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.
Paige Pugh
This was a disaster. The walnuts burnt in 2 minutes and had to be thrown out. I used honey as a sweetener and milk w/vinegar instead of buttermilk. I believe I followed the steps in the recipe properly. They didn’t rise and taste like sour milk. Into the dumpster this batch.
Jessie
I just made these today! I also burnt my walnuts accidentally but only slightly and I did them on the stove top for more control. I used almond milk with apple cider vinegar. I thought that Apple cider vinegar might go better than white vinegar and I used honey. They were delicious! Can’t please em all. Oh and I used just whole wheat flour. They took a little longer to bake but I could tell they were going to be delicious when I was mixing the wet and dry because it was so fluffy! Highly recommend just like the rest of Cookie and Kate’s recipes!!
Amy
Just made these, I doubled the batch and they came out perfectly moist and cooked all the way through in 17 min. I made sure to squeeze out the zucchini and added mini chocolate chips. Thanks for another great recipe!
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Amy!
Liene
I’m afraid these were a disaster. Followed instructions to a T but they were raw on the inside. Baked them longer, but then they were overdone on the outside and still raw inside. I bake a lot of muffins, and never had a failure before. I was surprised, because I make a lot of your recipes, and always love them.
Caro
Same for me. ;(
I usually love your recipes
Joanne
Me too :( been cooking for an hour and it’s still not cooked at all inside. Wish I read the reviews before making this and doubling the recipe.
Kate
Hi Joanne, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you squeeze out the excess moisture?
sladjana
Same here, total disaster. Used the gluten-free flour and followed the recipe with everything else. Even after trying to bake them longer, the inside was still not done. Sad as I was really looking forward to try this recipe. I use Kate’s recipes all the time and love it, this was the first time it didn’t work.
Kate
Hi, I’m sorry to hear that. Were you able to get a lot of moisture out of the zucchini?
Catty
Same for me.. they were raw inside.. I baked for more than 30 mins.
Kate
Hi Catty, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you squeeze out the excess water?
Marj
They turned out moist and delicious!
I subbed blueberries for the nuts because I had to use them up, did a butter/olive oil combo, used a bit of almond flavor in place of 1/2 tsp vanilla, made a whole milk/vinegar combo, used whole wheat flour and honey, and left out the nutmeg this time. Combined ingredients as instructed. I let the batter rest a couple of minutes before filling the tins to allow the whole wheat flour soak up some of the liquid. Baked as instructed. Presto, muffins like what you pictured!
Your recipe is a great base for a whole grain, naturally sweetened muffin. Just what I was looking to make.
Kate
I’m glad you were able to make adjustments and have it turn out well, Marj! I appreciate your review.
Madeleine
Hello from London, UK. These were amazing! I made them yesterday after searching for recipes for my son’s lunch. We’re really trying to help him with healthy eating but he was saying how hard it is with other kids eating sweet treats. He really liked these and so did I! Lovely moist crumb, nice spice. I used whole wheat flour and a mix of honey and maple. They were fantastic and I will be trying more of your recipes. Thanks and enjoy your Sunday x
Kate
I’m glad he enjoyed them, Madeleine!
Vanessa
Made these as instructed with whole milk and lemon juice as substitute for buttermilk. I am confused by the reviews stating the dough was wet as mine was perfect and I barely squeezed out the zucchini. They turned out awesome! I’ve made your apple muffins and carrot muffins and they are favorites. Loved these as well!
Josie
Turned out moist and delicious! I used a mix of gluten free and coconut flour and mixed almond milk with the vinegar. Was worried they would turn out dry due to the GF flours but that was not the case! Very impressed with this easy, tasteful recipe!
HappyinSD
I just made these muffins and added a cup of finely chopped honey crisp apple, I also used regular whole wheat flour. I switched up the spices a little too, I used 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t allspice, 1/4 t ground cardamom and a pinch of ground cloves.They are delicious!
Elizabeth
Hi Kate. I love your recipes, easy to follow and always turn out well even with additions. I added lots of mixed spice,(cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice) mixed roasted nuts and chopped up raisins. I ran out of honey and substituted 1/3 cup with date syrup. Delicious.
Oh, and also I never throw away the zucchini juice but add it to the amount of liquid needed. Works perfectly fine and more nutritious.
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I’m happy you like these muffins, Elizabeth.
Rachel
I’m on my third batch in as many weeks (our garden is producing a lot of zucchini-like squashes), and I’m in love! I added blueberries, and they’re a lovely, super-moist alternative to blueberry muffins. Hearty, tasty, and I don’t feel guilty for eating them!
MARINA ZHUKOVA
Thank you very much, Kate! This was my first time making zucchini muffins and we loved it! I had to use 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey because I didn’t have enough honey on hand. I also used almond-cashew protein plant milk and olive oil, and I added 2 heaping Tbsp of ground flaxseed instead of nuts/fruit. Delicious! These will be gone fast! Will try to make them again with honey only.
Kate
I’m glad it ended up turning out! Thank you for your comment and review.
Kat
If you like an eggy muffin, this is your thing. The batter was more liquid than batter. I should have read the recipe instructions before I started because half-way through the instructions I was most certain I was following a recipe from a novice baker. My instincts were confirmed at the final product.
Sue Forman
Followed the recipe exactly except without the nuts. Just made 6 muffins to start. Squeezed the moisture out of the zucchini and used raw honey. They are so good! Will definitely be making these again. Lots of zucchini in the garden! Thanks for the recipe Kate!
Stephanie
Kate,
I’ve used many of your recipes with great results. Maybe I didn’t squeeze enough moisture out of the zucchini, because the inside is gooey, like a bread pudding..but not inedible by a Longshot! Very tasty, and the toasted walnuts add a great texture. I made a double batch, one in a metal pampered chef muffin pan and one in a Wilton silicone muffin pan. I think the latter held up better. The muffins fell flat but likely due to the excess moisture. I made a double batch of the healthy pumpkin bread muffins a couple days ago and they were a hit. TIS the season to be baking, thanks for the more nutritious options.
Stephanie Richards
**Update:
I reviewed this recipe yesterday when the muffins were just cool enough to touch. They were a little mushy in the middle. I chalked it up to user error b/c I didn’t drain the zucchini well enough. After they sat and cooled completely they were perfect! I mean moist, balanced flavor, and the toasted walnuts..yes please! My hubby and kids loved them because they’re not too sweet (one of the reasons I like your recipes). My sister and bro.-in-law “devoured” them (her words). I will definitely be making these again and again. Thanks for another great recipe!
Allyson
My 15 month old wakes up famished, so I’m always looking for relatively healthy breakfasts that require no preparation. These muffins fit the bill perfectly!
Kate
Awesome recipe! I accidentally over mixed the batter, and they were still moist and soft with no tunneling. The sweetness and spices are just right too.
A couple notes: I strongly recommend squeezing the life out of the shredded zucchini to remove as much juice as possible. And my toasted nuts were almost burnt after 3 minutes – keep a close eye on them.
Irene
By far the best muffins I have made. I used 1/4 cup maple syrup and added walnuts. So. Easy and so good.
Ariana
Hi! Looking to try this recipe soon. I’m counting my macros so I was curious how swapping almond milk for the buttermilk would effect the nutritional facts?
Kate
Hi Ariana! Anytime to change an ingredient, it will impact the nutritional facts. You can always calculate your own by using an online calculator.
Carol Richards
Moist and delicious!
Kate
I’m happy you loved them, Carol! Thank you for sharing.
Alice
I left out the nuts because I wanted this to be school friendly for my daughter to take in her lunch. I used oat milk with vinegar, I added 2 tablespoons of ground chia seeds and I also threw in some blueberries. They turned out great! Thanks!
Tamera Taylor
Grandma and I made these muffins. I LOVE THEM!!!
Kate
Wonderful, Tamera!
Lance
I’ve made many of your sweet breads, but this version was great! Much fluffier than any other!
Holly
Ive made these muffins a few times, turn out perfectly! I love the moist spongy texture. I use 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips instead of walnuts. Love this recipe!
Cathy B
Awesome! I had never used olive oil before in baking. All came together like a textbook muffin recipe.
Thank you
Cathy B
Danica Kost
Moist and delicious! I love that these are not too sweet. I had toasted pecans on hand I needed to use. I am dairy free so I used almond milk with some lemon juice to make buttermilk. I baked them for 16 mins, they came out perfect. My 9 month old daughter loves them too! I was able to make more than 12 muffins, I baked the rest of the mix in a pan to make a small loaf to freeze for another day. Thanks for the yummy recipe, I will definitely be making them again soon.
Kate
Thank you for sharing your variation, Danica!
Laura
Wow, how disappointing. I have made this recipe twice- my 4 year old loves zucchini muffins and I thought I’d try the “healthy version” for him. I usually rely unwaveringly on C+K recipes for our healthy baking recipes, but gosh this one just doesn’t turn out for me. The first time I blamed myself; I assumed I mis-measured during a pre-coffee muffin attempt. The second time I know I followed it explicitly (post-coffee) and both times they turned out soggy and eggy and inedible. I’m very sad that we’ve wasted so much coconut oil and expensive maple syrup on two bad batches. Suffice to say, we won’t be trying this one again.
Kate
Hi Laura, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you zucchini seem extra watery?
Keeley
I love your recipes. I frequently turn to your blog for reliably delicious, healthy and creative ideas! I wonder if Laura made the same mistake I did here. I squeezed excess water from the zucchini first, and then measured 1 1/2 cups (so I ended up using close to 3 small zucchinis). As I reread the recipe, I think I was supposed to measure 1 1/2 cups unsqueezed grated zucchini and then squeeze the water out. Am I right? They had delicious flavor – I’ll try again with this adjustment! Thanks, Kate.
Kate
Hi! Yes, grate the noted amount then squeeze. I hope that helps!
Jindriska
Very bad recipe, I kept the baking time and they were still raw inside.
Kate
Hi there, I’m very sorry to hear that. Did you squeeze the excess water out of the zucchini and measure carefully? I retested these muffins over the summer and have never run into raw insides.
Annabel Johns
Has anyone tried replacing half the oil with applesauce? I might try this and see how they turn out!
Lauren
I made these but didn’t roast the walnuts, I used plain flour and subbed the buttermilk for whole milk with vinegar. I made them into mini muffins and doubled the recipe for my freezer stash for my 1 year old twins. Fan baked them on 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes, they turned out perfectly! Thanks for the healthy recipe :)
Carol
Hi Kate,
I’d like to make this recipe diabetic friendly. Do you have any suggestions for how to substitute the honey for a sugar alcohol such as Erythritol?
Thank you kindly!
Kate
Hi Carol, Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not an expert there so can’t provide much direction.
Lisa P
These turned out perfectly for us! Made them so my toddlers could eat them. Used soy milk (& apple cider vinegar), honey, no nuts or any extras besides a little bit of ground flax seed. Made them in mini muffins (and two big ones). They loved them and so did I. Baked the minis for like 14 mins. The 2 big ones for 19 mins.
Brigitte
These are so good even my mom loves them (which is huge believe me LOL!). Seriously Kate you are amazing, I recently discovered your recipes and loving all those sweetened with maple syrup…. you see we are from the Laurentides, north of Montreal and surrounded by lovely maple trees… our next project is actually to build a maple « shak » so please keep them coming!
Kate
Thank you, Brigitte! Thank you for your review.
Jeanne
Made these lots of times…..love ’em. The only thing I do differently is with the zucchini. I shred it and spread it out to air dry while I heat the oven and combine ingredients. Always perfect!
Amanda Provencal
Hiya!
I tried this recipe – but tried coconut flour instead of the gluten free flour – using the same amounts. It didn’t stick together at all. I tried adding a bit more of the coconut milk, but it didn’t work at all. Any thoughts?
Kate
Hi! Unfortunately, coconut flour isn’t a great subsitute. I haven’t had much luck with it in the past.
Whitney P.
This recipe was GREAT!! I made them with flax seed “eggs” and substituted a little unsweetened apple sauce for oil. Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips instead of nuts for a little sweetness! Yummy! Already planning to make a second batch!
Kate
That’s great to hear, Whitney! I appreciate your review.
Vicki Miller
This recipe is absolutely perfect! I followed the recipe to a T except I added a few raisins. There is nothing I would change. They’re perfect! I’m so glad I found you!
Lydia H Cade
These turned out great. I used a mixture of walnuts and pecans for the nuts, light olive oil (but not EVOO) for the fat, and low fat milk plus white vinegar for the buttermilk. I added 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves. I used the food processor to chop the nuts and then grate the zucchini (without washing it out in between).I toasted the chopped nuts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, putting them in the oven before it was all the way pre-heated. I took the nuts out of the oven ahead of the 4 minute mark for fear of burning them. My bake time for the muffins was 19 minutes. I used stand-alone heart-shaped silicone muffin cups which might be a bit smaller than standard muffin cups since the yield was 15 delicious muffins. This recipe is a keeper!
Sheila
I picked this recipe because I’ve made lots of your stuff before, Kate, and I had buttermilk and a zucchini to use up. I got nervous once I slid them into the oven, because I scrolled past the directions to a handful of poor reviews. However, I shouldn’t have worried- my batter was perfect muffin batter consistency, and it tasted yummy (if a little wheaty because I used WW flour- trying to use that up as well!) I followed recipe to a T, using coconut oil, buttermilk, maple syrup and walnuts (plus threw in some chopped up chocolate), and the muffins puffed up beautifully and tasted great! Not too sweet, perfect with a cup of coffee. I wonder if some previous commenters were not measuring their liquids with liquid measuring cups? Kate, I’d also wonder if you could share the metric measurements in the future, as I prefer to bake with metric measurements for greater precision. That also may alleviate some of the wildly different results reported.
Thanks for this recipe! Great Thursday morning treat!
Kate
I’m glad these worked well for you! Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your feedback, Sheila. I don’t have plans to change method of measurement since I do live in the US. But I agree, metric is a great system!
Kristina
These came out great. I used frozen zucchini and I made sure to squeeze it out really well.
Kate
I’m glad that worked for you, Kristina! Thank you for your review.
Alex
Followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfectly. Used buttermilk, maple syrup, and coconut oil. No nuts. Would definitely make again.
Nadia
Hi Kate,
I was so excited to try this recipe, I made it dairy free and gluten free with dairy free chocolate pieces. However, they turned out very soggy! I even cooked them longer than suggested and I squeezed out all the water from the zucchini. However, being British I had no idea that the cups for liquids were different, very confusing. So I guess I added too much liquid? Also, when measuring a cup of zucchini do you squish it into the cup as much as possible? The quantity varies hugely. I agree with another poster, it would be good to have metric quantities as well as it’s generally more accurate for baking.
My little boy still ate them though as there was gooey chocolate in them so they weren’t wasted.
I would like to try them again and get a nice texture, do you have any advice?
Thank you so much.
Kate
Hi Nadia, I think the different measuring system is the culprit. I don’t have a great metric alternative at them moment, other than converting each recipe myself – taking time away from me creating delicious recipes for you all. Hopefully I will have a reliable plug-in sometime!
Olivia Holmes
These turned out amazing! Followed the recipe exactly, using the make your own buttermilk (milk + vinegar) and these were fantastic!!
Kate
I’m happy you loved these muffins, Olivia!
Brooke
I love this recipe! I’ve made it many times and it has always turned out perfect! This time, I substituted whole milk plain yogurt for the buttermilk and it still worked like a charm. Fluffy, light, minimally sweet. Thanks Kate!
Kate
You’re welcome, Brooke!
Jennifer Shepherd
Just made strawberry and oat muffins , and about to make zucchini muffins , love the mixture, soft and fluffy, if the zucchini muffins turn out as good as the strawberry and oat, then this .mixture will be my go too for all my muffins thankyou
Kirsten
They turned out perfect! Only thing I forgot was to add the vinegar to the milk, so used regular milk. Other then that, followed recipe exactly and they are delicious!! My kiddos love them to.
Natalie
I only skimmed the section about nuts as I didn’t think I had any! After pouring batter into the pan I noticed I had crushed hazelnuts. So I just sprinkled unroasted on-top of the muffins for a delicate crumble topping. Omg these are devine!!!
Chelsea H
Perfection!! I was nervous to make these because of the comments that say the recipe didn’t work out but i was craving zucchini bread/muffins so I did it anyways. I followed the recipe with all vegan substitutes. Flax eggs, almond milk with apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup (skipped the nuts). They cooked in the specified time range and were perfectly moist. I did make sure to squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini and I let it sit on a paper towel while I prepared the batter which may have helped mine turn out better than others. Definitely making these again! They hit the spot and fulfilled my craving! :)
Kate
I’m glad it worked well! I appreciate you sharing what you did, Chelsea.
Christine
These turned out perfectly! I added some dried cranberries and orange zest as well.
Barbara Mehrmann
I made these with raisins and nuts. Everyone loved them!
Kate
That’s great, Barbara!
Liberty
This came out splendidly! I used chopped store bought walnuts and didn’t roast to save time. They are moist and delicious! And, they don’t taste as healthy as they are
Kate
Wonderful, Liberty! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Marisa
Just took these muffins out of the oven and they are awesome. Used avocado oil, added a couple tablespoons of plain yogurt to milk with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, also added some allspice, and a handful of raisins. Perfect texture.
and taste.
Thank you
Carol
These came out perfectly for me! I’ve also made your healthy blueberry muffins, and they were delicious. Tender, fluffy, and just sweet enough. So many muffins are overly sweet, but these are perfect.
Gen
I should have read the comments before I made these! Baked for more than 30 minutes, they never really browned, and they were still raw inside. Your recipes are always great but this one just didn’t work.
Kate
Hi Gen, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you squeeze any excess water out?
Jenny
I made these last night 7/21/21 and they were delicious! Also made the blueberry muffins and those were good too! Next ill be making the chocolate chip ones! So
excited. Thanks for sharing!
Kate
You’re welcome, Jenny!
Barbara
These turned out yummy, soft and moist! I goofed up the recipe and was still able to make it work. I have powdered buttermilk on hand always, but had made homemade yogurt the day before and decided to use this in lieu of the buttermilk. However after measuring out the 2/3 cup I realized that I had grabbed a half cup measuring cup and put in a full cup of yogurt instead. So I adjusted the whole wheat flour to a full 2 cups to compensate for the extra liquid. These turned out beautifully!
Linda O’Brien
delicious! Cut honey in half because I replaced nuts with dark chocolate chips. Used Kamut flour.
Renee
These muffins are a summer staple in my house. Such a great way to use the abundance of summer zucchini and they always turn out super moist and delicious. When people hear “zucchini muffin” they think of some gross dry healthy cardboard flavor… and then absolutely love them!
Kate
I love that! Thank you for sharing.
Tammy
Made these muffins, as directed, from the abundance of zucchini from my garden. Turned out wonderfully and taste amazing! Found a great, easy hack online for removing moisture from the grated zucchini – a coffee press!! Thanks for sharing your recipes Kate – love how delicious and nutritious they are.
Marlene
I made these today changed up a couple things like the flout. I used sprouted spelt and bobs red mill gluten free flour. They came out nice and tender. For me they need a bit more cinnamon. I will definitely make these again.
Jessica from Atlanta
I just made these and they were DELICIOUS. So moist and fluffy! I was almost scared off by some reviews below, but I’ve probably made a dozen Cookie and Kate recipes and loved them all. I think the buttermilk may be key. I even used low-fat (since that’s what my husband brought home from the store). They’re almost savory, just a little sweet. I added some turbinado sugar on top for a little crunch. Can’t wait to feed these to my kids tomorrow morning!
Angela
Okay, Im finally leaving a comment because I have been using your healthy muffin recipes weekly for at least a year and absolutely love all of them! And every time I look for a new healthy muffin, yours comes up. Your healthy muffin recipes are perfect!
Kate
I love that, Angela! Thank you for your review.
Ali
These are wonderful! I used the grater on the food processor and then squeezed out all the liquid I could. Used coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and milk for the buttermilk, and chocolate chips instead of nuts so my kids would like them :) thank you!!
Connie
Kate, these are great! I like that they are not very sweet. I have made your blueberry muffins from your cookbook, and really like those also.
I followed the directions except that I toasted my nuts on the cooktop; I like the control I have when I do that.
I had some batter left over after filling my muffin cups, so I put it in a 6 oz ramekin and baked it for 2 minutes longer than the muffins.
I will defintely make these again!!
Kate
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Connie!
Zoe
These were lovely! I made the vegan version, using olive oil, date syrup as my sweetener, a half teaspoon cardamom along with the cinnamon, and an extra teaspoon of baking powder to get a better rise. I also reduced the walnuts to about 1/2 cup (just toasted them a bit as the oven preheated) and added another 1/2 cup of raisins. They were nicely browned and cooked through after 19 minutes, and are delicious with just the right amount of sweetness.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Zoe!
Fatima
I made a double batch and they were delicious. I didn’t want to drain my zucchini so I decreased my buttermilk. I also decreased my sweetener by 1/4 as I added Blueberries to half and chocolate chips to the other half. Looking forward to trying the recipe again with my abundant zucchini crop and freezing away the muffins for busy school mornings.
Gwen
I made these muffins today. I substituted applesauce for oil, I don’t have white whole wheat flour so I added a heaping 1/2 cup of wheat bran to white flour, shredded zucchini then measured 1 1/2 cups slightly packed – then I squeezed out the juice as good as I could then spread out on paper towels. For the buttermilk I put the juice I squeezed out of the zucchini into a measuring cup, added 2 tsp lemon juice and then added milk to make 2/3 cup. I didn’t want to waste the juice from zucchini. Baked in 375 degree oven for 16 minutes. Rose really nice and were baked just right inside and out. These are really, really good muffins. Thanks for the recipe. I have a great crop of zucchini this year so will be freezing it for these muffins.
Sueb
I love this recipe and have made it several times. Best results come from simplifying the recipe: ‘mix dry ingredients and set aside’, ‘ mix wet ingredients, drain zucchini, and add all to dry ingredients without mixing too much’, ‘add 1/2 c chopped walnuts (no need to roast)’. Using an ice cream scoop, divide batter among 11 – 12 muffin tin lined with muffin wrappers. Bake at 350 deg for 10 min., turn for another 10 min.
Carly E
First time making these, they turned out awesome and I’m glad I doubled the recipe. I used raw walnuts without roasting and they are good so they don’t need to be, if you are worried about burning them. Instead of honey I used an equal amount of brown rice syrup and they are SO GOOD! Not too sweet, actually the perfect light sweetness. I did the milk with vinegar for buttermilk, 100% whole wheat flour, and made sure to squeeze the zucchini really good. I GENTLY packed it into the measuring cup and it turned out perfect. Also, I added in some shredded coconut and dried cranberries. Amazing!
Kate
Thank you for letting me know you loved them, Carly! I appreciate your review.
Nic Angela
I made this sans the walnuts because I was making them for my little kids who tend to choke on air. A total win for all. I like them, my kids love them, and even my husband who gets upset when I make healthy foods enjoys them. Try this recipe if you’re on the fence! I used olive oil and whole wheat flour as well. Thanks for another winner, Kate!
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Nic! Thank you for your review.
Caitlin H.
We’ve made this recipe several times with different variations, and all were delicious! For the first batch, I didn’t have nutmeg so added cardamom instead, which was yummy. (Then when I made them with cinnamon and nutmeg, I missed the cardamom, so now I add all three!) I use only 1/4 cup maple syrup since we like muffins just slightly sweet. The gluten-free suggestion of Bob’s Red Mill mix works really well. And yes to adding chocolate chips! Kudos on a great recipe with plenty of options for changing it up!
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
Marie Sheppard
Bland & sadly disappointing!
I was excited to make these because I have loved every other recipe on your website, and I’m drowning in zucchini.
While the texture was fine and they rose nicely, they lacked flavor – even though I added extra spices (cinnamon, nutmeg & some clove).
I won’t be making these again.
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one, Marie.
An
I’ve made many of your other muffins and this one was also a winner! I even used a medium zucchini and it did not turn out mushy at all. I think what helped not getting mushy like others is using the thicker grater. I use your other healthy blueberry muffin as a base for many muffins a few times a month. My kids love it. Love your cookbook too!
Kate
Wonderful! I’m happy you love this recipe and my cookbook. I appreciate your review.
Robyn
These make a lovely little healthy spice muffin. I followed the recipe, toasting the nutson silicone mat, for 8 minutes maybe, with a stir halfway thru. Didn’t have quite enough coconut oil, made up the difference with sunflower. The maple syrup adds a nice flavour with just the right sweetness. Next time might add cacao nibs too.
Maureen Adras
If there is an option to print your recipe, I can’t find it.
Kate
Hi Maureen, It’s currently not working. But, I’m trying to get it back as soon as possible. I appreciate your patience!
Kate
My 14 year old son made these with me, and everyone loved them. They were moist with a nice tall, golden top. We swapped a half cup of mini white chocolate chips for the nuts, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. We’ll keep them in our muffin repertoire. Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Kate! Thank you for your review.
Lisa
I just made a dozen of these delicious muffins for the second time in 5 days because the first batch was so good they were devoured within 48 hours :-) . I made them exactly as your recipe reads and had no issues either time as some reported (by the way, I can’t imagine blaming the recipe author, especially on her own website, if mine hadn’t come out right; seriously?). I used your milk and vinegar option vs. buttermilk since I like keeping food light, and used skim milk both times with great success. Used your maple syrup option for the sweetener both times. Your recipe makes the most tender, delicious zucchini muffins I’ve ever tasted, and I really appreciate you sharing it. I’ll be making the carrot muffins next as well as many others you’ve shared. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe, and take good care! :-)
Anita from Vancouver, British Columbia
I made these to use the whole wheat flour and the zucchini I had. They were moist, fluffy and delicious! (I did throw in some chocolate chips instead of nuts). I baked only 15 min in my oven. I did not squeeze the zucchini too much, as it was already grated, in the fridge, from days ago. I think I over-squeezed my zucchini to make zucchini loaf previously and it was not as moist. Perhaps with all the factors (oven temp, altitude etc) there is a certain amount of squeezing of zucchini that has to be done? I appreciate Kate blending the two recipes together, as I would assumed I could have followed zucchini loaf and just made it into muffins!
Erin
These came out great! I used oat milk, as my son has a dairy allergy. No other subs. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kate
You’re welcome, Erin! I’m glad you loved these muffins.
Jana
These are absolutely the best muffins I have ever had !!! I added a bit of poppy seeds, replaced regular eggs with flax eggs, and used macadamia nuts instead, also left out the nutmeg and vanilla extract. Turned out absolutely amazing, loving them. Thank you so much for this recipe! :)))
Lynn
Another amazing recipe. My 2.5 year old loves these and always asks for more. I use plain yogurt instead of buttermilk because I always have it in the fridge, and maple syrup instead of honey. They were light, fluffy, not too sweet, and absolutely delicious. Also thoroughly dried my zucchini and didn’t have any trouble with them not cooking. They were completely done in 16 minutes
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Lynn!
tahmid
The muffins are amazing. Came out perfect. Thanks.
Kate
You’re welcome, Tahmid!
Marie
Wonderful recipe! I usually don’t comment, but since so many people seem to be having trouble with this one, I wanted to say that as someone who has worked in industrial and fine dining bakeries, this recipe worked perfectly as written. American measurements can vary so drastically from person to person, unfortunately. I used honey and EVOO :)
Kira
I’m excited to try this recipe! I wanted to give you a heads up that whatever you’re using to allow Print Options isn’t working correctly. I clicked the option to exclude the image and nutritional information, but they’re still showing up (along with the actual print options menu and recipe scale buttons).
Kate
Hi Kira, thank you for letting me know. I don’t see an issue, but will take a look!
Catherine Maxey
Extremely good. 7oz by weight of zucchini is right on. I did not toast nuts. Great texture. Fluffy and moist i used 4T applesauce 2T oil. Added 1tsp maple extract in addition to vanilla.
Justine
I used olive oil, milk with the 2 tsp vinegar, almond flour, and I squeezed out the excess water from the zucchini with 3 separate towels. Same issue, they didn’t rise and the dough was still raw after 20 min. I’ve never used almond flour before, maybe that was the issue?
Kate
Hi Justine, yes almond flour isn’t a great 1:1 substitute as it requires a lot of adjustments if it will work. It would be a new recipe. You can try a gluten free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill.
Clem
These are SO FLUFFY AND YUMMY! If you are thinking of making these but don’t know if you’ll like them, just DO IT they are perfect every time and have an unreal flavour profile. Thanks Kate! All your muffin recipes are amazing – trying pumpkin muffins next :)
Kate
Thank you, Clem! I’m glad you tried another one and loed it.
Subhash Lele
I am a beginner. I found your recipes to be foolproof. Great tasting as well. Thank you, Kate.
Jenny Miller
Made these with almond flour (which I think absorbed some of the excess moisture from the zucchini and they turned out AMAZING!!
Karen D
I don’t know which muffins I like the most; these ones, the carrot ones, the apple ones or the blueberry ones! I made these with melted butter, maple syrup, pecans, regular whole wheat flour and milk w/vinegar. The batter was very wet, even after I added the super-squeezed zucchini. However, they baked up perfectly in 19 minutes. Thank you for all the amazing muffin recipes!
Kate
Can’t they all be your favorites? Thanks for your review, Karen!
Kenzie
Very very good! Made as directed, except for adding 1tsp of almond extract in place of 1 of the vanillas.
Lindsay
Could I substitute half of the zuchinni for shredded apple? I’m looking for a healthy apple muffin recipe to use up some mealy apples. Your apple muffin recipe has dairy and we are dairy free so I thought these zuchinni muffins might work! Your banana muffin recipe is a staple in our house, so I know your recipes are fantastic!
Kate
Hi Linday, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. If you try it, let me know what you think!
Jenny
These muffins are fantastic!! I have made them six or so times now and they’re always are a crowd pleaser. While the ingredient list is very healthy, these muffins have a great texture and flavor. Perfect for a healthy breakfast snack.
Martha
These came out beautifully! The sub-par reviews, in my opinion, are from cooks who did not squeeze out the extra liquid.
I used syrup and olive oil and added cranberries for a delicious treat. I only made 10 as I prefer a high rise muffin. I have a hot oven that baked them perfectly at 16 mins. I will make them again doon.
Kate
I’m happy it turned out so well for you, Martha! I appreciate your review.
Marianne
Loved these and so did my youngest! Based on comments I did grate the zucchini first and let sit and drain while I prepped everything else. Skipped the nuts, subbed whole Greek yogurt for the buttermilk, used 2 tbsp of coconut sugar instead of the honey. 19 minutes and they came out perfect!
Kate
Hooray! I’m happy they were a hit with you and your kiddo. Thanks for sharing.
Dorothy
These are our favorite muffins. They have perfect texture and flavor. Can’t imagine how someone could have a problem with the results if they followed the directions properly. We rely on you for good recipes as you do a thorough job of testing We are so appreciative. Congratulations on the arrival of your precious new baby!!!
Kate
These are so good! I was a little wary with a few bad reviews but srsly every recipe I’ve made of yours turns out SO DELISH so I went for it. I’m thinking maybe people didn’t wring out the zukes or used AP flour or something less absorbent? I went with using mostly honey with some sugar. I also used about 1/3c of the liquid squeezed from the squash (yellow and zucchini) in place of some of the milk (i used oat milk w ACV). I also added 2T chia seeds. Thanks for another great recipe that is less sweet, healthier, and somehow still yummier than the classic.
Victoria
I just made these muffins using the recipe as written and they were yummy, still warm from the oven with a pat of butter. Along with my healthy banana muffins, this will be in my rotation of low suger, high fiber baked goods. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Victoria! I’m glad you loved them.
Nicki
Excellent recipe! I used my own GF flour blend and subbed chocolate chips for the nuts. I used half coconut oil and half butter. I also only had about 1 cup of zucchini shreds, but it turned out just fine. The muffins were done in 17 minutes and were perfectly moist and airy on the inside! I’m bookmarking this one! Thanks Kate!
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Nicki! Thank you for sharing how you made it.
Tammy Murray
These were great.
I substituted date sugar, sweet rice flour, added 1 teaspoon ground flax seed and added another egg.
17 minutes at 375, yielded 6 dozen mini muffins.
I made these for snacks for the grandchildren.
They love them. And the big kids did too.
Kirsty
Made these with half the amount of honey, 100% whole wheat, vinegar/milk, olive oil, no nuts (allergy in the family) but added in about ¼ cup of crushed flax seeds. Cooked perfectly in 15 minutes at 200°C in a convection oven. Not super sweet (my preference especially when feeding my toddlers, but a nice healthy muffin! Kids approved! (Next time I would use coconut oil, if I have, but didn’t have it today. Can taste the olive oil a little, but since it’s not a super sweet muffin, it’s ok.)
Jess
I omitted the nuts and used regular lactose-free milk, I also used regular whole wheat flour. They turned out great despite my oven being a little off in temp, perfectly moist and not too much of a “healthy” taste like many whole grain muffins have. Thanks!
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed them, Jess! Thank you for your review.