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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Published: May 26, 2021 · Modified: Jul 31, 2021 by Rachel

    Perfectly Spiced Yellow Squash Muffins

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
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    Soft and fluffy spiced yellow squash muffins are slightly sweet and full of unexpected veggies. Makes the perfect breakfast snack that Kids will love! This easy, healthy muffin recipe comes together in under 30 minutes with a little punch of protein and rich, buttery flavor.

    Squash muffins on a baking rack with colorful muffin liners.
    Contents show
    1 Ingredients and Notes
    2 Step By Step Recipe Guide
    3 Tips for Making Perfect Muffins
    4 More Hidden Vegetable Recipes
    5 Serving and Storing Suggestions
    6 Frequently asked questions:
    7 Yellow Squash Muffins
    7.1 Ingredients
    7.2 Instructions
    7.3 Notes
    7.4 Nutrition

    We love fun breakfast muffins like Zucchini Muffins, Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping, and Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake. This recipe was a bit of a happy accident. You see, my lovely little garden produced a rather large bumper crop of summer squash. Like HUGE. Therefore I experimented with it in many recipes.

    Summer squash has a natural buttery quality that I hoped would work well in my experiments. And the results? Fabulous. They’re seriously SO fluffy, flavorful, moist, infused with sweet cinnamon flavor and a nice crunch thanks to the pecans (leave out if you aren’t into nuts). I have already been asked for the recipe several times so that is a winner. (YASS!)

    Ingredients and Notes

    Here is an overview of the ingredients you will need to this recipe:

    Ingredients for yellow squash muffins with text labels.

    Flour: I use all-purpose flour, but wheat will also work as a 1:1 substitution in the muffins.

    Yellow Squash: You need about 2 cups of shredded squash. The entire squash is used, including the seeds and skin.

    Oil: Vegetable or canola oil are the best choices.

    Nuts: I like chopped pecans particularly in these.

    Unsweetened Applesauce: This makes the muffins lighter in calories as well as balances the flavors. 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. The little 6-packs for kids lunches are perfectly sized.

    Step By Step Recipe Guide

    How to prepare squash to chop for muffin recipe.
    • The biggest difference in baking these is how much moisture is in the squash when you shred it. For fresh, I slice the squash place on paper towels for at least 30 minutes and blot as necessary.
    • If using frozen squash, thaw and drain. Press into colander to remove as much liquid as possible and blot with paper towel.
    • Chop squash in a food processor until diced (about the size of corn kernels). There may be a few larger pieces.
    Collage of photos showing assembly of the batter for summer squash muffins.
    1. Grease muffin tins or use muffin liners.
    2. Whisk together the dry ingredients – Flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
    3. Whisk together wet ingredients – Eggs, oil, and applesauce until the eggs are broken and incorporated. Add vanilla, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix until smooth.
    4. One cup at a time, add dry mixture to wet and blend a little before adding the next cup. This keeps the mixture from puffing into the air without overmixing. With a spoon or spatula, fold in the pecans and squash gently.
    Collage of photos showing how much to fill muffin pan and the muffin texture after baking.

    Fill baking cups to ¾ full and bake at 350 for 16-20 minutes. Toothpick test should come out clean.

    Tips for Making Perfect Muffins

    • Choosing Squash.  It should feel firm and evenly bright. While scratches are common, it shouldn’t have soft spots. Smaller quash tend to have less 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.

    More Hidden Vegetable Recipes

    • Zucchini Muffins
    • Pumpkin Bread with Cheesecake Swirl
    • Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
    • The Best Carrot Cake

    Serving and Storing Suggestions

    Serving Ideas: Muffins are always best served warm, and these summer squash muffins are no exception. Pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and enjoy! They can stay out for eating, but I would keep them away from hot lights and other heat sources.

    Store: Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. They can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer easily. They last 4-6 months in the freezer and about 3-4 days in the refrigerator 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 uncooke batter because they won’t rise as well.

    Two stacked summer squash muffins with red and green liners on top of crinkled paper surface.

    Frequently asked questions:

    Can you freeze yellow squash?

    Yes! I grow yellow squash in my garden, and sometimes I have more than I know what to do with! I love to create great recipes like this to use up all my fresh veggies, but I do end up freezing the excess often.

    Can you substitute or omit the nuts in Yellow Squash muffins?

    If you’re not a big fan of nuts, you can definitely omit them entirely. You can also substitute them for walnuts, macadamia, or any nut you prefer. You may even try swapping them out for raisins or any other kind of dried fruit you like.

    Cookbook cover of Chicken and Rice casserole. The cookbook is titled Weeknight Supper Solutions

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    More Delicious Breakfast Recipes:

    • Zucchini Muffins with Raisins and Nuts- These sweet treats are actually perfect for a healthy breakfast.
      Zucchini Muffins
    • Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping - This moist cake has slices of fresh apples with a cinnamon sugar crumb crust.
      Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
    • Chocolate Overnight Oatmeal
    • Easy Quiche

    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. 

    Two squash muffins stacked on top of one another in colorful wrappers.

    Yellow Squash Muffins

    Soft and fluffy spiced yellow squash muffins are slightly sweet and full of unexpected veggies. Makes the perfect breakfast snack that Kids will love! This easy, healthy muffin recipe comes together in under 30 minutes with a little punch of protein and rich, buttery flavor.
    5 from 21 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: crookneck squash, muffins
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 24 standard muffins
    Calories: 175kcal
    Author: Rachel

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups squash shredded or petite diced
    • 3 cups All-purpose Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
    • 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
    • ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar
    • 3 Eggs
    • ½ cup Vegetable Oil
    • ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
    • 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 1 cup Chopped Pecans

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins or use muffin liners.
    • Prepare squash. For fresh, slice and place on paper towels for at least 30 minutes and blot as necessary. If using frozen squash, thaw and drain. Press into colander to remove as much liquid as possible. Chop squash in a food processor until diced (about the size of corn kernels).
    • 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, fold in the squash 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.

    Notes

    In a pinch, sweetened or cinnamon applesauce is fine. Do not use fruit flavored applesauce. This is a lighter calorie muffin so if you do have applesauce, you can substitute a half cup of oil (for a total of 1 cup). They will be slightly denser. If you like nuts, add an extra half cup of pecans.
    Serving Ideas: Muffins are always best served warm, and these summer squash muffins are no exception. Pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and enjoy! They can stay out for eating, but I would keep them away from hot lights and other heat sources.
    Store: Store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container. They can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer easily. They last 4-6 months in the freezer and about 3-4 days in the refrigerator 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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 113mg | Sugar: 11g | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @CravingCreative or tag #CravingSomeCreativity!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy says

      August 04, 2021 at 6:09 am

      These muffins are amazing. This is my third time making them. (This time adding some mini chocolate chips per my daughters request) everyone raves about them. And thank you because my garden grew tons of summer squash this year.

      Reply
    2. Sienna says

      June 11, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      I’m going to have to make a double batch next time. They didn’t last very long in our house!

      Reply
    3. Gabriella says

      June 11, 2021 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      This was such a great idea! I loved them!

      Reply
    4. Melanie says

      June 11, 2021 at 3:47 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I love to make these for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast!

      Reply
    5. Kelly says

      June 11, 2021 at 3:46 pm

      5 stars
      These were so good!

      Reply
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