Zucchini Muffins Recipe (2024)

These homemade Zucchini Muffins are the perfect quick snack or breakfast on the go if you are in a hurry. They are so moist and tender and rise beautifully and it’s a great way to use up your summer zucchini.

We love quick muffin recipes, from our very popular Banana Muffins to our sweet and tangy Blueberry Muffins. These Zucchini Muffins are a new favorite and are perfect for busy families on the go.

Zucchini Muffins Recipe (1)

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Zucchini Muffins Recipe

With all of the zucchini we have in our garden this season, we’ve been making Zucchini Bread every few days. It’s the perfect way to use our summer bounty and sneak in extra veggies for the kids.

These muffins are great for lazy summer mornings or as a snack on the road or trail. They stay moist for days, you can add nuts, chocolate chips, berries, or whatever you like to add extra nutrients, flavor, and texture to your muffins.

Ingredients

I love the idea of zucchini muffins but simply dividing our zucchini bread recipe into muffins wasn’t absolutely perfect if you wanted 12 muffins. It took several batches, but I have finally perfected the best zucchini muffins.

  • Flour – All-purpose. If you are making gluten-free zucchini muffins, you’ll want to use your favorite GF flour
  • Egg – Provides structure and helps to create these perfectly textured muffins
  • Baking powder and baking soda – leavening agents to help the muffins rise
  • Oil – Using extra light olive oil, canola, or vegetable oil helps to make a light and fluffy batter
  • Milk – Helps to make the muffins less dense
  • Vanilla – Use our homemade vanilla or storebought
  • Salt – Balances the sweetness
  • Cinnamon – Adds a wonderful, cozy spice flavor to these muffins
  • Zucchini – 1 1/2 cups, grated. Adds moisture to keep the muffins soft and has a subtle flavor that complements the sweetness and cinnamon spice
  • Optional Add-ins – Pick one or use a combination: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, golden raisins, dried cranberries, or semisweet chocolate chips (if adding chocolate chips, you can reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup, if desired)
Zucchini Muffins Recipe (2)

Pro Tip: To quickly bring your eggs to room temperature, submerge them in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 10-15 minutes.

How to Make Zucchini Muffins

  1. Prepare – Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners or grease with softened butter or cooking spray.
  2. Dry Ingredients – Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. Wet Ingredients – In a separate large bowl, thoroughly whisk together eggs, oil, sugar, milk, and vanilla.
  4. Combine – Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir together with a whisk until well blended and smooth.
  5. Grate – Grate the zucchini with a large box grater. Add the shredded zucchini to the batter along with chocolate chips (or any optional add-ins that you are using), and fold until well incorporated.
  6. Bake – Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the remaining chocolate chips and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Zucchini Muffins Recipe (3)

Pro Tip: Use a trigger-release ice cream scoop to fill your muffin cups. It helps to scoop even portions into each cup and makes the job much easier.

Common Questions

How do I grate the zucchini?

Grate the zucchini in the large holes of a box grater over a bowl or plate. Be sure not to squeeze or pack the grated zucchini in your measuring cup too tightly.

Can I omit the milk?

If you are dairy-free, you can use water or almond milk instead. The milk adds moisture and helps combine the dry ingredients. It also adds an extra fluffiness to the muffins when they cook.

Can I double the recipe?

This recipe is easily doubled. The cooling time for the muffins is only 5 minutes, so if you do not have an extra 12-cup muffin tin, you can wait for them to cool, and have your next batch of muffin batter ready to go.

What size zucchini do I need for zucchini muffins?

This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini, which is usually one medium, half-pound, zucchini. Be sure to cut the stem off of the top before grating.

Do I need to peel the zucchini first?

There is no need to peel the zucchini before grating. The skin is thin enough to eat, so peeling does not change the taste or texture either way. I like to see the bits of shredded zucchini show up when I bite into the muffins.

Zucchini Muffins Recipe (4)

How to Serve Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini muffins are fantastic just as they are, or with any of the add-ins mentioned above. Some of my favorite ways to top them include:

  • Cream cheese frosting – make these muffins look like a healthy(ish) cupcake… oh, they are so delicious!
  • Butter – On the top, or heat your muffins up in the toaster or microwave and add it right to the sliced sides.
  • Powdered sugar – dusted over the tops
  • Whipped Honey Butter – perfectly sweet and spiced with cinnamon.

Make-Ahead

  • To Store: Store your freshly made muffins at room temperature for several days by placing the muffins in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container. Be sure they have cooled completely before covering them.
  • Freezing: If you want to save muffins for later, simply add your cooled muffins to a freezer bag or wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy them, unwrap them and set them on the counter to thaw or pop them into the microwave for about 30 seconds to defrost.

Pro Tip: Be sure your muffins have completely cooled before storing or freezing them. This will prevent condensation from forming on your muffin tops affecting the texture.

Zucchini Muffins Recipe (5)

Love Muffin Recipes?

If you are looking for more quick muffin recipes to try, here are a few of our favorites. Make them now and store some in the freezer for back-to-school breakfasts or lunchbox treats.

  • Banana Muffins
  • Cinnamon Muffins
  • Mixed Berry Muffins
  • Breakfast Egg Muffins
  • Blueberry Muffins

Zucchini Muffins Recipe

4.98 from 41 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Zucchini Muffins Recipe (7)

These yummy zucchini muffins are moist and tender and rise beautifully. A tasty snack or breakfast on the go, we hope you enjoy this recipe.

SavePinReviewPrint

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 12 muffins

Instructions

Nutrition Per Serving

239kcal Calories29g Carbs3g Protein12g Fat3g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat8g Monounsaturated Fat0.01g Trans Fat14mg Cholesterol151mg Sodium127mg Potassium1g Fiber16g Sugar60IU Vitamin A3mg Vitamin C24mg Calcium1mg Iron

  • Full Nutrition Label
  • Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Zucchini Muffins Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

239

% Daily Value*

Fat

12

g

18

%

Saturated Fat

3

g

19

%

Trans Fat

0.01

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

8

g

Sodium

151

mg

7

%

Potassium

127

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

29

g

10

%

Fiber

1

g

4

%

Sugar

16

g

18

%

Protein

3

g

6

%

Vitamin A

60

IU

1

%

Vitamin C

3

mg

4

%

Calcium

24

mg

2

%

Iron

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Zucchini Muffins

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $

Calories: 239

Natasha Kravchuk

Zucchini Muffins Recipe (8)

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Zucchini Muffins Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to moist muffins? ›

How to Make Homemade Muffins Moist: Our Top Tips
  1. Tips to Make Homemade Muffins Moist.
  2. Keep Wet and Dry Ingredients Separately.
  3. Add All Flavorings Last.
  4. Consider Paper Liners.
  5. Don't Overfill the Muffin Cups.
  6. Check the Temperature of Your Oven.
  7. Test if Muffins Are Fully Cooked.
  8. Top Your Muffins with Flavor.
Aug 9, 2021

What is the secret to high muffins? ›

Chilling your muffin batter overnight in the fridge is the BEST thing you can do for amazing muffins. It makes them more moist, tender, and TALLER! It's very similar to chilling cookie dough, which if you know me you know I'm obsessed with chilling cookie dough.

Why didn't my zucchini muffins rise? ›

There are a couple of reasons why your zucchini muffins may not have risen. If you used old leavening agents you may have issues with rising, so be sure to use fresh ingredients. If you didn't squeeze the zucchini to remove the excess moisture, this can also cause the muffins not to rise.

What is the most important rule to follow when baking muffins? ›

Don't over stir

The most important rule of muffin making is to not over stir the mix. Instead, what you really want is to just moisten the ingredients. Resist the temptation to stir or beat the batter until it is smooth and lump free. You want the final mix to be lumpy, thick and floury.

What not to do when making muffins? ›

Overmixing the batter.

When you overmix the batter, it crushes the air bubbles and ruins the fluffy texture. → Follow this tip: To ensure a batch of light, fluffy muffins, mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just barely combined, and no more dry flour is visible.

What is the best flour for muffins? ›

Cake Flour: The flour with the lowest protein content (5 to 8 percent). The relative lack of gluten-forming proteins makes cake flour ideal for tender baked goods, such as cakes (of course), but also biscuits, muffins and scones.

What does adding an extra egg do to muffins? ›

If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.

How do you keep muffins moist and fluffy? ›

The Best Way to Store Muffins
  1. STEP ONE: Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack.
  2. STEP TWO: Line an airtight storage container with paper towels.
  3. STEP THREE: Place muffins in the container, on top of the paper towels.
  4. STEP FOUR: Place an additional paper towel layer on top of the muffins.

How to get domed muffins? ›

According to O. Corriher, the way to get a perfectly puffed up dome on your muffins is to increase your oven heat. She says that 400° should do it, no matter what the recipe says. The higher baking temperature means that the the outside edges of the muffin will set while the middle is still liquidy.

What happens if you put too much baking soda in zucchini bread? ›

Using too much baking soda or baking powder can really mess up a recipe, causing it to rise uncontrollably and taste terrible.

Why do my zucchini muffins sink in the middle? ›

The most common reason for zucchini breadand other quick breads (and cakes) to collapse as they cool is the ingredients are too vigorously or quickly mixed, which incorporates lots of less stable air bubbles into the batter.

Why are my zucchini muffins dry? ›

The moisture in the zucchini will keep the muffins nice and moist. Measure the flour correctly. Too much flour can cause muffins to be dry and crumbly. Whisk the flour first, then spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the top (without shaking the measuring cup).

Should I bake muffins at 350 or 375? ›

Ideal Muffin Cooking Temperature

That being said, the standard oven temperature for baking desserts like quick breads and muffins is commonly set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Setting your oven to this temperature will almost always produce a well-cooked muffin recipe.

What is the most common flaw when baking muffins? ›

Overmixing is a common problem with muffins. First combine dry ingredients, mixing well. Then combine liquid ingredients, mixing well. Finally combine dry and wet ingredients, by hand, using only 15 to 20 light strokes.

Should muffin batter sit before baking? ›

Rest the Muffin Batter

If you're short on time, just 30 minutes can make a difference. When you rest the muffin batter, the flour has time to absorb more of the wet ingredients. The fully hydrated flour starches yields a thicker batter.

What to add to muffin mix to make it moist? ›

Add greek yogurt to your muffin mix for extra moistness. Top with a vanilla glaze or sugar sprinkles.

How do you keep homemade muffins moist? ›

The Best Way to Store Muffins
  1. STEP ONE: Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack.
  2. STEP TWO: Line an airtight storage container with paper towels.
  3. STEP THREE: Place muffins in the container, on top of the paper towels.
  4. STEP FOUR: Place an additional paper towel layer on top of the muffins.

Why are my muffins not moist? ›

If the muffins are dry, it is possible that they were baked for slightly too long. The oven temperature is slightly higher that you would normally use for cakes, as this helps to give the muffins nicely domed tops, a good crust and a moist interior. This means that the baking time is only 15-20 minutes.

Are muffins better with oil or butter? ›

The muffins made with oil had a very light and soft texture, they were perfect! The texture of the oil muffins was superior to the texture of the butter muffins. I will also say using butter is probably best in a recipe that doesn't have a lot of flavor add-ins, like a basic muffin recipe.

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