Soft and fluffy, these healthy zucchini muffins are slightly sweet and full of unexpected veggies. Makes the perfect breakfast or snack that the kids will love! This easy, healthy muffin recipe comes together in under 30 minutes with a sweet and subtle, buttery flavor. They freeze well too!
I love baking with my son. He’s the cutest baker ever. Or maybe I am just biased.
We love fun breakfast muffins like Yellow Squash Muffins, Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping, and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. Today’s recipe is similar to my super popular Squash Muffins, and I use it all the time when our garden is in productive summer mode.
These homemade healthy zucchini muffins have their own unique blend of sweet flavors and fresh summer zucchini. They’re seriously SO fluffy, flavorful, moist, infused with sweet cinnamon flavor, with a nice crunch.
What Makes These Fresh Zucchini Muffins Healthy?
“Healthy” can be such a relative term, right? Well, in my opinion, what makes my personal zucchini muffins recipe healthy is:
- Reduced oil and limited sugar.
- Substituting unsweetened applesauce to keep all of the moist and fluffy texture.
- Includes nutritional powerhouses like cinnamon, raisins, and nuts.
Ingredients and Notes
Here is an overview of the healthy ingredients you will need for this recipe including sizing and substitutions. This recipe is fairly easy to mix up based on your dietary needs!
Zucchini: You need 2 cups of zucchini, which is about 2 medium zucchini or 3 small ones. Cut the ends off, but no need to remove the seeds or dry them.
Flour: I use white all-purpose flour, but gluten-free baking flour or whole wheat flour will also work as a 1:1 substitution in the muffins. I have not played around with oat flour or other types.
Oil: Vegetable or canola oil are the best choices. You can also use coconut oil, however, I prefer the first two options.
Nuts: I like chopped pecans, particularly in these. They are perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the raisins.
Unsweetened Applesauce: This makes the muffins lighter in calories as well as balances out the flavor. I find the applesauce also leads to some perfectly fluffy muffins. In most of my recipes, the applesauce is a substitute for ½ of the oil. I use unsweetened unflavored, but sweetened or cinnamon flavored will work if that is what you have on hand.
For a delicious chocolate alternative, check out my recipe for Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread!
Keys to Making the Best Muffins
The recipe quantities and notes are in the recipe card at the bottom, but these quick instructions give you a visual guide for how it all comes together.
- Choosing Zucchini. Size varies a lot but it should feel firm and evenly dark green. While scratches are common, it shouldn’t have soft spots. Smaller ones tend to have fewer or smaller seeds than larger ones.
- Use fresh baking powder. This will ensure that the muffins rise properly. If your baking powder is older than a year, it’s time for a replacement.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix the flour into your wet ingredients until it’s just combined. If you overmix the batter your muffins may turn out denser and could lead to dry muffins.
- Fold in the goodies. I use a spatula to evenly distribute the raisins, pecans, and zucchini in the batter.
- Grease a standard muffin pan with butter or use muffin cups. I fill them up pretty high, at least ¾ full or a little higher for nice, rounded tops. The cooking time may increase a few minutes if the muffin cups are really full.
- They are done when the tops are a nice golden color. The centers of the tops should be bouncy to the touch.
More Hidden Vegetable Recipes
- The BEST Carrot Cake
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Yellow Squash Muffins
- Apple Crumb Cake
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Serving And Storing Suggestions
Serving Ideas: Muffins are always best served warm. Pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and enjoy!
Store: Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container to keep fresher for longer. They can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer easily. They last 4-6 months in the freezer and about 2-3 days if covered.
Freeze: Be sure to let the muffins completely cool before sealing and storing it in the freezer.
Make Ahead: These can definitely be made ahead of time and stored. I would not store uncooked batter because they won’t rise as well.
Frequently asked questions
The moisture content of zucchini can vary depending on the source and season. They tend to be drier when purchased at the grocery store when they are not in season. I grow zucchini in my garden, and mine are always pretty moist. If you end up with some that you find to be a bit too dry after shredding, you can spray a little water on it.
I love these healthy zucchini muffins with crunchy nuts and the raisins make it a little more interesting. You can omit either or both though if you prefer them without. You can also substitute the raisins for cranberries or any other dried fruit you like.
You sure can! I would allow them to cool and par-freeze them till solid and place them in a freezer safe plastic bag. They should be good for about 2 months once frozen. Pull from freezer and let thaw on the countertop for about an hour. Enjoy!
To prep zucchini for muffins, shred it using a food processor, zoodle spiralizer, or a large grater. I have never had soggy muffins, but you could squeeze out excess moisture with a kitchen towel.
I have only tested the recipe as written, but you could try substituting eggs for some flax eggs. Let us know if how it works for you if you try it!
Not Sure
What's For Dinner?
Signup for recipe updates and get a free cookbook of Easy Weeknight Supper Solutions!
More Great Recipes
PS. If you make this recipe, leave a COMMENT AND A STAR RATING in the comments section at the bottom and be sure to take a photo and tag it #cravingcreative on Instagram! I appreciate you for taking the time to read about me and my family recipes.
Healthy Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups Shredded zucchini
- 3 Large Eggs
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Granulated White Sugar
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar light or dark is fine
- ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 3 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Raisins
- 1 cup Walnuts or Pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins or use muffin liners.
- In a mixing bowl, blend oil, applesauce, and eggs together. Add vanilla, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. One cup at a time, add dry mixture to wet and blend before adding next cup until all are just mixed.
- Using a spoon, stir in the shredded zucchini, raisins, and nuts.
- Spoon batter to ¾ full in muffin tins. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until golden brown. Increase baking time for larger muffins.
Wyatt says
My new favorite coffee mate.
Paula says
Very moist! Love the applesauce tip.
Isabella says
Is there anything better than a warm muffin with butter on a dreary morning? These are my new favorite.
Linda says
So moist and full of flavor! Thanks for the recipe.
Christina says
Ok, so how many can you eat before it’s not considered healthy? Asking for a friend…
Gina says
Best zucchini muffins I have ever had! Loved the applesauce substitute and I added almond slivers.
Anne says
I omitted the raisins and tried it with diced apples + no sugar applesauce, so yum!