Zucchini Muffins Recipe

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 with Lemon Glaze. These Zucchini Muffins are a new favorite and are perfect for busy families on the go.

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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)

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.

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 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.

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.