs. Then whisk again to mix.
- Next, add the shredded (or chopped) zucchini, diced tomato and chopped spinach to a separate bowl. Drain the excess water from the tomato and zucchini. Add to the egg mixture. Then stir well.
- Now spray a muffin pan with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour the zucchini breakfast muffins mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups.
- Then bake the breakfast muffins for 25 minutes. The zucchini egg cups will be slightly brown on the edges and firm when they are done.
How to Store Zucchini Egg Cups
You can store leftovers from this zucchini egg cups recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Enjoy healthy zucchini egg cups as a low carb breakfast idea. Perfect for breakfasts on the go this breakfast muffin recipe is easy to make, prep and freeze.Zucchini Egg Cups Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12
Serving Size:
1 muffin
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 58Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 270mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g
For more low carb breakfast recipes, also be sure to try my keto sausage biscuits recipe. Or discover more breakfast recipes by following Becca Ink on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram.