Zucchini muffins make an excellent snack (or dessert) for kids and the entire family! This recipe is virtually no-fail and so good that they will disappear faster than you can make them.
Zucchini Muffins Are A Great Way to Introduce New Veggies Into Your Child’s Diet
I remember when my oldest was about 13 months old or so he went through a phase where he would only eat cottage cheese and blueberries.
As far as picky food eating goes, I was ok with that combo. However, I wanted to add a little variety to his diet (if I could sneak it in there).
It was around this time that a friend of mine gave me this recipe. I made it, and it became an instant hit in our family!
And what was better…my son actually loved these muffins! Often, I would give them to him as a snack food to supplement his limited diet.
I found myself jumping up and down with excitement when he would eat these zucchini muffins because I was giving him healthy stuff!
Believe it or not, I made them so often that I had the recipe memorized.
When my second and third boys came along, I did the same thing with them and was thrilled when they loved the muffins too!
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I think these muffins were a helpful stepping stone to increasing the variety of foods that my kids would eat.
Now that we have increased the variety of foods in our diets, I don’t make these muffins quite as often. The upside to that is that the whole family gets crazy giddy when I do make them!
What Makes These Zucchini Muffins Healthy?
Real ingredients such as whole wheat, zucchini, carrots, reduced sugar, ground flax seeds, chia seeds, and cinnamon come together to make a delicious, healthy muffin that I feel great about feeding to my family.
What Makes These Zucchini Muffins So Delicious?
As I do with all recipes, I have played around with it quite a bit over the years to fit our family and provide even more nutritional quality.
I experimented with white flour vs whole wheat flour, using both zucchini and carrots, reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe, and the level of spice in the muffins.
I have passed this recipe to many friends over the years who also share repeat success with it. It is a hit every single time I share these muffins or this recipe. I love those kinds of recipes 🙂
And the best part (as if it can get any better?)…it’s a very forgiving recipe, making it very difficult to mess up!
Can I Freeze These Muffins?
Yes! In fact, if you don’t plan to eat them within about 3-4 days, I highly recommend freezing them.
They freeze (and thaw) extremely well! I have 3 kids, so I tend to package them in batches of 3 and then thaw them out one batch at a time when I plan to use them.
Tools Needed for Making Zucchini Muffins
- Basic Muffin Tins – You can use the classic version
- Or a good quality silicone muffin pan
Or Bread Pans (classic or silicone)
Or Bread Pans (classic or silicone)
All You Need to Know About Freezing Zucchini to Use Later
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- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 3/4 cups sugar I only add 1 ½ cups, and it's plenty sweet
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg if desired (I do add this)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3 cups flour I use whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup chia seeds if desired (I DO add these)
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed meal if desired (I DO add this)
- 2 cups grated zucchini I wash zucchini, cut in half and take out seeds, then pulse it in the food processor to get it nice and chopped up;)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts if desired (I don’t add these)
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Cream eggs, oil and sugar together.
- Add vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon salt and baking powder to creamed mixture.
- Add zucchini to mixture
- Add flour, chia seeds, and flax seed meal. Mix until just combined.
- Add nuts (if using them)
- Spoon muffin mixture into muffin tin, filling each muffin space about 3/4 of the way full. Bake 20-30 minutes, turning halfway through cooktime.
- Starting at 20 minutes, check the muffins with a toothpick to see if they are done. Another method is to lightly press down on the top of the muffin with a finger. If it springs back up, the muffins are cooked. Once done, pull out of the oven and allow to cool - enjoy then or later (they taste even better the next day!)
* These freeze GREAT, so after they have cooled, I take them and freeze them in groups or two or three so that I can pull them out and feed them to my boys for snacks ** I usually split the amount indicated for zucchini between zucchini and carrots. For example, I will use about 1 ½ cups zucchini and ½ or ¾ cup chopped carrots (use same process for chopping as for zucchini). ** Since I use these for snacks and they are so yummy that they hide all kinds of good-for-you stuff, I also add in about ¼ cup each of wheat germ and ground flax seeds, as well as 2 Tbsp of chia seeds. You can’t tell it’s all in there and the kids gobble them up!!
I can’t wait to make these for my kids. I have a very picky eater and it’s tough. I always try to make muffins with healthy food inside because he will eat it them. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday! Hope to see you next week!
Thanks for the recipe. My mom used to make zucchini pancakes and zucchini bread.
You’re welcome, Debbie! I love zucchini bread and pancake recipes!
What a great story, and they do sound so good. I love they are made with oil instead of butter, too.
Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing my family loves it.
I want to make popcorn balls , cookies and cinnamon buns this year.
Cakes, pies and candy, such a busy season. My family counts on me to bring desserts and to surprise them every year. The main item is my fudge.
I want and need to make Divinity craving it..
Pecan praline cheesecake and mac n cheese. My husband’s only two request each holiday season.
Pecan pie
Pumpkin Pie
Fudge
I’m going to be making divinity, gingerbread,snickerdoodles, windmill cookies, peppermint pie, and banana bread.
We have our list of cookies we make every year: chocolate chip, nana’s bar, snickerdoodles, snowballs, gingerbread, and butter cookies
I like ginger bread cookies. 🙂
Cookies and fudge!
Every year we make Christmas sugar cookies with frosting.
cookies for sure and cheesecake
dont like pumpkin anything though
White chocolate dipped ginger snaps
sugar cookies, chocolate and peanut butter fudges.
Chess pies
Definitely sugar cookies!
I am going to make some pecan and strawberry pies.
cheesecake
Would love to win this awsome giveaway of all these goodies.! I need some cheer after 2 surgeries this month.
Oh, Ina, that’s a lot of surgeries. I hope your recovery is going well. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Thank you for entering the giveaway and good luck! 🙂
def some pumpkin pie!!
cookies with my new mixer!
Banana pudding!
Pumpkin rolls are definitely on my list to bake these holidays!
I’m definately making a variety of cookies & apple pie !
My daughter is 11 and loves to bake so I suspect we will be making a lot of homemade pies. Cherry and apple for sure.
sugar cookies pumpkin pie my son eats it all year round
hot chocolate chip cookies and Chicken and Dumplings.
This year I am going to make gingerbread, molasses cookies and some candy.
Gingerbread and sugar cookies are on my list
lots of pies!
Christmas cookies and cheesecake
I am going to make my grandmothers homemade fudge.
We are making all types of cookies.
I love making healthy versions of my favorites. Im looking forward to making pumpkin protein muffins and gingerbread protein pancakes.
I plan to make pumpkin cheesecake
I am going to make apple galettes! Thanks for the cool contest!
pumpkin spice muffins.
My husbands favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I love making all kinds but I can’t forget his favorite.
grasshopper pie
Frosted sugar cookie cutouts with the kids.
Gingerbread cheesecake is on the list. Lots of Christmas cookies and stuffed mushrooms are on the list too.
Apple Pie is on my list to make for the holidays and also Chocolate chip cookies for my “cookie monster” grandsons.
Sugar cookies and pies are on my list.
I plan to make pumpkin cheesecake.
Apple, Pumpkin and Chocolate Cream pies, a pumpkin roll and peanut butter fudge.
Apple pie bars on my list to make.
Apple cake, zucchini bread, marionberry pie and cranberry orange bread.
my husband and i love baking for gifts for people. we make a really yummy bread that has dark chocolate, cherries and dried apricots in it
Cookies and cheesecake
We will make sausage balls! Love those on Holiday mornings!
This year I will be trying to make all my Grandpa’s favorites. (He has cancer and this might be his last Christmas with us). I am still pretty new to baking but plan on a cranberry bread that is almost like cake (it is sooo good), lemon tarts and an array of cookies.
That lineup of goodies sounds amazing, Nicole. I hope your Grandpa enjoys them and the holidays this year. Good luck with your baking endeavors – that cranberry bread sounds fantastic!
Chocolate pie
I’m planning to make the usual holiday fare, but I want to try too make a very decadent chocolate cake soon!
Probably try to make a fancy apple tart.
I want to try red velvet cheesecake.
decorate cookies
Snikerdoodles and sugar cookies are on my list for the holiday’s.
I will be making Cherry pies and Cranberry muffins. Thanks for the giveaway!
I will be baking Irish soda bread to go with Thanksgiving dinner and of course pumpkin pie too.
I will make several pot pie, as well as apple pie, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cream cheese roll some fudge and cookies !
I want to make cookies to mail to my friends who live far away.
Pumpkin bread
Chocolate pie
We would be disappointed if my mother didn’t make her home made chicken and dressing.
That everyone is health for the holiday season.
Gingerbread cookies are on my list.
I have cookies, brownies, and muffins on my list this year.
I am going to make a lemon bundt cake. It’s always a favorite at our house.
I will be making sugar cookies, pumpkin bead and no bake cookies.
Most years I make the same stuff! Pumpkin Bread, Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Sticks, Banana Bread, Sugar/Choc Chip/Snickerdoodles Cookies and Red Velvet Cupcakes!
We will be trying our hands at popcorn balls this year. I am so excited!!!!
I am planning to canned some spiced apples and caramel sauce for family.
The muffins sound good! We always make cookies for the holidays.
Gingerbread men cookies
I am trying out new dessert recipes this year for the holidays.
On my holiday baking list is Sugar Cookies, Mini Bundt Cakes, and Pumpkin Bread.
I will be making Christmas cookies this year!
I’m planning on making a Cranberry Orange pie.
I always bake cookies for the kids!!
Pies are definitely on the list this season!
I will be making sugar cookies this holiday.
I want to make sugar cookies with my children
Definitely going to make my famous Broccoli Casserole and Sausage balls!
I’ll be taking desserts to go with my SIL’s traditional dinner—pumkin pie, berry cobbler, and peanut butter browies
I want to make pumpkin bread!!
These look yummy!
Cookies,cookies and more cookies!
I want to make a homemade pumpkin pie!
I have a lot on my baking list this year. I definitely will do my chocolate chip cookies, with and without pecans. (too many nieces and nephews with allergies) I also want to try a new spin on sweet potato pies, mixing two recipes in one. I “hope” it will be a cross between sweet potato and pecan pie. Fingers crossed.
On thing is Christmas cookies, especially chocolate chip.
Every year we make sugar cookies, but we may make peanut butter cookies as well.
More than anything, we make cookies at our house around the holidays. Lots and lots and LOTS of cookies. My daughter uses some of them for gifts and takes some to get-togethers with her friends. I love baking but we don’t always do much of it the rest of the year, so I always pick our classic favorites (Toll House cookies top that list) and also pick some new recipes to try (some have been added to our favorites and some have never been made again). This prize would be SO helpful this holiday season.
I really like to make the meats and casseroles during the holidays. I do make a great pumpkin roll and pecan pie.
We like thumbprints, buckeyes, hershey kisss cookies to name a few. It’s not Christmas without yummy homemade cookies!
Frosted Sugar Cookies, Fudge, Pecan Pie. My family loves my desserts I bring to our big dinner.
Our family has a big cookie decorating get together. We make different shaped sugar cookies.
I love white chocolate cranberry muffins.
On my baking list are rum cakes and raspberry thumbprint cookies.
oooh Jeanne C I haven’t made one of those in years (I usually eat most of it).. lol
I will be making my Jumbo Mollasses Spice Softies (big soft cookies). Those silicone sheets would be great right about baking cookies time.
I am going to make fudge and some Christmas cookies.
My family would go nuts if I didn’t make my NY cheesecake and pumpkin roll it’s a must or they all go nut’s and get upset..lol