This Healthy Zucchini Muffins recipe is the best!! It’s quick and easy to make, totally comforting and delicious, and it’s made healthier with a few simple ingredients.
These last few weeks have felt like a whirlwind.
Between two trips back home to Wichita to be with family, deadlines and projects galore due for work, and a host of morning coffee dates, impromptu lunches, margarita happy hours, evening grill-outs and late-night front porch talks filling just about every little hour in between…I feel like I have barely blinked…and the summer is already half over.
Poof.
How does that even happen?
Well, I guess the old saying explains it all. Time seems to be flying while having lots of fun, with lots of dear people in my life, and lots of fun memories already being made. All the better, of course, with that heavenly warm summer sunshine covering it all. Definitely a full but good start to my favorite season of the year. So as Tim Riggins would say, “no regrets.”
That said, though, as much as I love the time spent with my people, my little introverted heart has been waving the red flag this weekend, ready for some r&r. So in small and long stretches this week, I’m scheduling some much-needed downtime into the agenda, starting this afternoon on a lazy Sunday. Feet are up, glass of iced tea is in hand, pup is curled up by my side, sunlight is streaming in through the windows, and a nice weekend nap is just 10 minutes away. And my goodness, I can already feel my little heart re-charging. It’s almost as though we were designed to need rest or something. :) So good.
Anyway, on this note of time zooming by, somehow it’s already zucchini season. And anyone with a garden knows what that means: so much zucchini. Like, SO MUCH. It happens to be one of my favorite seasonal vegetables, so I’m always happy to saute and add it to just about any dish that I’m having for dinner. But for anyone looking to mix things up and maybe even incorporate it into breakfast, I thought I’d share my recipe today for these healthy zucchini muffins.
I’ve made three batches of them in the past two weeks, and still don’t seem to get tired of them. They’re made with white whole wheat flour, naturally-sweetened, deliciously spiced with cinnamon, easy to freeze, and — even though you won’t taste it — they are chock full of fresh shredded zucchini. I think you’re going to love them.
Healthy Zucchini Muffins Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Healthy Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup plain milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated zucchini (no need to squeeze out excess liquid)
- 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
- turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Prep oven and muffin pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by either greasing it with cooking spray or lining the cups with paper liners.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger and salt until combined.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together egg, maple syrup, milk, coconut oil and vanilla extract until combined. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredient mixture and stir with a spoon until just combined. (Do not overmix.) Stir in the zucchini and oats until just combined.
- Bake. Portion the batter evenly between the 12 baking cups. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a pinch of turbinado sugar, if desired. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire cooling rack for at least 5 minutes to cool.
- Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
I made these today for my two little sick toddlers. They were absolutely delicious. Thanks!!
We’re happy you and your kiddos enjoyed them Clare!
Can I use sugar instead of maple syrup? how many cups?
thank you!
Hi Mariana! Yes, you can use sugar instead. You would need 3/4 cup of sugar. You might need to add a little extra almond milk though, since you will lose a bit of liquid from not having the maple syrup. We hope you enjoy these!
Wow. I followed your recipe exactly (always my habit on first bakes!!) and I am so so impressed. Hubby loved them too. Waiting for our 11 mos old to wake up – he is the real food connoisseur! I am sure he will love them too. I did calculate the nutritional info, based on 14 muffins… 155 cals; 5.2 fat; 23.7 carbs; 3.3 protein (based on a 56 g muffin). Thanks again for the lovely recipe,a true fan!
That’s awesome Leah — we’re so happy you and your husband enjoyed these (and hopefully your little one will too)! :)
just made these, they are delicious! thank you!!
Thanks Amber — we’re happy you liked them! :)
Great recipe! I managed to make them completely vegan and sugar free by using gluten free vegan flour, substituted the egg for an organic ripe banana mashed, and the maple syrup for minced dates. Also added cardamom for extra flavour. Will definitely save this recipe!
That’s awesome Zoe — thanks for sharing with us! :D
These are delicious as-is! Would they work with bananas instead of zucchini if I wanted to try a different flavor?
Thanks Melanie! Hmmm, we haven’t tried these with bananas, but we think it’s worth trying, since they have about the same amount of moisture. Maybe try 2 1/2 bananas (mashed). Let us know how they turn out! :)
I’ve made these muffins three times now with follow alterations and they are amazing! Not too sweet and have some veggies:)
I use 1 cup white and 2/3 whole wheat flour, and add a banana to the mix, plus a heaping teaspon of cinnamon. Have tried a little nutmeg too – love the base with coconut oil and using syrup instead of sugar! My 3 year old likes helping me make these. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for sharing with us Carolyn! We’re glad you and your kiddo enjoy these! :)
These were really good! I didn’t have liquid sweetner, so I used some natural sugar and the juice of a small orange and it worked great! I also added some dried cranberries and they made them even more amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Tracy, we’re so glad you enjoyed them! :)
My two sons, 1 & 5, as well as my husband loved these muffins. All were gone within a day. They never complained once about not being too sweet.
Thanks for sharing Keri, we’re so glad you and your family enjoyed these! :)
I’m really happy I’ve stumbled upon your blog! I look forward to digging in but I tried these and your tortilla soup (separate occasions) for a group and both have been fabulous and recipes shared. Thanks a lot! Yum!!
Thanks Chrissy, we’re happy you’re here! :D