My family loves these zucchini muffins! They’re incredibly soft, moist and easy to make with either applesauce or mashed banana.
Every time I make a batch of these zucchini muffins, I’m always surprised at how quickly my kids gobble them up! They were my official taste-testers for this recipe. I gave them three versions side-by-side, and they all agreed that version #2 (this recipe!) was the best. I have to agree!
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love to bake healthier versions of classic muffin recipes. I’ve perfected Healthy Banana Muffins, Strawberry Muffins and Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins, to name a few.
If I’m going to bake zucchini muffins, I don’t want them loaded with sugar, which is why I created this zucchini muffin recipe!
I make these zucchini muffins often during zucchini season, and I love that they’re made with a few healthier swaps so I can feel good about my kids snacking on them anytime. I think you’ll love them too!
Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Muffins
- The batter is easy to make in one bowl. Less dishes to wash!
- They’re a healthier muffin. This recipe has less butter, and it’s made with honey and unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. I love to make these with whole wheat flour; all-purpose works great, too.
- You’ll love the soft, fluffy, moist texture. The zucchini helps to make an exceptionally moist muffin.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a look at what you’ll need for these zucchini muffins, along with substitution options.
- Zucchini: You’ll need 2 cups of shredded zucchini. Don’t pack it into the measuring cup, just fill the cup loosely. For more zucchini recipes, try my Zucchini Bread and Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies.
- Butter: For flavor and moisture. You can substitute the butter with melted coconut oil for dairy-free muffins.
- Applesauce or Mashed Banana: Adding applesauce or mashed banana to the muffins allows us to use less butter. These turn out great whether you opt to use the applesauce or banana.
- Honey: To sweeten the muffins. You can substitute pure maple syrup. I tested this recipe with brown sugar but we preferred the muffins made with honey or pure maple syrup. The brown sugar version wasn’t as moist.
- Eggs: You’ll need 2 large eggs.
- Vanilla & Cinnamon: For warmth, sweetness and spice.
- Baking Powder, Baking Soda & Salt: These muffins rise beautifully, thanks to the baking powder and baking soda. Salt helps to bring out all of the flavors.
- Flour: You can all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour or a combination of the two. I like to use white whole wheat flour. I order it from King Arthur Flour (it’s now called golden wheat flour).
- Chocolate Chips and/or Chopped Nuts: These mix-ins are optional. The muffins are delicious without them! But I certainly can’t resist a chocolate chip zucchini muffin. If you want to add nuts, I recommend walnuts or pecans.
Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
Baking with Zucchini
Since zucchini has a high water content, it can be tricky to bake with. Here are my tips to help you get the best results.
- To shred zucchini, I recommend using a box grater. Slice off one end and hold the zucchini firmly in your hand as you shred it. Leave the other end on the zucchini to hold on to as you shred it. Use the side of the box grater with the largest holes.
- After shredding zucchini I sometimes run a knife through it to chop the shreds just a bit smaller. This can make the muffins more appealing to picky eaters.
- After shredding the zucchini, it’s important to squeeze out excess moisture so that it doesn’t make your batter too wet. To do this, wrap the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and squeeze until you’ve gotten most of the liquid out.
- One medium sized zucchini will give you about one cup of shredded zucchini.
How to Make Zucchini Muffins
Plus, my best tips for making these muffins!
Shred the zucchini and squeeze out excess moisture.
Make the batter. Whisk together the wet ingredients (melted butter, applesauce or mashed banana, honey, eggs and vanilla. Add the cinnamon, baking power, baking soda and salt. Whisk until very well combined, making sure there are no clumps of baking soda or baking powder in the batter. Mix in the flour until almost combined. Finally, mix in the zucchini (and chocolate chips or nuts, if using). Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
Scoop and bake. Scoop the batter into a greased 12-cup muffin pan. Bake the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 11-13 more minutes. The initial high baking temperature helps the muffins to get a good rise.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. We like to enjoy them warm, as is or spread with a little honey butter for an extra special treat.
Recipe Variations
This recipe is a fun one to play around with! Here are some ways to change up the flavors:
- Chocolate zucchini muffins. Replace 1/2 cup of the flour with unsweetened cocoa powder. Add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the batter.
- Chocolate chip zucchini muffins. Mix 1/2 cup chocolate chips into the batter. Or try my Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins recipe.
- Add nuts. Mix in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans. I like to toast the nuts on the stove first to bring out their nutty flavor.
- Banana zucchini muffins. Use mashed banana in the batter instead of applesauce.
- Add carrots. Swap up to 1 cup of the shredded zucchini with shredded carrot. You might also enjoy my Carrot Cake Muffins.
- Add nutmeg. Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg along with the cinnamon.
- Mini muffins. This batter can be used to bake mini muffins in a mini muffin pan. Bake mini muffins at 350° F for 10-13 minutes.
Try These Muffin Recipes Next
I’ve picked out a few more of my favorite muffin recipes for you:
- Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins – One of my favorite muffin recipes that I’ve ever shared on Kristine’s Kitchen.
- Apple Banana Muffins – I make these often for my kids’ lunchboxes, in mini muffin form.
- Cranberry Orange Muffins – Perfect for cranberry season.
- Chocolate Chip Muffins – Chocolate fans will love these.
- Chocolate Black Bean Blender Muffins – A high protein favorite! I’ve been making these for my kids for years.
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded fresh zucchini*, about 2 medium zucchini
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, or mashed ripe banana
- ½ cup honey, or pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, or white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
- Wrap the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside.
- Place the butter in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl and melt it in the microwave. (Or, you can melt the butter in a pan on the stove and then pour it into your mixing bowl.)
- To the bowl with the melted butter, add the applesauce (or mashed banana), honey (or pure maple syrup), eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the cinnamon, baking power, baking soda and salt. Whisk until very well combined, making sure there are no clumps of baking soda or baking powder in the batter. Add the flour and mix it in using a rubber spatula until almost combined. Stir in the zucchini (and chocolate chips or nuts, if using), being careful to not over-mix the batter.
- Scoop the batter into the greased muffin pan, dividing it evenly between the 12 muffin wells. Tap the muffin pan on the countertop a few times (I place a folded kitchen towel underneath to protect the counter) to even out the tops of the muffins.
- Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 11-13 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- I measure out the 2 cups of shredded zucchini before squeezing out the moisture. Don’t pack it into the measuring cup, just fill the cup loosely.
- I use a box grater to shred the zucchini.
- You can make mini muffins in a mini muffin pan. Bake mini muffins at 350°F for 10 to 13 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. (Do not start them at 425°F.) Recipe will make about 36 mini muffins.
- Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I originally shared this recipe in May 2020. Post updated July 2025 with new photos and more helpful information.
What can I use in place of butter? For low cholesterol.
I haven’t tested this recipe without the butter, but you could try applesauce, more mashed banana, or olive oil.
Just made these with my toddler’s and they LOVED them as much as I did. Great recipe, thanks!
Hi there. Do you ever substitute white whole wheat flour for whole wheat pastry flour? WWWF is hard to come by in my area. I can’t seem to find an answer online to tell me if they’re interchangeable. Thanks!
I rarely use whole wheat pastry flour, but you should be able to substitute it for white whole wheat flour in most recipes. It should work well in recipes for muffins and quick breads.
Sounds like a great recipe! I do not have honey on hand, how much brown sugar would you recommend as a replacement
Thank you!
I haven’t tested this recipe with brown sugar. Depending on how sweet you want your muffins, you could try 1/3 to 1/2 cup of brown sugar. However, since honey is a liquid sweetener the dry to wet ratio may need some adjusting as well. Good luck!
I recently tried this recipe with 1/2 cup of brown sugar. The muffins weren’t quite as moist as those made with honey, but they were still very good!
Can spelt flour be used instead?
I have not tested this recipe with spelt flour, so you would have to experiment.
Can I just omit the honey/maple syrup?
Since the honey/maple syrup is a liquid ingredient, my concern would be that the batter may be too dry if you omit them.
Needed a great recipe for a school meals program, using whole grain flour. We tried the applesauce version and they came out moist and delicious . We also omitted the maple syrup to cut sugar down and still tasted amazing . We are going to try to make with oat flour and flax egg next to see if we can get a delicious allergy free muffin. Great way to use summer squash . Thank you!!!
These came out good but something is missing . Perhaps it needs more sugar . I used syrup and applesauce .
These are very good for being healthy. Thank you
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I have been making this muffin recipe for the past three summers when I have zucchini I need to use. A very good tasting recipe also moist I add nuts and sometimes golden raisins. I have followed recipe exactly with one caveat I add fresh grated nutmeg. Have shared recipe with many friends
Made using whole wheat flour and added fresh nutmeg and chopped pecans very good recipe will definitely add to my zucchini board on Pinterest