These healthy zucchini muffins contain no refined sugar and are packed with whole grains and vegetables. Perfect for a quick breakfast or snack, and freezer-friendly so you can make a delicious kid-approved meal for now and later!
We’ve all been there. A giant bag of zucchini arrives on your doorstep, thanks to your sweet neighbor, or you realize all 40 zucchinis in your garden are ready for picking in a single week. It’s death by zucchini (which is why I created this Death by Zucchini Chocolate Mug Cake).
There are plenty of ways to use it up, like throwing it in a Weeknight Stir-Fry, sneaking it into your Ground Beef Taco Meat, or adding it to your Skillet Pizza Pasta.
But probably one of the most common ways to use extra zucchini is to add it to baked goods, like these zucchini bread muffins.
These muffins are chef-tested, kid-approved, and super delicious!
MUFFINS WITH ZUCCHINI
I LOVE these muffins with zucchini because they are:
- Packed with whole grains and vegetables. With whole grains from the einkorn and the oats (no refined flours here!) and extra veggies, these muffins are packed with nutrition.
- Freezer-friendly. These are easy to make ahead and eat all week, and work right into my cycle of easy and quick breakfast ideas for busy mornings.
- Ideal for double batch cooking. Whether you’re making a double batch of ground Oat Flour or doubling the entire zucchini muffins recipe, there are easy ways to maximize your time in the kitchen.
- Quick and easy to make – much faster than baking a loaf of zucchini bread.
- Delicious! These fluffy muffins win in the taste department!
INGREDIENTS FOR ZUCCHINI CARROT MUFFINS
The ingredients list for zucchini carrot muffins might seem long, but I challenge you to find any ingredient on this list that you don’t already have in your kitchen!
- Shredded Zucchini
- Salt
- Shredded Apple
- Shredded Carrot
- Butter
- Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Oat Flour
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Nutmeg
HEALTHY ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
These healthy zucchini muffins are a step above the competition because of the quality of the ingredients. Here are all your reasons to feel good about what’s in them:
- Whole Grains. Two of them, to be exact. 100% whole wheat Einkorn flour and freshly ground oat flour. Or you can substitute spelt for the Einkorn. In either case, move aside all-purpose flour. These zucchini muffins don’t need you.
- TONS of Zucchini. These carrot zucchini muffins have little green specks EVERYWHERE. But it’s a good thing, not that icky fuzzy bad kind.
- Carrots. As if having the kids eat vegetables for breakfast wasn’t already the coolest thing ever, I upped the ante and fed them two vegetables. And they ate it. And asked for seconds.
- Apples. I was originally trying to skip out on adding an egg, but the apple lends a tender sweetness that allows me to skip out on additional sweetener, too. Double bonus!
- No Refined Sugars. Most zucchini muffins are loaded with sugar. These use nature’s own sweeteners instead.
EASY ZUCCHINI MUFFINS RECIPE PREP
Before you can mix everything together, you need to prep your produce.
SHREDDING THE ZUCCHINI
There are two ways to go about shredding your zucchini, apples, and carrots.
- You can use a food processor if you have one, which makes this recipe WAY faster.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a traditional box grater like this one.
I prefer shredding the vegetables and apples. But if your crew is somewhat picky about texture, you could use grated zucchini, apples, and carrots. This will make the pieces finer and will blend in more with the flour.
REMOVING EXCESS WATER
Zucchini has tons of water, and you need to get rid of the excess water in order for the wet/dry ratio in your baked goods to work in the end. Adding salt to the zucchini helps with this, plus the salted zucchini will have to sit for about 5-10 minutes. So get this done first, then move on to the rest of the zucchini muffin recipe.
The best method I’ve found to get the excess water out of zucchini is using a flour sackcloth.
After the zucchini is finished sitting in a separate bowl for 5-10 minutes:
- Lay the towel flat on the counter and scoop the zucchini into the center.
- Bring up all four corners to the top and hold it with one hand.
- Use your other hand to push the zucchini down to the bottom of the towel, into the shape of a ball.
- Grab the ball and start twisting it while squeezing the zucchini.
- Continue to twist and squeeze as hard as you can until no more water comes out.
- Carefully lay the towel on the counter again, and your zucchini is ready.
You can also use a colander and press the liquid out after 10 minutes, but I’ve found the towel method works better to get the most liquid out.
HOW TO MAKE MUFFINS WITH ZUCCHINI
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with muffin liners (Spray paper liners with cooking spray or use these).
Step 2: Grate the zucchini. Combine zucchini and salt in a colander and mix well. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Press the liquid out of the zucchini.
Step 3: Meanwhile, melt butter in the microwave or stovetop. Measure honey and maple syrup into a large bowl and add the butter. Mix well.
Step 4: Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Step 5: Add shredded carrot, apple, and zucchini and stir to combine very well.
Step 6: Mix all the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and combine well.
Step 7: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir. The batter will be thick but will bake up moist and fluffy without turning out overly dense and chewy.
Step 8: Use a muffin scoop to divide the batter into your muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Step 9: Muffins are done when the top of the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the center of the muffins clean. Let cool on a wire rack.
CARROT & ZUCCHINI MUFFINS RECIPE TIPS
Before you head to your kitchen to bake these moist zucchini and carrot muffins, here are a few extra tips.
- Skip the peeling process. You might wonder if you need to peel your zucchini when making muffins. The answer is no! You’ll save time and nutrients, and it won’t affect the taste at all.
- Freeze some for later! Muffins are easy to freeze, whether you freeze them fully cooked or in batter form. If you’ve never frozen muffins or muffin batter before, here’s how to freeze muffins, bread, and more. These are so yummy that you’re going to want some extra batches!
- Make a bulk batch of oat flour. This is the perfect opportunity to set aside some extra oat flour. Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are another one of my kids’ favorite muffins, and having oat flour ready to go makes the process go so much faster. Here’s how I make oat flour in a blender.
- You will get 24 perfect zucchini muffins if you measure your batter using a muffin scoop. If you don’t have a muffin scoop, you can use a ¼ cup measuring spoon for 24 muffins, or a ⅓ cup measuring spoon for 18 larger muffins.
- If you want to make these even more of a treat, you can top them with Naturally Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Store any leftover zucchini muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, in the fridge for 4-6 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. They thaw quickly, so they’re still easy to grab and go!
MACRO-FRIENDLY ZUCCHINI CARROT MUFFINS
Like many muffins, the best zucchini muffins get most of their calories from carbohydrates, with a few grams each of fat and protein. To include them as part of a balanced meal, you’ll want to serve them alongside something rich in protein or boost the protein in the zucchini muffins recipe itself.
Try adding one of the following:
- Collagen. Add 2 Tablespoons to the batch of muffin batter with the dry ingredients to boost the protein by 12g.
- Protein powder. Unflavored protein powder or vanilla would probably work best with these muffins. You’ll add 15-30g of protein depending on the brand.
- Nuts. Chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts would all add crunchy texture and yummy flavor, either mixed into the muffin batter or sprinkled on top. You’ll add 1-2g of protein for every Tablespoon of chopped nuts.
- Seeds. Hemp seeds, flax seeds, or chia seeds are another protein-boosting option – grind them up first and add them with the dry ingredients for a subtle nutty flavor and 1-3 grams of protein per Tablespoon.
- An extra egg white. Boost the protein by 5g and make your muffins even fluffier.
- Greek yogurt. Try substituting Greek yogurt for half of the butter. You’ll boost the protein by 6g.
MUFFINS ZUCCHINIS FAQS
Are these carrot & zucchini muffins healthy?
Ordinarily, muffins are full of processed sugar and carbs. However, this recipe contains no refined sugars and uses oat flour, which adds fiber and protein to the recipe, making it a much better choice. The natural sugar in the apple and carrot, along with honey or maple syrup, still gives these muffins a lightly sweet flavor, too!
Can I make gluten-free zucchini muffins?
You can! Just make sure you use gluten-free oats and substitute your favorite gluten-free flour for the einkorn flour (hint: many people who are intolerant of gluten can still eat einkorn, and here’s why!)
Why are my zucchini muffins soggy?
Chances are, you need to squeeze a bit more liquid out of your zucchini before mixing it into your muffin batter. Try the towel method in this post to get the most liquid out.
What is the secret to moist muffins?
In this muffins zucchinis recipe, the moisture comes from the butter and the sweeteners, and from the shredded zucchini, apples, and carrots. They combine to make the perfect texture in a moist, delicious muffin.
What if I want chocolate zucchini muffins?
If you like to combine chocolate and zucchini, try my Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe (which you could also make into muffins) or Death by Chocolate Zucchini Mug Cake.
MORE MUFFIN RECIPES
- 5 Ingredient Banana Bread Muffins
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Applesauce Muffins
- Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins
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Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!WATCH HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
Zucchini Muffins with Apples and Carrots
These healthy zucchini muffins contain no refined sugar and are packed with whole grains and vegetables. Perfect for a quick breakfast or snack, and freezer-friendly so you can make a delicious kid-approved meal for now and later!
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups shredded zucchini (approx 2 large zucchini) (646g)
- 1 tsp salt (6g)
- ¾ cup shredded apple (approx 1 medium apple) (182g)
- ¾ cup shredded carrot (approx 1 large carrot) (72g)
- 8 Tbsp melted butter (115g)
- ½ cup honey (170g)
- ½ cup maple syrup (160g)
- 2 large eggs (100g)
- 2 tsp vanilla (10g)
- 1 cup oat flour (120g)
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (240g)
- 3 tsp cinnamon (7g)
- 2 tsp baking soda (12g)
- 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with silicone baking cups or traditional muffin liners.
- Grate zucchini using a grater or food processor. Combine zucchini and salt in a large colander and mix well. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. Press as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible while in the colander. Then, squeeze all the water out of the zucchini (see method in-post).
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a large bowl. Measure honey and maple syrup to the butter and mix well.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Finally, add shredded carrot, apple and zucchini and stir to combine very well.
- In a separate small bowl, mix all the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and combine well.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to barely combine, approximately 5 big rounds of the bowl.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl and stir to just barely combine, another 5-7 big rounds of the bowl.
- Use a muffin scoop to divide the batter between the 24 muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
- Use flour sackcloth to wring excess moisture out of the zucchini before moving on to the rest of the recipe.
- Save some time and skip peeling your zucchini. Leaving the skin on won’t affect the taste and it will save you hassle!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 137
I came across this recipe on Facebook. They sounded delish! I have them in the oven baking now and they smell amazing. I am excited to have them for easy on the go breakfasts this week.
I hope you guys like them as much as we do!
Hi! Late to the game here. What would you recommend if omitting honey? All maple syrup? Or some apple sauce as suggested above? I want to share these with my new to food baby. Thanks! Great recipe!
All maple syrup!
Thanks!
Looking for a way to use up some excess zucchini and happened upon your recipe and so glad I did! So many zucchini recipes are loaded with sugar. My hubby and the salad shooter helped grate the veggies. My hubby is not a major veggie man but deemed these superior and a keeper, high praise for a veg.I loved them, made exactly as recipe. Thanks!
Don’t know why my “stars” changed from 5 to 3 :-((. This DEFINITELY a five star!!!
So glad you liked them Susan!
These are beautiful, easy muffins! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! Several changes: subbed butter for coconut oil, and had no ww flour, so used unbleached all purpose. Cut back on sweeteners and also only made 1/2 recipe which made 11 ;-). Can’t wait for my granddaughter to try these!
I’m surprised you directed to remove the liquid from the zucchini. Every time I’ve made zucchini bread and it’s come out wrong, it’s boiled down to the fact that I forgot and drained my frozen zucchini. Baking recipes usually take into account the amount of water in zucchini. That said, I was planning to make some bread/muffins from my frozen stash this week, and I like the sounds of these!
I mean *whether*
I’ve made these several times and my kids love them! I do think they have too much leaving. Weather I make them at 1000 ft above sea level or 5000 ft above I always reduce the leaving.
My kids and I loved these muffins!! However…sugar is sugar….no matter where it comes from. Therefore I obmitted all sugar in the recipe (including honey). Sweetness in the apples and carrots is enough. You palate adjusts to having little sugar. One cup of sugar in the recipe…yikes! Not my idea of a healthy snack
Hi Jacquelyn! I’ll have to respectfully disagree that “sugar is sugar.” I consider the traditional white granules sugar, and that along with maple syrup and honey are sweeteners. Honestly though, using one cup for 24 muffins is pretty darn good when you compare to store-bought muffins and boxed mixes!!
So, pretty much the breakdown is 2 tsp sweetener per muffin, for those who don’t care to have to do the math. ; )
I agree! I’ve been using all natural sweeteners for a few years now and while they are loads better than white sugar, it still is sugar (and we could all use way less in our diets these days). I used half the sweetener for mine. However, if you’re new to unprocessed foods then the recipe as-is is probably a good place to start! Thanks!
Love them. They were really good. My husband didn’t dry the zucchini so I think that’s why they’re a little sticky. Do you just leave them out or refrigerate them? How long do you think they’re good for? My husband made them last week and I think I already saw one go bad…
Homemade muffins have a relatively short shelf life Amber, especially with a high moisture content like zucchini. On the counter, you have 2-3 days. In the fridge, you have 4-6. Store them individually in the freezer for long term. They thaw quickly, so taking one out first thing in the morning means it’ll be room temp by the time you’re dressed and showered. OR if you’re packing it to go, move from the freezer to the fridge overnight, then take as you walk out the door.
Thank you so much for the quick response! Great tips.
I just made these with my 4 year old. We made mini versions to freeze for future breakfasts. This is my new favorite zucchini bread recipe! The mini muffins are just like eating a cinnamon Munchkin! I swear! But I really love that this is actually a healthy recipe too, rather than essentially a cupcake with zucchini added. 🙂
These are really yummy and moist but I found them to be a bit too sweet for my taste. Even though they are naturally sweetened, they still have 10 grams of added sugar per muffin! Next time I will try and reduce the maple syrup/ honey a bit… maybe compensate for the lost liquid by squeezing the zucchini a bit less? Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed them Hannah! You could maybe sub applesauce for some of the sweetener too. Or perhaps a dollop of sour cream or yogurt!
Love the substitution ideas Rebecca – thanks for sharing! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I just made these yesterday but with a few changes that you HAVE to try! I used 2 cups gluten free flour instead of the 2 cups wheat flour, melted coconut oil instead of butter and only used half of the honey and syrup. AMAZING!!! Thanks!
Thank you! I was hoping to cut down on the sweeteners, but not the moisture content. Actually now I think if it I could add applesauce. Although the veggies might be enough here.
Hey! Thanks for the recipe. Looking forward to making it for us soon.
I did want to share something that helped us with b and d issues. I don’t remember where I saw it (It’s only been 10 years :), but if you write the word bed and put a line across the letters (between the ascenders) it looks like a bed. Then the kids can write if needed (or just visualize) to help them remember. Hope it helps!
Jamie
Just made this recipe. It was very good! I used whole grain Einkorn flour (Azure Standard) and added 1 Tbsp coconut flour to the batter because I didn’t want to salt and squeeze the zucchini. Yummy!
Can all whole white wheat be used?
These look yummy and my zucchini are coming in from the garden ??
Yes! That would be an excellent whole grain to use in these muffins. 🙂
There is not enough liquid in these , the batter is dry and thick
Lora – the batter for these is thick and on the dry-er side, but the muffins come out delicious and moist. Did you follow the recipe as written? Did you bake the batter?
I absolutely love this recipe! I used oats instead of the oat flour and they turned out great. We put cream cheese icing on half of them so you can choose if you want a healthy treat or a not-so-healthy treat.
Ooh – I love cream cheese icing!!
I am so excited for zucchini to come in season so I can try this zucchini muffin recipe. Yes, I can buy it now, but that defeats my goal this year of eating as much as possible seasonally and locally.
I will need to make a gluten free version and I have done a little research and looked at other recipes. I found a similar recipe that’s gluten free (only it used 1/2 c brown sugar) and it looks like you can sub an “all purpose” gluten free blend pretty much cup for cup for the wheat flour. The other recipe had about 1/4 c more flour. (Just don’t forget the xanthan gum). I will try to remember to report back with my results once I make these for those who are interested in a gluten free version.
I admit, I am hesitant to convert recipes from granular sugar to liquid sugars. I am just not skilled enough to really know how to convert and when baking gluten free, it could turn out to be VERY costly experiment. 🙂
Kathleen
I’m not that skilled either Kathleen, but in my experience (with gluten flours of course), 50/50 honey and maple syrup seems to work in every muffin and quick bread recipe I’ve tried!
Hi! I don’t have kids and don’t home school…but I came across your website anyway.
Made your muffins two weeks ago and my husband is already asking for them again. I made a honey butter to go with them at first, but after your first couple, you realize they are great just the way they are (not that sweet). I also think they are better after the first day. (we made bread so stayed moist)
I will add raisins next time. This is a recipe that’s very adaptable. Thank you!
You’re most welcome Lizzy! So glad your husband is asking for seconds!! 😉