This recipe goes out to all of my fellow zucchini lovers who have an abundance of zucchini growing in their gardens right now. Or maybe you’re like me and just have extra zucchini hanging out in the fridge that you need to use before it goes bad. Either way, one of my favorite ways to use up zucchini is by making these delicious and slightly irresistible Zucchini Muffins. They’re soft, super moist and the perfect way to sneak in a green vegetable!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
Ingredients Needed for Zucchini Muffins
What I love about baking recipes is that they often include pantry staple ingredients that you already have on hand. You can easily whip up a batch of these zucchini muffins using the following:
- Grated Zucchini – Zucchini naturally contains a lot of water, but there’s no need to pat or squeeze out the excess water for this recipe. In this case the extra liquid helps add moisture to the muffins – saving you an extra step!
- All Purpose flour – this gives the muffins structure. We used all-purpose flour, but you can safely substitute up to half of the flour for whole wheat flour without affecting the flavor or texture too much.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – both are leavening agents to help the muffins rise. We used both due to the extra acidity from the applesauce.
- Eggs – to help bind all of the muffin ingredients together.
- White Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar – the combination of both sugars helps to balance the sweetness, moisture and texture of the muffins.
- Applesauce & Oil – yes, we’re using both in this recipe! The combination of both oil and applesauce helps keep the muffins moist, but not too oily, and you gain more flavor and moisture by incorporating the applesauce. We’re not making any dry muffins over here! :)
- Cinnamon & Vanilla – keeping the added spices simple is key. These two pair nicely together to help enhance the flavor of the zucchini muffins.
Should You Peel the Zucchini Before Grating It
Thankfully there is no need to peel your zucchini before grating it. The skin of the zucchini is very thin and tender, so it’s barely noticeable once baked into the muffins. Just give it a good wash with your hands or a vegetable brush and you’ll be good to go!
A Few Recipe Tips!
- Don’t over mix the batter. Overmixing will cause the muffins to become dense and tough instead of light and fluffy. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until they are just barely combined and there are no traces of dry flour left in the bowl.
- Oil your muffin pan well. Even if you are using a nonstick muffin pan, make sure to oil it well or use cupcake liners to prevent your muffins from sticking to the pan.
- You can easily stretch this batter and get 12 regular size muffins. We were going for larger, bakery style muffins, so we divided the batter into eight muffin wells.
How to Store Zucchini Muffins
Allow the muffins to cool completely at room temperature before storing. You can store leftover zucchini muffins in an airtight container or a food storage bag at room temperature or in the fridge for 4-5 days. For longer storage, store in a freezer-safe storage bag for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen muffins at room temperature or microwave for about 30 seconds until warm, then add a little butter and enjoy!
Need to use up the rest of your Zucchini?
Some other great ways to use up your supply of summer zucchini include making a batch of these crispy, Baked Zucchini Fries, this easy Lemon Pepper Zucchini, or baked Zucchini Slice. Other great zucchini recipes include our simple Charred Corn and Zucchini Salad or easily add sautéed zucchini to your favorite meal like this Blackened Salmon with Zucchini dish!
And in case you were wondering, this zucchini muffins recipe also makes a fabulous Zucchini Bread!😉
Zucchini Muffins
Servings 8 muffinsIngredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 lb.) ($1.49)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.28)
- 1 tsp baking powder ($0.06)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.04)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.10)
- 2 large eggs ($0.22)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar ($0.20)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar ($0.28)
- 1/3 cup sweetened applesauce ($0.18)
- 1/4 cup cooking oil ($0.16)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.50)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Next wash the zucchini well, trim off the stem of the zucchini, then using the large holes on a box grater, grate the zucchini and set it to the side.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon) until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla extract) until well combined.
- Add the grated zucchini to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the same bowl as the dry ingredients. Stir together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this point.
- Divide the batter between eight greased or lined muffin wells.
- Bake the muffins for about 24 minutes or until golden brown and puffed in the center. Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes, then carefully loosen the edges with a knife and transfer the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- 1 Muffin Pan
- 1 Box Grater
- 1 Glass Mixing Bowls
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make Zucchini Muffins – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Next wash the zucchini well, trim off the stem of the zucchini, then grate 2 cups of zucchini (roughly about 1 lb.) and set the grated zucchini to the side.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup sweetened applesauce, 1/4 cup cooking oil and 1 tsp vanilla extract until well combined.
Add the 2 cups of grated zucchini to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the same bowl as the dry ingredients. Stir together until just barely combined and there are no traces of dry flour left in the bowl. Be careful not to overmix the batter at this point.
Divide the batter between eight greased or lined muffin wells.
Bake for about 24 minutes or until golden brown and puffed in the center. And be prepared for your kitchen to smell amazing! Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes then carefully loosen the edges of the muffin with a knife. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Enjoy these soft, fluffy, and absolutely delicious Zucchini Muffins by themselves or with a little butter spread on top!
I moved last year from sea level to high altitude (7k ft) and this is the first recipe I’ve had come out. The only changes made for the altitude was adding ~2tbsp additional oil, and bumping the temp 25 degrees for the first 10 min. I used unsweetened applesauce I had made the week prior, and they turned out so fantastic. My muffin pans are a touch smaller than the norm at 2 1/4 in diameter resulting in it yielding a dozen
Highly recommend making in a donut pan if you have one – makes about 11 or 12 donuts and I baked them for 15 minutes at 350. My toddler is going to be so excited when he sees them!
These zucchini muffins are simply perfect! Moist, flavorful, and healthy—exactly what I needed for a guilt-free treat!
Do you have a recipe for carrots and zucchini bars with cream cheese frosting?
We don’t, but that would be a great idea!
I really like the recipe, I don´t add all sugar as listed and it is still sweet and for servings I choose 12 muffins and I have like 23? But they are a little smaller than on picture. I think they will be great with a fruit jam too. For one star down I think it is little on the gummy texture as others say, but we don´t have here all-purpose flour so it can be different.
These were delicious! I altered the recipe just a tad. I didn’t have any zucchini so I used 2 cups of cooked purple sweet potatoes. Plus, I added 1/4 teaspoon of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves along with the cinnamon. They turned out great!
I can’t for the life of me see where 9 g of fat enters into each muffin? Can you please shed some light on this?
The fat content here comes from the oil and the eggs. :)
I followed the recipe exactly but did not like the result. The muffins were what I would describe as gummy although cooked. A bit too moist. I would eliminate the applesauce and use a bit more cooking oil next time.
Next time try removing some of the water content from the zucchini after it has been shredded. Wrap in paper towel and squeeze out some liquid or wrap in dish towel and do the same.
I had the same issue. I would describe them as gummy. When they were done but gummy inside, I dropped the temperature and baked longer hoping this would help but it didn’t make a difference. I definitely didn’t over mix. Maybe I under measured the flour? I’m not sure what my problem came from, but I would be willing to try again if I have a couple zucchinis around. This batch is largely inedible unfortunately.
These turned out very good. Instead of applesauce, I used pumpkin butter, only because that is what I had on hand. Plan on making them again as my kiddos really liked them. Thanks!
Before these were baked, I swore this recipe was a dud. The batter was thinner than any muffins I’d ever baked and it made way more than 8 muffins in my smaller muffin tins. But when they came out of the oven… 😍🤤🍴 Moist, delicious, just the right amount of sweet, definitely a keeper!
But yes, home cooks be warned that you will almost definitely need to grease all 12 muffin cups, if not more.
I used unsweetened apple sauce, but otherwise left the recipe the same and its excellent. I will definitely make these again.
These were lovely and so easy to make. Added some walnut pieces but everything else was the same. Thank you
Here’s my dilemma…I used store bought applesauce for these. A family member gave me homemade applesauce today and of course I want to use it. The problem is it is very soupy. Not apple saucy at all. Lots of flavor though. Would I need to cut back on oil or maybe even blot the zucchini?
Thank you again. Kelly
I would maybe see if you could strain some of the liquid out of the applesauce. That would probably be easier than adjusting the zucchini and help you get a more accurate result. :)
I will try that. Thank you for taking the time to help me Beth.
These muffins are moist and scrumptious. I was worried they might be too sweet so I used unsweetened applesauce but kept sugar measurements the same. I will be making them again.
I got 12 standard muffins from this recipe, and that was with filling the wells all the way to the top.
Absolutely delicious! I somehow ended up with way more batter than I was supposed to and think I overmixed the wet ingredients together possibly and ended up with more air? Regardless, these turned out fantastic and I’m sharing them with friends I’m so excited.
I tasted them and realized that I forgot the salt :(
But I kept that detail to myself and served them with salted butter.
No complaints from the fam! Thank you! This recipe is a keeper.
genius!!! xoxo
Timely recipe for sure! We get many cucumbers this time of year as well. I’m considering using cucumbers instead, do you think it could work similarly?
Hi Christie. Since we haven’t tested it, we cannot give you any guidance on this substitution. But the water content of cucumbers is much higher than zucchini. It will definitely change the recipe significantly.
Always looking for more zucchini recipes. Thanks for this one! Looks like a winner
Sweetened or Unsweetened applesauce???
I used unsweetened an it came out perfect.
We used sweetened!
Well, I took a chance an made these into loaves. 2 8×4-1/2 pans an they both cooked completely at 350 approx 30 to 35 minutes until tested done or toothpick comes out clean.
Do you think this would go well with added chocolate chips or chunks?
Chocolate chips enhance the taste of almost any baked good.
Would appreciate ingredients be by weight not by volume if possible.
Hi Ed, unfortunately we cannot do that. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Any substitute for the applesauce?
Swapping the applesauce will alter the chemistry of the batter so while it can be done, we’d need to do testing with alternatives before offering a concrete suggestion.
I think this would work as a zucchini bread. Have you ever tried that using the same ingredient ratios/ measurements? I would love to know.
I think this would work as a zucchini bread. Have you ever tried that using the same ingredient ratios/ measurements? I would love to know.