These zucchini muffins are lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and are ultra moist and tender. Make a batch on the weekend and enjoy for breakfast throughout the week! 

A close up of a zucchini muffin with the muffin liner pulled down. It's on a wood cutting board with more muffins surrounding it.

One of my favorite treats in the summer is zucchini bread. Whether it’s plain or studded with chocolate chips and walnuts, I look forward to baking a loaf (or three!) once zucchini season rolls around. 

What’s so great about these zucchini muffins is that they’re essentially the poppable form of zucchini bread, plus they take less time to bake. Perfect for breakfast on-the-go! 

This recipe makes 10 regular-sized muffins, but you can easily scale it up if you want to make extra to freeze for later. You can also add mix-ins like chopped nuts or chocolate chips to customize your muffins.

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make homemade zucchini muffins.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe 

You can make this zucchini muffin recipe using ingredients you likely have in your pantry already. Here’s an overview of what goes into the muffins: 

  • All-purpose flour: You’ll want to spoon and level the flour when measuring it, otherwise you may wind up with dense muffins. 
  • Ground cinnamon, nutmeg & salt: Add lots of flavor without overpowering the muffins. 
  • Baking powder & baking soda: Work together to help the muffins rise nice and tall. 
  • Oil: Vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oil all work well in this recipe. If using coconut oil, make sure that all of your other ingredients are at room temperature so the oil doesn’t solidify.
  • Brown sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar. Make sure to pack it into the measuring cup. 
  • Eggs: To help bind everything together. 
  • Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla will deliver the best flavor. 
  • Zucchini: One medium zucchini will usually yield about 1 cup of shredded zucchini.
An overhead view of the dry ingredients for zucchini bread muffins in a mixing bowl.
An overhead view of the wet ingredients for zucchini bread muffins in a mixing bowl.

How to Make Zucchini Muffins

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Gently stir the shredded zucchini into the oil mixture. 

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined. It’s very important that you don’t over mix the batter, otherwise your muffins may wind up being too dense.  

An overhead view of zucchini muffin batter in a glass mixing bowl with a whisk.

Divide the batter between 10 muffin cups that have been lined with muffin liners. You can fill the liners almost to the top.

Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The centers shouldn’t be wobbly whatsoever.

Once the zucchini bread muffins come out of the oven, remove them from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Be careful, as the muffins and the pan will both be hot!  

Two zucchini bread muffins stacked on top of each other. The top muffin has a bite missing.

Can I Bake the Batter in a Loaf Pan? 

If you don’t have a muffin pan and would rather bake the batter as a loaf, I’d recommend making my classic zucchini bread recipe instead. 

Can I Add Mix-Ins? 

Yes, you can add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. 

An overhead view of zucchini muffins on a wood cutting board. One muffin has been cut in half and others are lying on their sides.

Baking Tips

  • You’ll need 1 cup of lightly packed shredded zucchini for this recipe. That’s equivalent to roughly one medium zucchini. 
  • There’s no need to wring the excess moisture from the shredded zucchini before stirring it into the batter. 
  • You’re welcome to adjust the amount of cinnamon and nutmeg in this recipe, if desired. I found 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to be perfect, but add more or less as you like. 

More Easy Muffins Recipes You’ll Love! 

An overhead view of zucchini muffins on a wood cutting board. One muffin has been cut in half and others are lying on their sides.

Zucchini Muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
These zucchini muffins are lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and are ultra moist and tender. Make a batch on the weekend and enjoy for breakfast throughout the week! 
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Ingredients

Servings: 10 muffins
  • 1 ½ cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (120 ml) oil
  • 1 cup (200 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (125 grams) lightly packed shredded zucchini

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a muffin pan with 10 liners and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Stir in the shredded zucchini.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until just combined.
  • Evenly divide the batter between all 10 liners in the prepared muffin pan, filling each one almost to the top.
  • Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and carefully remove the muffins from the pan, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Storage Instructions: Muffins may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing Instructions: Muffins will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before serving or reheat for 20 to 30 seconds at a time in the microwave until warmed through.
Oil: Vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oil all work well in this recipe. If using coconut oil, make sure all other ingredients are at room temperature so it doesn't solidify.
Zucchini: One medium zucchini will usually yield about 1 cup of shredded zucchini.
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Author: Danielle Rye
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