Combine three types of produce in a batch of Banana Zucchini Muffins with Blueberries. It’s the best of all the baked goods in one convenient (and nutritious) package! P.S. They store well for days, so they’re a great make-ahead option.
Banana Zucchini Muffins with Blueberries
When my middle kiddo was one, she struggled with bread—which means she had a hard time chewing sliced bread as well as muffins and pancakes. I worked hard to make her nutritious, moist options to help her practice and these muffins were one of our favorites.
They are super moist and our whole family loves them all these years later.
These muffins have a base of whole wheat flour and get their moisture and flavor from three types of produce. Combine that with low added sugar and protein from eggs and milk and you have a healthy muffin for kids that’s great any time of the day.
(See below to adjust these for food allergies.)
Ingredients You Need
To make these muffins you’ll need:
- Very ripe banana: You want the bananas to have lots of brown spots, which indicate ripeness.
- Zucchini: Any variety or size works.
- Milk: You can use dairy or nondairy milk here.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter: I use this for baking so I can control the salt.
- Whole wheat flour: This helps absorb some of the moisture in the produce and adds nutrients.
- Brown sugar: I use brown sugar here for added flavor, though you can use maple syrup or honey if you prefer.
- Baking powder: This helps to ensure that the muffins bake through properly.
- Cinnamon
- Fresh or frozen blueberries: Either option works here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process of making these muffins for kids. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Grate the zucchini into a wide bottom plate or bowl.
- Use your hands to squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can. Measure out the zucchini needed, packing it tightly into the measuring cup.
- Mash the banana well and measure out the amount needed.
- Add the wet ingredients to a medium bowl.
- Stir together. Stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the blueberries.
- Portion into a muffin tin and bake.
TIP: Squeeze the zucchini really well to ensure that the batter isn’t too wet. You can even squeeze it with a towel after you get most of the moisture out if you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, just use cup for cup gluten-free flour instead of the whole wheat flour.
Yes. Use plain unsweetened nondairy milk instead of dairy milk and melted, slightly cooled coconut milk (or canola oil) instead of butter.
Yup! Just omit the eggs and add an additional ¼ cup milk and ¼ teaspoon baking soda.
If you’re making these for a baby who’s eating finger foods or just want to reduce added sugars, you can skip the brown sugar. Be sure to use very brown bananas though since they will be the main source of sweetness. With the sugar, each muffin has about 3 grams of added sugar, which is a low amount for a healthy snack.
You can use fresh blueberries or frozen ones, depending on what you have access to and the time of the year. Either way, stir them into the batter gently to avoid breaking them up.
Best Tips for Success
- Gluten-free: Use cup for cup style of gluten-free flour blend.
- Dairy-free: Use nondairy milk and melted coconut oil instead of butter.
- Egg-Free: Omit the eggs, add an additional ¼ cup milk and add ¼ teaspoon baking soda.
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor.
- Squeeze the grated zucchini VERY well with your fingers to release as much liquid as you can.
- Use fresh or frozen blueberries. Fold them in gently to the batter.
- You can substitute ½ cup chocolate chips for the blueberries!
- If you prefer sweeter baked goods, consider using ⅓ cup brown sugar or topping with a drizzle of honey.
- Find all of my best muffins for kids here.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback if you try this recipe, so please comment below with feedback!
Banana Zucchini Muffins with Blueberries
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed banana (from about 2 very ripe bananas)
- ½ cup grated zucchini, packed and squeezed very dry (about 1 medium zucchini; grate, squeeze dry, then measure out ½ cup)
- ¼ cup milk (dairy or nondairy)
- ¼ cup butter (melted and cooled slightly)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard muffin pan well with nonstick spray.
- Add the mashed banana, grated zucchini, milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Stir gently with a spatula.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir gently to combine.
- Stir in the blueberries gently.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin. You’ll use about a heaping ¼ cup in each muffin cup.
- Bake for 20-26 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly and the muffins are golden brown around the edges. (Try not to put the cake tester directly into a berry—the juices from the berries will stay moist.)
- Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, running a knife around the edges to loosen if needed.
- Serve at room temperature, warmed slightly, or chilled.
Equipment
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Squeeze the zucchini really well to ensure that the batter isn’t too wet. You can even squeeze it with a towel after you get most of the moisture out if you want.
- Gluten-free: Use cup for cup gluten-free flour blend.
- Dairy-free: Use nondairy milk and melted coconut oil instead of butter.
- Egg-Free: Omit the eggs, add an additional ¼ cup milk and add ¼ teaspoon baking soda.
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor.
- Use fresh or frozen blueberries. Fold them in gently to the batter.
- If your family prefers chocolate you can substitute ½ cup chocolate chips for the blueberries!
- If you prefer sweeter baked goods, consider using ⅓ cup brown sugar or topping with a drizzle of honey.
Nutrition
This post was originally published July 2017.
Made these today (with the help of my 4 year old!) and both she and my 2 year old LOVED them!! Really light and fluffy and full of flavour!
I’m so glad to hear that!
I just love this recipe… third time making these beauties as they are loved by our 16 month old princess of food fuss and 11 yr. old. We make dairy free as our girl seems lactose intolerant… they are so yummy that I almost need a separate batch for the parents!!
Just made these tonight! They came out great – I used half whole wheat flour and half regular white because I ran out of whole wheat. I also didn’t have quite enough butter and topped my measuring cup w canola oil because it’s what I had. I also only put a few blueberries on the tops because I made them for my 17m old who can be picky and also super messy with blueberry muffins. They are delicious! I’ll be making them and more of your muffin recipes soon!
Thank you Amy! Made these tonight and they are delicious! They have a nice nutty flavor and they are bursting with blueberries for a little sweetness. I used 1/3 cup brown sugar and may add a pinch more sugar next time.
I am so glad to hear that!
Hi Amy,
How much coconut oil do I use if I want to make this recipe dairy-free?
1/4 cup melted and slightly cooled
If I wanted to make these as mini muffins, should I adjust the baking temp or time at all?
I think about 16 minutes is likely the time for minis!
These look great, do you think i can sub maple syrup for the brown sugar?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. You might want to reduce the milk a smidge to make sure there isn’t too much liquid. Let me know if you try it!
I decided to stick to the original recipe since I’m planning on taking these on a road trip tomorrow! I did not want to mess with a good thing ?
Hi Amy, I just made a batch this morning and they were delicious. I used regular all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat (didn’t have) and made sure the grated zucchini was dry. Mine took approximately 23 minutes to bake. They were delicious!!! Will definitely be make a double batch next time. Thanks you.
I’m so glad!
Any adjustments need to be made if you use mini muffin tins?
Baking time is likely closer to the 16-18 minute range for mini muffins
Thank you! Trying these tonight!!
Made these twice now and planning on more. We have to be egg free so I used egg replacer mixed with courgette juice instead of water to boost the nutrition. Since diary is not an option here either I used soya milk for toddlers (with extra iron and calcium) and used coconut butter with sunflower spread (50/50) for butter. We also served it with smooth almond butter. Cannot get enough of them! Saying this, it’s easy to get them soggy so I had to rethink how big are the bananas and how much milk we actually need. Would love to see this recipe with weight and volume measures (g and ml/ to stop battling myself how big your cups are ?
Thanks so much for the recipe!
I’m so glad they worked out!
I’m wondering why you don’t use muffin liners in your recipes and recommend spraying with the non-stick spray instead? My muffin tins tend to scorch the outside of my muffins while cooking when I use the spray. Just curious! Love your recipes !
I find that most muffins don’t have enough fat and stick to muffin liners. I’ve never had an issue with them scorching, but I have heard good things about parchment paper muffin liners.
Great muffins!! My whole family (kids ages 8 & 5) love them!
We have to eat gluten and dairy free. Just in case someone else is searching for this, I thought I would share what I did. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 gluten free flour, unsweetened almond milk, and added an extra teaspoon of baking powder.
I also substituted the melted butter for applesauce and cut the brown sugar in half. We thought they were sweet and moist! 🙂
They were delicious! I used 1/3 cup of brown sugar and used oat milk instead of cows milk. This was my first time baking from scratch and your recipe made it so easy! My toddler and 12 month old love them.
I’m so glad!
These were a hit with my husband and toddler! I made them egg and dairy free using extra milk as suggested and I used oat milk. Well done!
I’m so glad to hear that and I really appreciate you letting me know!
Made mini muffins – took 15 minutes to bake. Our 9 month old loves them! They’re very fluffy.
We did not add sugar. Without the sugar it’s very lightly sweet. Good for the baby and fine by me! I’d make these again.
Glad to hear this!