I thought I had this zucchini muffin recipe in the bag. Make my favorite zucchini bread batter, divide into muffin cups, bake for less time—nope. The increased surface area produced slightly dense and dry muffins, which were fine for “healthy” muffins. However, I wanted fluffy, moist and thoroughly delightful muffins that just-so-happened to be healthier.
So, I cross-referenced the zucchini bread recipe with my all-time favorite blueberry muffins in my cookbook. I adjusted the leavener, upped the amount of milk and switched to buttermilk for a more tender crumb. Success! These zucchini babes will make everyone happy.
Cookbook launch week has been a thrill. I’m overwhelmed, honestly. I’m so excited that you’re excited about the book, flattered by my fellow food bloggers’ kind words, and thankful for friends who took the time to say cheers. All that, and I’m still a little apprehensive about sending my book baby into the world. Is this what it feels like to send a child off on a school bus for the first time?
Thank you for your comments, notes and reviews; they mean so much. I hate to ask for more, but if you’ve had a chance to make recipes from the book already, would you mind leaving a review on Amazon to share your experience soon? That might seal the deal for people who aren’t familiar with my blog already.
If you haven’t gotten the book, I have more details about Love Real Food over here. I’d be glad to answer any questions you might have in the comments. Lastly, I promise I won’t go on and on about the book forever. ♥
What makes these zucchini muffins healthy?
Granted, “healthy” is a subjective term, but here are a few reasons why I consider these muffins to be more nutritionally redeeming than most:
- Unlike standard zucchini muffins made with refined all-purpose flour, these are made with white whole wheat flour. That means they’re made entirely with whole grains, but you can’t taste them because white whole wheat flour has such a mild flavor.
- Coconut oil or olive oil replace butter (olive oil is composed of more monounsaturated fat, and is considered to be more heart-healthy)
- Real maple syrup replaces refined sugar, so these muffins are naturally sweetened.
- Combined, you end up with hearty and delicious zucchini-flecked muffins.
These muffins are easily adapted to vegan and gluten-free diets, too! See my recipe notes for details.
Watch How to Make Zucchini Muffins
More Muffin Recipes to Enjoy
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Healthy Blueberry Muffins
- Healthy Carrot Muffins
- Lemon Raspberry Muffins
- Strawberry Oat Muffins
Please let me know how these muffins turn out for you in the comments! I love hearing from you.
PrintHealthy Zucchini Muffins
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 16 mins
- Total Time: 36 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Baked good
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
These healthy zucchini muffins are naturally sweetened and made with whole wheat flour! They’re fluffy, moist and absolutely delicious, too. Recipe yields 1 dozen muffins.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans (optional)
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup buttermilk (or ⅔ cup milk of choice mixed with 2 teaspoons vinegar, allow to rest for 5 minutes before using)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (you’ll need 1 small-to-medium zucchini, about 7 ounces—working in handfuls, gently squeeze out excess moisture from the grated zucchini over the sink)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, grease all 12 cups on your muffin tin with butter or cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and doesn’t require any grease).
- Toast the nuts (if using): Once the oven has finished preheating, pour the chopped nuts onto a small, rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are fragrant and toasted, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring halfway.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey. Beat them with a whisk until they are combined. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk to combine, and set the bowl aside. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 30 seconds in the microwave.)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Using a big spoon, stir to combine.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the dry and stir just until combined (a few lumps are ok!). Add the zucchini (be sure to squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini first) and toasted nuts, if using. Gently fold the zucchini and nuts into the batter, being careful not to over-stir.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Bake muffins for 16 to 19 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
- Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. If you have leftover muffins, store them, covered, at room temperature for two days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze leftover muffins for up to 3 months.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my zucchini bread and the blueberry maple muffins in my cookbook, Love Real Food.
*Oil options: I love coconut oil here. I used unrefined coconut oil and can hardly taste it in the final product. Olive oil might lend an herbal note to the muffins, if you’re into that (I tested with California Olive Ranch’s “Everyday” variety and couldn’t even taste it). Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor, but the average vegetable/canola oil is highly processed, so I recommend using cold-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil if possible.
Change it up: Use chocolate chips or small/chopped dried fruit instead of the nuts.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey, replace the eggs with flax eggs and choose non-dairy milk, such as almond milk.
Make it dairy free: Choose non-dairy milk (I used almond milk).
Make it egg free: Replace the eggs with flax eggs.
Make it gluten free: Bob’s Red Mill’s all-purpose gluten-free mix works well.
Make it nut free: Just omit the nuts, and don’t use nut milk.
Make it lower in fat: I would argue that this bread contains a healthy amount of fat, but you can replace the oil with applesauce if you’re following a low-fat diet.
Update 9/23/20: I’ve modified the method slightly, to use two bowls instead of one. The recipe comes together more intuitively this way and bakes up a bit nicer.
Becki
My cookbook just arrived. TWO pancake recipes?! And this is in addition to my favorite pancakes from your blog (banana oat). Looking forward to reading it all and trying some recipes this weekend – banana coconut pancakes first!
PS…thank you SO MUCH for the tips to make a recipe GF, DF, vegan, etc. it matters so much to me and my family!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Becki. The pancakes in the book are my new favorites. :) I’m glad you appreciate the special diet notes. I want my recipes to work for everyone!
Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups
These look delicious! Congrats on your cookbook!
Kate
Thanks, Emily! I hope you get a chance to try them.
Jennifer
Hi Kate! Got cookbook today and just finished eating the Kale and Quinoa salad from pg 59, my husband, teen son and myself LOVED it!!! Also, my husband got report today that in 4 months since switching to plant based diet he dropped 9 lbs and blood pressure down 40 pts.! Your’s was my go-to blog, thanks a million:)
Kate
Congratulations to your husband, Jennifer! What a huge difference. I’m so glad I was able to play a small part in that. Happy that you enjoy the book, too!
Jeannie
Got your cookbook yesterday!
Kate
Yay!
Sara @ Last Night's Feast
Perfection!!
Kate
Thank you, friend!
monica
hi kate, i’m a lacto-vegetarian. in general i haven’t been very lucky replacing eggs with flax eggs. i ordered your cookbook and am waiting anxiously for it. did you try all your egg recipes with flax eggs? how would you describe the difference in this substitution? any tips??
Peggy
I was just wondering the same thing. My cookbook should arrive today (yay!) and I’ve had mixed results w/flax eggs in the past. My husband is vegan, myself and the kids are not. So I’m planning to try several recipes both ways. I can let you know how they turn out!
Kate
Hey Monica, flax eggs have worked well for me in recipes that call for regular (gluten-containing) flours. They definitely don’t work in almond flour-based recipes, and certainly won’t work as replacement for eggs in scrambled egg recipes, etc. I came up with egg-free substitutions for all the recipes that I possibly could… I couldn’t find a solution for the blueberry almond cake, for example. For pancakes and waffles, you can usually just omit the eggs and still get good results. Are you using finely ground flaxmeal?
jillian
New around here, but very excited about your recipes. I especially appreciate that you make notes for alternatives (gluten free for me) as is so helpful. I made your butternut chipotle chilli today..delicious! Shared it with our neighbor who was happy too…since it is SNOWING here in Boulder on May 18th. :)
Kate
Yes! Another commenter said it was a snow day! That’s so insane. We’ve been having a slew of 80-degree days here in KC, so that’s hard to imagine. I’m glad you had the chili to keep you warm! Sending sunshine your way.
Amy
Fingers crossed that THIS is the year I have a bumper crop of zucchini. If not, there’s always the farm stand! These muffins look great.
Got your book Wednesday night, and well, I normally read cookbooks with post-its in hand to flag recipes I want to make, but it would be easier to flag ones I don’t want to make! It all looks AMAZING!
Kate
Thank you, Amy! Crossing my fingers with you for those zucchinis!
Midori
You absolutely should go on and on about your cookbook! I’m reading it from page to page like a regular book — I love it.
This weekend I’ve lined up a few to make. So far I love the Make-Your-Own Instant Oatmeal Mix. My oatmeal breakfast now tastes like cherry cobbler! I’ll post on Instagram if the photo looks half way decent.
Kate
Awesome, Midori! I’m so glad you like what you’ve tried so far. :)
Charlie
these looks absolutely stunning Kate! I always come to you when in doubt of what to bake or cook! thank you for sharing!
Kate
Thanks, Charlie!
Valerie
Hi Kate! I really love your recipes and am subscribed to your emails :) I am a vegan though and I was wondering what you would recommend substituting the buttermilk with if I were to make these vegan? I usually just use a plant-based milk, but since buttermilk is a bit different what would you suggest? Would love to make these :D
Kate
Hey, Valerie! You can actually make some buttermilk using plant-based milk and some lemon juice. Here’s a recipe from Minimalist Baker that uses the same technique. Let me know how it works out!
Alfredo Garcia
I rarely make any baked goods but this is a recipe I would definitely want to try out. They look very delicious!
Kate
I hope you do, Alfredo!
Ashley @ The Naked Food Life
That dip looks amazinggg! PInned it to 3 boards! I don’t know if I am most excited about your book for the pictures of Cookie or the pictures of food ;)
Kate
I could eat that dip for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! I hope you enjoy the book, especially the pics!
Liz
Love the cookbook!! I am not on instagram or facebook or whatnot, but I wanted to comment to say it’s awesome!! Made your fettuccine alfredo with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes the day the book arrived and it was so good!! Such a creamy vegan alfredo sauce! Currently drooling over the cashew chai latte recipe but need to go buy more cashews. The book is beautiful! Congratulations!!
Kate
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, Liz! I’m so glad you enjoy what you’ve made so far– that chai latte is so good, you won’t be disappointed. :)
Julie
Your book is beautiful! I bought a copy of it today in Barnes and Noble for an Anniversary gift for my husband (10 years today!). It’s currently on my desk at work so everyone else can peruse through it until I take it home to wrap.
We’ve been following your blog for a while – I am vegetarian, he is vegan (I just can’t give up cheese), and our three boys are, by default, mostly vegetarian. You are amazing! Thanks for all the inspiring recipes!
Kate
Happy anniversary, Julie! I hope your family enjoys the book!
Jessica
Congratulations on your new cookbook!!! I had pre-ordered and was SO excited to receive it on Tuesday. So far, I have made the Fresh Greek Nachos and they were amazing! I served them as dinner along with a fruit salad for my family of four. Everyone loved them. There are few cookbooks that I have read through (and I read through many) that I want to cook so many of the recipes. Yours are very approachable, use readily available ingredients, and look healthy and so delicious. Just the kind of food I want to eat every day. Also, I’m glad we share a love for Mexican flavors and roasted cauliflower! Very best wishes to you and the success of your book!!
Kate
That sounds like such a delicious, fresh meal, Jessica! I’m so glad you enjoy the book– your kind words mean more than you know. I have the absolute best readers, and you’re a shining example.
Margaret
I just love you and your blog and your cookbook. I can’t wait to get mine! Reading your blog is like reading my best friend’s journal only better because you help me make amazing food for myself, my family and all of our friends. Thank you Kate! Congrats on your super succesful cookbook!
Kate
So kind of you, Margaret! I hope you love the book.
Carrie
My three year old and I made this for breakfast & they turned out amazing! She loved them and wants to share the with all of her little friends. We added a few mini chocolate chips to the top of each muffin – delicious!
Kate
Perfect! Thanks, Carrie! Hello to your little one. :)
Erin
We just planted four zucchini plants in our garden (planting season starts late here in Colorado), so I’m looking forward to having a surplus of zucchini in a few months. I’m bookmarking this recipe for later!
A funny story about your cookbook…I pre-ordered one for me, got it, LOVED it, and ordered one for my mom (who doesn’t follow a vegetarian diet but is looking to incorporate more vegetarian meals). My mom ALSO ordered your cookbook for herself AND as a gift to me! So we both have two books. Definitely not a bad problem to have, and we’re planning to give the extras out to friends. #spreadtheloverealfood :)
Kate
This is such a cute story, Erin! A great opportunity to spread the love! Crossing my fingers for a great crop of zucchini coming your way.
Nicole Putzel
Kate: I love that you offer alternative approaches in your notes. This appeals to everyone…I usually bake with almond meal to make it gluten free, but will definitely try it with the Bob’s AP GF mix.
Thank you! Your blog is an inspiration!
Putzel Kitchen
Kate
Yes, I hope you try the Bob’s! I love it. Thanks so much for reading!
Kevin | economicalchef.com
Thanks for the recipe! I have really been enjoying zucchini in baked goods lately.
Kate
Yes! Such a good way to sneak in some extra veggies.
candy
really good! my son who is sceptical of zucchini loved ’em. I have an issue with sugar/honey/maple syrup so i used half of the honey and chopped up dried dates for the other half.
Eve
These came out great! Perfect texture, not too sweet so easy!
Kate
Great! Thanks, Eve!
Julie
I just made these and they’re great! They’re really moist and have perfect sweetness. I also really like that the recipe is one bowl. Thanks for another great recipe!
Kate
Thanks, Julie! I love that, too– makes clean-up super easy.
Linda
Just made these muffins for my co-workers. These were absolutely delicious. I’ve tried taking standard bread mix and turning them into muffins with less than happy results, so I was very happy to see you had made adjustments. Right on point!!!
Kate
Thanks, Linda! It took a little while, but I got there. I’m so glad everyone like it!
Beth
Do you have the nutrition for these or did I miss it?
Kate
Hi, Beth! Unfortunately, I don’t have nutritional info available for my recipes just yet. I’m looking for a solution, and will update about it once I find one. In the meantime, here’s a nutrition calculator that might come in handy.
Maureen
I made these using the coconut oil/honey option (but with white flour because that was what I had on hand) and they were delicious. Even the reluctant kid taste testers ate them. Thanks for a great recipe.
Kate
Awesome! I’m glad these were kid-approved, Maureen. I hope you got some, too!
Beverly
Have you substituted gluten free flour in this recipe? And did you have to change any of the other ingredients when you used the gf.
Kate
Hey, Beverly! Great question. I always recommend using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Blend, because it’s a 1:1 substitution with other flours and requires no other substitutions.
Nili
This was such a delicious recipe. I actually had a half a zuchinni and sweet potato so used a cup of shredded zuchinni and half a cup of shredded sweet potato. I made sure to squeeze access water out of both. It turned out awesome. I think next time I might add some chocolate chips for fun! Thanks for coming up with this healthy and yummy recipe!
Kate
Awesome! Creative thinking, Nili. I’m glad you loved it! Chocolate chips would be delicious.
Kecia
These muffins are delicious! Just what I needed on my healthy reset day! And thank you for the zucchini tip! To squeeze the water out, I rolled the shredded zucchini in about 5 paper towel sheets and squeezed to keep from having a bunch f shreds on my hands. The zucchini unrolled from the paper towels very easy. As always, your recipes come through right on time!
Kate
Great! The zucchini tip is essential– prevents it from becoming a gooey mess! I’m glad you loved them, Kecia.
Kiara
Absolutely delicious muffins! I have made many of your different muffin recipes, and they are all delicious. These zucchini muffins were moist, light, and had the perfect balance of sweetness. I also love how healthy they are. I would definitely recommend this recipe!
Kate
Perfect! I’m so glad you enjoyed these.
Amy
Hi Kate
Until today I ignored that zucchini could be used to bake muffins, you have opened a new window into my gastronomic life. I find this recipe interesting because you are using very healthy ingredients.
Which leads me to a question: have you investigated or cooked other recipes without ordinary flour? Thanks for your response.
Kate
Hi, Amy. Yes, I definitely have! You can find all my gluten free recipes here, sorted by category. If you thumb through those, you’ll find more than a few recipes that use things like almond flour, oat flour, and rice flour. Thanks!
Vanessa
These are delicious! I used the coconut oil and honey options, nixed the nuts and added unsweetened coconut, and used 1/2 carrot and 1/2 zucchini. Thanks!
Kate
Your version sounds delicious, Vanessa. Thanks!
Tiffy shain
Thanks lady big made it. So far looks perfect but havent tried em. Youre so cute love your doggy pic by yours.
Kate
Thanks, Tiffy! Cookie says hi. :) I hope the muffins came out great!
Nadia
Hi Kate, greetings from the Netherlands!
I’m just dropping a line to say thank you for all the delicious recipes you share in your blog! My 3-year-old son LOVES these zucchini muffins (my husband and I love them too!) and I’m looking forward to getting your book soon as a birthday gift. Thanks so much!
Kate
Hi, Nadia! Thanks so much for commenting–I’m glad your kiddo loves these muffins so much! And I hope you adore the book. Happy early birthday!
Stephie
Words cannot express how much I want everyone to make these :) They are moist and delicious! I used coconut oil and maple syrup. I also made a divine cashew frosting for those days when you just want some on top, and they go perfectly together! :) I’ll be making them breakfasts this week too! Thanks, Kate!
Kate
Great! I’m so glad the texture turned out so well–no one likes a dry muffin.
K
Hi,
What’s the nutritional value of these muffins? Calories, fat, sugars, etc? Thanks!
K.
Kate
Unfortunately, I don’t have nutritional info available for all of my recipes just yet. I’m looking for a solution, and will update about it once I find one. In the meantime, here’s a nutrition calculator that might come in handy.
Greg Barta
Muffins came out great! Our 2 1/2 year old grandson gobbled them up.
Kate
Perfect! Thanks, Greg.
Sally
I LOVED these, but after about 5 days, they were kind of spongey and oozing liquid. I stored them at room temp in a plastic container. Any idea what happened? I made them w. the olive oil/maple syrup variation. THANKS!
Kate
Hi, Sally. These are best eaten within a couple days of baking them! I know refrigerating will help to extend the life of them, and they’ll spring back to life if you warm them up for about 30 seconds.
Sally
thanks! I’m curious what makes them so spongey – – the buttermilk/baking soda combo?
Kate
Hi Sally, it sounds like the muffins were going bad. Preservative-free baked goods like these will really only last up to maybe four days at room temperature. Storing them in the refrigerator will extend their life by a few days, or in the freezer for a few months.
Jenna
when I click the nutrition information nothing comes up. Could you tell me the approximate calories and protein content for these muffins.
Thanks
They are amazing!
Kate
Hi, that’s strange, because I can see the nutrition facts when I click on the label! 225 calories, 5.1 grams of protein
Leslie
made a double batch of these this morning using a combo of honey and maple syrup (didn’t have enough of each), almond milk + ACV, and applesauce in place of the oil. they were AMAZING!
Jenna
thanks so much for getting back to me! I will blame it on my slow rural internet connection
Jenna
Meera Malik
This recipe is under vegan recipes, however, calls for eggs, buttermilk, etc. Do you have any vegan baked goods recipes? With chia eggs or other substitutes? Thank you!!
Kate
Hi Meera, check the recipe notes. :) I have tested vegan substitutions there, which is why I labeled it vegan. If you hover over “all recipes” in the menu, then “special diets” and choose “vegan,” you’ll find more vegan baked goods. Some require some simple subs like this one, so please check the recipe notes for those.
Barbie
I just make the with spelt flour. They are AMAZING!!!congrats on your book!!!
Kate
Wonderful! Thank you, Barbie!
Adele
Made these today and they ended up a gooey mess in the middle. Baking longer don’t help either :(
Kate
Hi, Adele! Sorry to hear about that. Usually this type of result is a baking powder/ baking soda amount mixup. Also, did you make sure to use whole wheat flour instead of something like almond flour or all-purpose?
Susie
this same issue keeps happening to me as well. I use whole wheat flour and follow the recipe without any alterations, yet it comes out so gooey inside no matter what.
Sandra Huebner
Just wondering. I have whole wheat bread flour. Can I use it in place of.
emily dickinson
thank you! we LOVE this one at our house : ) when i make a double batch (summer’s zucchini abundance), i can get a dozen full size AND three dozen mini. we freeze them and they reheat beautifully, perfect quick breakfast for myself and my toddler.
Kate
Amazing! I’m so glad this recipe yields so many, and it’s great to hear that they freeze so well.
Tecia Black
how important is it to use buttermilk? I want to use almond milk, how would I incorporate that? is there something else I need to add like the vinegar or lemon juice? If so, how much?
Kate
Hi Tecia, you can use any milk. See the ingredients list for details!
OKC Electrician
Thank you for including the gluten-free instructions, I’ve had to make the change in recent months and am still struggling to adapt all of my baking to fit this new need. Thanks for the recipe!
Jennifer Knorr
Hi Kate,
I’m a big fan of your banana muffins and make them often. However, I just picked the most GIGANTIC zucchini from the garden yesterday and I’m ready to make (3-4?) batches of your zucchini muffins. Do you think they will be OK in the freezer if I eat through them in the next few months for breakfast? Thanks in advance!
Jenn
Jennifer Stoddard
HA!! Never-mind. It says right at the end of the recipe that they are good to freeze! Sorry about that!
#readtherecipe
Jenn
Jordan
Made these this weekend and was very pleased. They are lightly sweet, which I liked as a change of pace from the more typical “breakfast cupcake” style of muffin I often make. (Fwiw, I did the milk/vinegar substitution, no nuts, maple syrup.)
Lauren
Does this recipe work if you add a little cocoa powder and chocolate chips? I’m hoping to make a healthy treat for my preschooler’s birthday…
Kate
Hi Lauren, I’m sorry, I missed your question until now, and I’m afraid I don’t have a certain answer for you. That might be worth a shot—please let me know if you gave it a try. Adding chocolate chips would definitely work fine.
Janice
Whoohoo! Finally, a fluffy, delicious and moist ‘healthy’ muffin the family will love. Maybe it’s cheating but I sampled one while still warmmmm! I used a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed in with almond milk to make up the buttermilk and I made up a tablespoon of cinnamon/coconut sugar mixture to sprinkle on top. I’ve got your healthy pumpkin loaf recipe in the oven now and the incredible aroma mixed with the outdoor scene of falling leaves is amazing. Thank you for sharing these scrumptious recipes.
Kate
Janice, the cook’s right is to sample! Glad to hear you liked it and that you are already trying the Healthy Pumpkin bread. Enjoy!
pooja
Thanks for an amazing recipe for a healthy snack. My husband is a fan of zucchini muffins and devoured these guilt free treats. I did however add more spice to the recipe since its fall and holiday season. This is the 3rd recipe I’ve tried from your blog with a pleased toddler and husband. Thanks again and keep sending us these great healthy recipes to keep our families strong!
Kate
Great to hear all the family is pleased, Pooja! Thank you for the review!
Kathryn
Hello,
I made the zucchini muffins tonight. They are fluffy, moist and pretty but I found them rather bland. I used honey instead of maple syrup since I don’t care for maple; perhaps that would have made a difference.
Kate
Sorry to hear that you didn’t love these, Kathryn. Did you like them better the next day? Baked goods often develop more flavor after a rest.
Diana
Thank you Cookie & Kate for this delicious moist & healthy muffin! I did make a few modifications to make it even healthier. I used 1tbsp each of ground chia, flax & wheat germ in place of some of the whole wheat flour needed & they still turned out great! I used Chocolate protein Silk for the milk to give a little chocolate flair & boost of protein too! Wish there was nutritional info though so I could chart my calorie count a little more accurately, but otherwise, 5 stars!!
Kate
Thank you, Diana for your review! For nutritional information, it is at the bottom of the recipe page under the notes section. Since you made some alterations, you may want to explore some resources to find out more with your adaptions.
Ryleigh Petkau
A little bit oily but other then that great:)
Kate
Thank you for your review! What do you mean by oily? Did you add extra or did it separate? :)
Leigh
These muffins are outstanding. This past summer I made them every week from a zucchini in our garden. All of your muffin/ quick bread recipes are excellent but this is my favorite
Kate
Thank you, Leigh! I am glad you found one you love. I appreciate the comment and review!
Joyce C Zaagman
Hi Kate
This looks like a great recipe!
I’d like to make this into Mini-Muffins. What alterations to the recipe would you suggest to make them a success? :)
JCZ
Curry with love
This is the best like a hangover breakfast straight.
Kate
Ha!
Tara
I’ve been making these non-stop this holiday season — love them as a healthy sweet treat that I can feel good about. I use gluten free flour, coconut milk + white vinegar (instead of buttermilk), coconut oil and maple syrup. I also spray the pan with olive oil, which gives it an almost savory taste — next time I make them will try olive oil in the recipe. Thanks for another great recipe!
Kate
I’m happy to hear that, Tara! Thank you so much for your review.
Karen
Can I just say…I love each recipe more than the next. I actually made these for my toddler. He gobbles them up. They are so amazing, we are all eating them! I didn’t have nuts so I subbed raisins, but made the recipe verbatim otherwise. Thank you!
Kate
You are welcome! Thanks for your kind words, Karen. I appreciate your review!
Karen
I plan on also using this as a base recipe to try with different veggies (for this picky toddler of mine as well as breakfast/snacks full of goodness for the rest of us).
Lyndsey
Looooove these!
I made with all purpose-flour (ran out of whole-wheat), soy milk/vinegar and honey.
They have the perfect amount of sweetness and are so fluffy! Adding this recipe to the cookbook!
Thank you!!
Kate
You’re welcome!
Amanda
I made these. So delicious. I didn’t have enough zucchini so added some shredded carrot. Love by the whole family, 10 months, 3 years and 2 adults! Even my husband loved it and didn’t realize it was a healthy muffin version.
Kate
Thanks, Amanda for sharing! I appreciate the star review.
Georgina
Fantastic recipe. Will definitely make these again. ❤❤❤
Kate
Thank you!
Leslie
Just made these! Over the years I’ve never been able to find a ‘go-to, love every time’ muffin recipe until now! Thank-you!!
Kate
You’re very welcome, Leslie!
Shannon Collier
I made these this morning and they were DELICIOUS! I’m so thrilled to have found a recipe that doesn’t have sugar but is still sweet and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly EXCEPT that I ended up only cooking them for about 9 minutes. Had I gone to 16 they would have been burnt. Maybe just my oven (it’s not the best) but wanted to mention so nobody burns them! So yummy! Thank you!
Kate
I’m so glad you loved them, Shannon! Thank you for the kind words and review!
Naomi
Love it! Thank you for sharing! I used cashew and a gluten free grain flour and a blend of zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoe, and broccoli for my kiddos and hubby and they turned out great!
Naomi
*cashew milk
Debbie
Hi Kate!
I love your quick bread recipes and have made several. I had a question about the baking soda in the zucchini bread (I do see your adjustment in the muffins) – have you tried baking powder in the bread? Does it work? I am struggling to find where there is enough acid in the bread to allow a reaction with the soda, but it does work and I’m wondering why it does? There is a good amount of soda in the recipe compared with the amount of flour and there is not a whole lot of acidic liquid or other acid, so I am baffled as to why this recipe is so successful (and it is really very good – I do swear by it!) I am considering for the next time I make it that I’ll try souring the milk because the soda should still neutralize the tang and the crumb might be more tender or I might try powder at a ratio that would be appropriate for the flour amount. Since I saw that you had played with the levener and acid in your muffins, I wanted to ask you if you had done this with the bread (in the hope that if you did then I could avoid making a disaster of a recipe that is already really great!). Sorry to be so long winded, lately I am on a quest to understand baking chemistry.
Thanks,
Debbie
Kate
Hi Debbie, I’m sorry I missed your question earlier! I think the answer might be in the honey/maple syrup—they are slightly acidic, enough to counteract the baking soda. I have found recently that using a combination of baking powder and baking soda produces slightly more tender results. Hope this solves your mystery. :)
Danielle Lenore Calhoun
This recipe is so good!! Thank you for sharing.
Amber
Just made these and they turned out perfect! I omitted nuts and used 1 cup AP flour with 3/4 cup Brown rice flour just for fun. Also I only had full fat coconut milk so I mixed that with 2 tsp apple cider vinegar. I probably used a bit more coconut oil than in the recipe just for good measure. They are completely moist and unbelievably scrumptious
Kate
Thank you, Amber for sharing! I appreciate it.
Andrea
I tried this yesterday and they were wonderful. Very fluffy which is great. I added about a quarter cup of golden raisins too. And used reg all purp flour as i didn’t have white whole wheat.
Kate
What I love to hear! I’m so glad they turned out so fluffy for you. Thanks for the review, Andrea.
Karen
These were yummy. I added melted chocolate to the recipe for chocolate zucchini deliciousness. My kids loved them too. I forgot to squeeze the excess water out of the zucchini so the result was extremely wet in the middle but by the next day, they were perfect.
Kate
That does sound delicious. If you would want to leave a star review since you liked it so much, I would appreciate it!
Kim
Hi, I would like to add some mashed banana to these muffins. Can you please guide me on how to do that in terms of quantities? Thanks!
Kate
Hi Kim! I would recommend following my banana muffin recipe for help. https://cookieandkate.com/2015/healthy-banana-muffins-recipe/
Alex
I haven’t even made this recipe yet, but I just know it’s going to be delicious! A question, however: In regards to the vegan buttermilk replacement, can any type of vinegar be used (coconut, apple cider, etc.), or do we have to use normal vinegar?
Kate
Just normal vinegar!:)
Alex
I actually just ended up making it with grass-fed, organic buttermilk, and it was fabulous! Thank you for the clarification, though.
Shirley G. Gilbert
Do you sift the flour before measuring?
Kate
I don’t use a sifter, I typically just spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off.
Amy Robinson
Do you peel the zucchini first?
Kate
No need to peel!
L-J COTE
Very yum. I didn’t have buttermilk but used Lemon juice instead of vinegar and added frozen grated lemon as well. Thank you.
Kate
Great! Thank you for your review.
Mary King
These turned out perfect! I used whole wheat pastry flour and melted butter because that’s what I had. Not overly sweet, rose up beautifully, fit for company.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Mary!
Christine
This was my very first time trying one of your recipes! So happy I found you. The zucchini muffins were delicious! I added a few natural chocolate chips for my picky 15-year old. If I wanted to frost them for a birthday treat, do you think that a cream cheese frosting would go well with them or not?
Kate
I think that should work well!
Darcie
After a very bountiful zucchini season, I now have three batches of these muffins waiting in the freezer for busy days! I’ve made them with olive oil and with coconut oil, and like them either way. I do wring out the shredded zucchini especially well and have added as much as 2 1/2 cups with reasonably good results. Great recipe!
Kate
Thank you!
Michelle
Kate … you are a “rock star”. Have to tell you I started using your blog about a year ago and both my husband and I fell in love with it. We found ourselves cooking every day from it. When Xmas came around, I ordered the cookbook – what a fabulous cookbook. You are the Julia Child of vegetarian cooking. Now between the cookbook and your blog, I think we are set for life. I’ve told everyone I know to cook from your blog. Today I made these muffins for about the 5th time and never disappointed. Perfect balance of not-to-sweet with flavour. Your recipes always bring a wonderful balance and I think that’s what we love. Now when friends are nervous about cooking for us vegetarians, I just tell them where the source is for great recipes. Thank you for devoting what must be an amazing amount of time and energy to make this world a better and tastier and healthy place.
Kate
You are kind, Michelle! I’m glad you like this recipe and blog. I appreciate the review!
Stefan
Hi there!
“Amazon” is not exactly the market-place I would like to deal with as they treat their employees like sh..t – at least here in Europe! I have no idea about what they are doing in the U.S.A. – depending on local law it might be similar!
I love your Blog nevertheless – but please be cautious about who you make deals with!
Brgds,
Stefan
Kate
I’m sorry to hear you had a poor experience! But, thanks for your support and comment Stefan.
Nancy
These are 5-star muffins for sure! Kate, I so appreciate the care you take in making sure that your recipes are perfect!
Kate
I’m so glad you think so, Nancy! You’re welcome. I do put in the work, but it’s fun when they are a hit for you!
Emily
Hi, I was wondering if there is supposed to be Greek yogurt in these? I saw in the intro you mentioned it but didn’t see it in the recipe (I’ve also tried a few other of your muffin recipies with it in it-they’re delicious). Thanks, Emily
Kate
Hey Emily! So sorry for the confusion. I recently edited this post and copied over some bullet points from one of my other muffin recipes, forgetting that this one doesn’t use yogurt. It uses buttermilk instead, and I think you’ll love it.
Chauncey Zalkin
Says yogurt but then there’s no yogurt in the recipe !
Kate
Hey Chauncey, so sorry for the confusion! The recipe is correct as written, and there is no yogurt in the recipe. I recently copied over those bullet points from a similar muffin recipe of mine, and forgot that these don’t use yogurt like the other one. I’ve fixed it now. Thank you for bringing my error to my attention!
Rena
love your blog and cookbook – bought 3 copies to shares! how would you adjust cooking time and temperature to make zucchini muffins in mini size. Thanks
Kate
Hi Rena, thank you so much for your support! I really appreciate it, and I’m sorry I missed your comment earlier. I don’t have a mini muffin pan, but generally speaking when changing pan types, you’ll leave the temperature the same and adjust the baking time. I’ve just read online that “With an oven temperature at 350 F or 375 F, most mini muffins need from 10-13 minutes to bake.” So I think these muffins will be done sooner than 10-13 minutes, given that the baking temperature is 400 F. Hope that helps!
Karen
These muffins are amazing! SO Moist and plenty sweet with half honey and half maple syrup. I added a banana too and used pecans. Love them and will make over and over again. Thanks for the recipe!
Kate
You’re welcome, Karen!
Laura
I’ve made these muffins in mini size twice now in 2 days. Safe to say this is now my go-to muffin for healthier and toddler friendly snacks!
Kate
Wonderful, Laura!
Hannah
Any time I test out a new muffin, I bake a few mini muffins before I bake all the muffins. I would eat them “as is” but I didn’t think my kids would. Maybe because I used 1 and 3/4 cup zucchini, they tasted “like a healthy muffin” according to my husband. I added a little bit of mini chocolate chips and my kids enjoyed them.
mary charni
These were really good. I used flax seed egg to replace the eggs due to allergy and used coconut milk due to allergies. came out great
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Mary!
Jessica Flory
Loved these muffins! My kiddos gobbled them up :)
Kate
Great, Jessica!
Jenn
Hi – these were delicious, I ended up baking a little longer than the recipe called for – added about 5-6 minutes, because they were quite wet (I did wring out the zucchini too), but my children would not eat them due to the presence of a trace of green in the finished product. I think I will try this regardless, but wanted your opinion on if you think it would work out to grate and squeeze out the zucchini and then blender it with the wet ingredients to remove those pesky green flecks. Do you think that would make the batter to runny/wet to set up?
Kate
Hi Jenn! Sorry to hear that these weren’t a hit with your kids. I’m really not sure if that would work, but it might be worth a shot. If the muffin batter is extremely wet, you could gently fold in a couple more tablespoons of flour, and that should help.
Hayley Lawrence
Made them tonight and 16 mins was too long. Bottom burned and came out dry, but will try again! Still tasted pretty good.
Natalie
Could I omit the maple syrup/honey or use a banana instead?
Kate
Mashed banana should work pretty well!
BoeScout
i wanted to try this recipe, gluten free with almond milk and apple sauce instead of oil. but was wondering if there were any sugar substitutes, could a banana, stevia, swerve or something similar be used?
would a banana and apple sauce subs make it too wet?
would a granular sugar sub like stevia or swerve make it too dry?
Kate
With changing all of those elements, I wouldn’t know without testing it. However, I know a lot of other readers have commented about their experience if you wanted to see what they may have tried in the comments.
Amy
I made these this morning and had just popped them in the oven when I saw my 2/3 cup of DIY buttermilk sitting on the counter!! I pulled the muffins out, and was just putting the batter back in the bowl when my nine year-old wandered in to the kitchen and looked horrified at the situation, not to mention thoroughly disappointed in the zucchini. WELL, she was eating her words (and TWO muffins) when those babies came out!! They were AMAZING. Incredibly moist!! Perfectly sweet (I used maple syrup). Must make again to determine if it was your wonderful recipe or my renegade cooking techniques that infused them with such magic!
Kate
I love it! Thanks for sharing, Amy.
Olivia
Hi Kate,
I am a huge fan! You have no idea how many of your recipes have saved the day when impromptu guests drop by/when we’re in a pinch and we need something healthy but also delicious! :-)
I’m a student in nutrition, and I’m also French – freshly imported to the US… and I wanted to add an its bitsy comment about butter because I noticed that you said it wasn’t “heart healthy” (and I totally agree with you about vegetable oils such as canola being processed and toxic)… butter has been demonized in America following a huge lobbying play by the oil industry in the 50’s and 60’s, and while I’m also a big proponent of cooking and even baking with high quality olive and coconut oils, butter is actually a heathy fat – no less so that coconut oil (in fact if you are using saturated fats as a reference for ‘unhealthy’ – that in itself can be debated, but for now we’ll go with it – butter has a far lower saturated fat percentage than coconut oil: 51% vs 87% for coconut oil), and if you buy pasture raised, it is a great source of vitamin A, D, E, K2 and omega 3 fatty acids believe it or not (heart healthy – the irony!).I’m biased, of course, maybe because of my cultural heritage, but back home we see many 90+ year olds eating copious amounts of raw grass fed butter and doing just fine! I just wanted to add that as I’ve never heard so much butter hate as in America – the country of heart attacks and fried vegetable oils. :-) I say this with much love and respect, and I really do appreciate your beautiful website and work! Wishing you all the best! Olivia
Leslie
I was directed to your site when looking for a hummus recipe for a Church potluck. I loved the technique you used to make it creamy. Then in January when I decided to change our families diet to vegetarian, my sister in law directed me to your site amongst a few others. Your recipes hands down were the best. Simple and consistently tasty. Made switching to vegetarian diet attainable. With that said..this morning my son saw me grating zucchini for breakfast, (mind you he applauded the very veggie fried rice and many other dishes I’ve made)he said there was no way he was eating the muffins. Well, he sheepishly just finished his 3rd muffin. I accepted his apology. Thanks for your amazing work. It has really been a blessing to our family.
Kate
I love you are enjoying so many recipes, Leslie! Thanks for trying them and letting me know what you think!
Narmina
Wow! These muffins came up amazing! Thank you for this recipe! <3
Kate
You’re welcome, Narmina!
Kelly
I used frozen blueberries and dark choc chips instead of walnuts, and half honey/half maple syrup – Perfect result. Thank you for the recipe, I will definitely be making these again
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kelly!