These healthy Carrot Zucchini Muffins contain no refined sugar, are freezer-friendly, and taste so delicious that even your picky toddlers will love them! Perfect for a quick breakfast on the go, lunch, or snack time.
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.
These muffins are chef-tested, kid-approved, and certain to deliver you to the stratosphere of muffin deliciousness.
I LOVE these carrot zucchini muffins because they are:
- Packed with whole grains and vegetables. With no refined flours 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.
- Quick and easy to make.
- Ideal for double batch cooking. Whether you’re making a double batch of ground oat flour or doubling the entire recipe, there are easy ways to maximize your time in the kitchen.
- Delicious! These fluffy muffins win in the taste department!
Ingredients for Carrot Zucchini Muffins
- Shredded zucchini
- Salt
- Shredded apple
- Shredded carrot
- Butter
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Oat flour
- Whole grain flour (wheat, spelt or any combination of the two)
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Nutmeg
Notes on Ingredients
These carrot 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. 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. Thank you very much!
- Apples! I was originally trying to skip out on adding an egg, but the apple lends a sweet tenderness 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 to lend some love to these guys.
Recipe Prep
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 grater like this one.
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 zucchini will have to sit for about 5-10 minutes. So get this done first, then move on to the rest of the 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 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 you’re zucchini is ready.
Step by Step Instructions for Carrot Zucchini Muffins
Step 1. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with muffin liners (I like to 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. Melt butter. Measure honey and maple syrup to the butter and 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.
Step 8. Use a muffin scoop to divide the batter between the 24 muffin cups and bake.
Carrot Zucchini Muffin Recipe Tips
Before you head to your kitchen to bake these delicious carrot zucchini muffins, here are a few extra tips.
- Skip the peeling process. You might wonder if you need to peel your zucchinis when making muffins. The answer – 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 fully cooked or in batter form. If you’ve never frozen muffins or muffin batter before, here’s how to freeze muffins, bread &, etc. These are so delicious, 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’ll save time and nutrients and it won’t affect the taste at all.
- 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 1/4 cup measuring spoon for 24 muffins, or a 1/3 cup measuring spoon for 18 larger muffins.
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 them a much healthier choice. The natural sugar in the apple and carrot, along with honey or maple syrup, still give these muffins a deliciously sweet flavor too!
Are these zucchini muffins freezer-friendly?
Absolutely! You can freeze these muffins fully cooked, or make an extra batch of batter and freeze for baking later. Here is a guide to freezing your muffins.
Can I make these zucchini muffins gluten free?
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!)
More Muffin Recipes
- Death By Chocolate Zucchini Mug Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- 5 Ingredient Banana Bread Muffins
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Five School Lunches in One Hour
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Zucchini Muffins with Apples and Carrots
These healthy Carrot Zucchini Muffins contain no refined sugar, are freezer-friendly, and taste so delicious even your picky toddlers will love them! Perfect for a quick breakfast on the go, lunch, or snack time.
- Prep Time: 35 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (approx 2 large zucchini)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup shredded apple (approx 1 medium apple)
- 3/4 cup shredded carrot (approx 1 large carrot)
- 8 Tbsp melted butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup oat flour
- 2 cups whole grain flour (wheat, spelt or any combination of the two)
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 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
Keywords: carrot zucchini muffins
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. 🙂
★★★★★
Just made these today, so good! I just realized I left out the oat flour, I didn’t have any and was going to add 1/2 cup or so of old fashioned oats. Oops, but, they were still delicious, thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
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. 🙂
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!! 😉
Just wanted to let you know that I made these this weekend and they were delicious! I’m sharing them on my blog with a link back to you for the recipe. Have a great week Tiffany! Diane
So glad you like them Diane! Thank you for sharing with your readers! 🙂