This zucchini bread muffin recipe is super simple to throw together and a wonderful way to use up all that wonderful zucchini produce in the summer! No electric mixer needed, and they are ready in about 30 minutes!
Growing up on a farm, meant the summertime was all about the garden. The potatoes I would help my grandfather dig up. Picking the fresh peas, and eating about half that I picked (*ahem..sorry Mom). And of course the abundance of zucchini. Zucchini that never seemed to stop. Zucchini the size of my head. Zucchini, zucchini, and more zucchini.
We always found as many ways possible to use it up. Like an easy Zucchini Bread, or maybe a decadent Chocolate Zucchini Cake, ora Lemon Zucchini Bread was always delicious too! And of course you can’t go wrong with some classic zucchini muffins.
For this zucchini bread muffin recipe, I relied on one of my new favorite baking books, Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book, where she gives you master recipes that you can have fun and play around with and make your own. So I used her veggie/fruit master bread recipe to whip up my own version of zucchini muffins, flavored with a bit of vanilla, and spiced with cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg.
Like any muffin recipe, they couldn’t be simpler. You just need to simply mix your dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl and combine the two. Easy peasy.
These zucchini muffins are packed with lots of fresh grated zucchini. The secret to a flavorful moist zucchini muffin is to NOT wring out the zucchini. All the water in the zucchini is going to make for one moist muffin.
Ingredients Needed
- Flour
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. Place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before starting.
- Oil – I use either vegetable or canola oil, but any neutral-tasting oil will work.
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Milk – You can use any milk for this recipe. I prefer baking with whole milk for maximum richness, but you can always use a lower fat milk, or a non-dairy milk.
- Zucchini – I recommend grating by hand as a food processor can make the zucchini too small and mushy. I used 2 small zucchini.
How To Make Zucchini Bread Muffins
Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg .
Heather’s Baking Tip
Be sure to measure your flour correctly or your will end up with a dry, and overly dense muffin. Measuring by weight is best, but if you are measuring by volume then be sure to stir your flour first. Then spoon the flour into your cup and level it off. Do not pack it down into your cup which can result in 25% more flour than needed.
Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, oil,milk , and vanilla extract.
Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula until just combined.
Heather’s Baking Tip
Be sure to not overmix your batter. I stir the dry and wet ingredients together just until the flour has been mixed in. Some lumps may remain and that’s ok. If you overmix your muffin batter, you will cause too much gluten to form which will result in tunneling (giant pockets of air) and create a tough chewy muffin.
Add zucchini. Fold in zucchini. I used about 2 small zucchini that I shredded by hand.
Bake. Divide batter into prepared muffin cups , filling about 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove from the loaf pan and continue cooling on a wire cooling rack.
Zucchini Bread Muffin Variations
I keep these simple and plain, but you can always add in some wonderful mix-ins! Here are a few ideas:
- Chocolate chips – Stir in with the zucchini 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
- Nuts – Stir in 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, and stir in with the zucchini.
- Dried fruit – Try stirring in a 1/2 cup of dried fruit such as cranberries or raisins.
- Add a glaze – You can always a sweet glaze made of confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla.
- Add a crumb topping – Sprinkle on a crumb topping before baking, like in my Whole Wheat Apple Crumb Muffins.
Recipe FAQ’s
Once cooled, keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
There’s no need to peel your zucchini. Simply go ahead and shred!
Absolutely! They freeze wonderfully. Cool completely, then place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Although chock full of zucchini I wouldn’t go as far as saying they are healthy since they still contain oil and sugars. But you could always lighten these up by using half oil and half applesauce. You could also make these whole grain and swap out half the flour for whole wheat flour.
More Recipes To Try
Zucchini Bread Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 large eggs room temperature room temperature
- ½ cup (120 mL) vegetable oil
- 1 cups (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) milk
- 2 cup (150 g) shredded zucchini, about 2 small about 2 small
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners, or grease well with non-stick cooking spray or butter If not using liners, be sure to grease the top of the muffin tin as well.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg .
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, milk , and vanilla extract.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula until just combined. Fold in zucchini.
- Bake. Divide batter into prepared muffin cups , filling each about 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove from the loaf pan and continue cooling on a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- Storage: Once cooled, keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.Â
- Freezing: Cool completely, then place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- Oil – I use either vegetable or canola oil, but any neutral-tasting oil will work.
- Milk – You can use any milk for this recipe. I prefer baking with whole milk for maximum richness, but you can always use a lower fat milk, or a non-dairy milk.
- Zucchini – I recommend grating by hand as a food processor can make the zucchini too small and mushy. You do not need to peel or wring out the zucchini.
Chenee says
This is my new favorite zucchini bread recipe! I’m so glad I found it because it’s gonna be my new go-to!
Marie says
These muffins are so incredibly moist! Loved that they’re just sweet enough that you can have them for breakfast, as a snack, or even for dessert–if you happen to have chocolate spread lying around, just as I did. This recipe is a keeper!
Freya says
I love zucchini bread so these muffins were right up my street! Yummy, easy and full of flavour!
Annie says
These muffins are so easy to make and delicious! They’re the perfect use for my end of summer zucchini bumper crop!
Taylor Smith says
Exactly! I always have lots of zucchini laying around in the summer too.
Jacqueline Debono says
We have a veg garden and there are always lots of zucchini, which we love. I’ve made zucchini bread but not muffins. Yours look and sound delicious. On my to make list this summer!
Mikayla says
These muffins were delicious. They were light and fluffy while being full of flavor. We tend to omit nuts but did as some mini chocolate chips as a treat. Thank you.
Taylor Smith says
Oh, it was our pleasure. I’m glad the muffins turned out successfully!
Colleen says
My zucchini plants are starting to grow and I love having another delicious way to use them. Saving this recipe so I can make these amazing looking muffins!
Marta says
I love zucchini bread, but I always make it in loaves. I loved your muffins. They were moist, fluffy, and better for serving a family that eats at different times.
Nancy says
I’ve been looking for a zucchini bread but in muffin form, for ever. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, I’m making them this weekend. Can’t wait!
Amanda says
Loved these zucchini bread muffins! The cinnamon added such a nice flavor, and they came out perfectly moist.