With an easy method (no squeezing zucchini required!) and super moist results, these healthy Zucchini Muffins are a yummy breakfast or snack (that you’ll enjoy, too!). They happen to be vegan, and they store well for days.
Healthy Zucchini Muffins
We almost always have a batch of muffins in the rotation since they make such easy meal and snack components. My kids love these vegan Zucchini Muffins. My favorite part about them is that you don’t have to grate the zucchini and squeeze it dry like you usually do for zucchini bread usually. The method is much easier than you might expect!
These healthy muffins are made without eggs and dairy—so they’re vegan—which makes them great if you are out of eggs or milk or if your kids have food allergies. They’re one of our favorite muffin recipes, especially since they’re super moist and don’t need any special ingredients. And, of course, they taste delicious.
These are perfect for summer when there is a load of zucchini at farmer’s markets and in gardens, or any other time of year when you pick some up at the store.
(You may also like my Banana Zucchini Muffins with Blueberries and my Zucchini Cake.)
Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!
Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients in this recipe so you know what you’ll need to have on hand.
- Zucchini: I use classic green zucchini in this recipe. You could also use yellow summer squash if that’s what you have.
- Rolled oats: We add rolled oatmeal to the recipe to add fiber and whole grains to the mix for added nutrition.
- Cinnamon and vanilla: Cinnamon and vanilla extract add pleasant flavor in the mix with the rest of the ingredients in this muffin recipe.
- Baking powder and baking soda: A mix of these two leavenings ensures the muffins bake up tender and moist and all the way through.
- Applesauce: I use unsweetened applesauce to add flavor and natural sweetness to the base of this recipe. You can use homemade applesauce or store bought. If you don’t have applesauce, you can use an equal amount of mashed very ripe banana.
- Neutral oil: Avocado oil, melted coconut oil, vegetable oil, or melted unsalted butter can all be used in this recipe.
- Maple syrup: A little maple syrup adds a hint of sweetness in conjunction with the applesauce. You can also use honey for kids over age 1 and regular sugar if you prefer.
- Whole wheat flour: I use whole wheat flour in this recipe since it’s great at absorbing liquids and there is a lot of moisture in the mix from using the whole zucchini.
- Chocolate chips, optional to top the muffins.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The process for making these muffins is really easy and the batter comes together in the food processor, so you don’t have to grate the zucchini. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Add the zucchini to the food processor. Process to grind well.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the flour and chocolate chips, if using.
- Pulse in the flour and chocolate chips. Divide among a mini muffin pan greased with nonstick cooking spray or greased silicone baking liners.
- Bake until just golden brown around the edges and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
TIP: The moisture in the zucchini is part of what makes these muffins have such a great final texture, so no need to squeeze it out like in most other zucchini muffins recipes!
Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins
You can add chocolate chips to these muffins if you’d like. I usually do half of the batch with them and half without so I have some that are less sweetened for my youngest and some with chocolate to entice my oldest kiddo to eat them.
Baby Muffins
These can be a wonderful recipe to share with a baby or 1-year-old. I’d recommend dicing the muffins up and serving slightly warm to ensure they are easy to chew.
TIP: Find my ABC Baby Muffins recipe, which is also a great option for little ones.
How to Store
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Warm slightly if desired before serving. Or serve at room temperature. You can also freeze leftover zucchini, in chunks or grated zucchini, for future recipes.
Best Tips for Success
- To make these gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour and certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Dice these to serve to babies or 1-year-olds to ensure they are easy to chew.
- Serve plain, topped with butter or nut/seed butter, jam, or a little applesauce.
- Use honey instead of maple syrup if you prefer.
- Add chocolate chips, golden raisins, chopped walnuts (or other chopped nuts), or dried cranberries as desired.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share!
Healthy Zucchini Muffins (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 cups roughly chopped zucchini
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil (or avocado oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin.
- Add the zucchini to the bowl of a food processor and process until well grated, about 30 seconds.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except the flour and chocolate chips, and process for about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and chocolate chips, if using, and pulse to just combine. (The batter will be thick.)
- Divide batter among the prepared muffin tin, using a heaping tablespoon batter per muffin cup, and bake for 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or store for later.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Warm slightly, if desired, before serving.
- To make these gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour and certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Dice these to serve to babies or 1-year-olds to ensure they are easy to chew.
- Serve plain, topped with butter or nut/seed butter, jam, or a little applesauce.
- Use honey instead of maple syrup if you prefer.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published May 2018.
How on earth are these so good with a whole zucchini and so little sugar!!?????? I didn’t even use chocolate chips. I can’t believe it!!! YUM!
also loved how quickly and easily they came together.
I started making these a whole bunch last summer, and my family loved them. Now we’ve added a baby to the crew, and I can’t make them fast enough for her! She eats more of them at 9 months than I do at 39 years. I did hope to find out, though, if they can hold without refrigeration for a day? We’re going on a flight this week over a meal time so I was thinking they’d be a great addition to my kids’ bento boxes, but was hoping to avoid needing cooler space since that’s kind of at a premium for this trip. If it’s unsafe to keep them at room temp during the trip, I’ll rethink my food strategy, but this would cover a lot of bases for me! Thanks again for such a great recipe!
They are fine for a day at room temp. Safe travels and enjoy!
My daughter loves these!
Tried this today and these came out amazing!!! definitely recommended
Love these! Remind me of pumpkin bread with chocolate chips. 16 month old loves them too!
I don’t have a food processor. Can I just use a grater for the zucchini and just mix everything in a bowl? Would the texture and test be the same as using a food processor?
What should I substitute to add eggs? My toddler has an egg allergy but can eat baked eggs so we try to incorporate it when possible. Thanks!
I think you can add 1 egg to the batter and they’ll turn out similarly.
Love these – super easy and all of us like to snack on them!
Made these and WOW so yummy and moist! Do you think I could make this oil free some how? Let me know your thoughts.
You might be able to use applesauce or yogurt in place of the oil but I haven’t tried it so that’s my best guess.
Always a hit! they are easy and my kids cant get enough of these. I use a full cup of cassava flour and 1/4 more for flour. Sometimes cooking time varies by a few minutes past yours but poking it to see if it comes out clean always works for me. Your amazing!
About how many zucchini is 2 cups?
2 small or one medium (it depends on the size)
I love this simple and healthy snack for my one-year-old!
Can I use steel cut oats in these?
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure but you’d need to use a blender or food processor that was strong enough to grind them finely
So good! Our zucchini plant went crazy this year so we’ve been making these every week to use up that produce. I pretty much have the recipe memorized now. My 4-year-old loves to do it with me, which is a blast, and I love that she’s getting so much produce in muffin form too! We actually use this as a base muffin, and started getting creative about our mix-ins — we even transformed it into a savory veggie muffin (swapped applesauce for Greek yogurt, honey for chopped carrots, cheddar cubes for chocolate chips, and added an extra cup of fresh broccoli) that my daughter DEVOURS at snack time. Such a win!
They were awesome!! When I made them it turned out to be 48 mini muffins rather then 24 mini muffins!?
They were great! I added about a tbsp of cocoa and my daughter ate three in one day. She hasn’t been eating anything other than berries and milk for a while, so this was a huge win.
Thank you for this recipe!! My daughter has so many allergies and this is a perfect option for her!!
How long should I put them in the oven if I make them in regular sized muffin tins?
For standard size muffins about 16 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly. I do 1/4 cup batter in each cup for standard muffins. enjoy!
Hi there! Can you use the vitamix instead of a food processor? Thanks!
Hi- you could probably do that if you do the zucchini first and then the oats/dry ingredients. I would not blend the zucchini into a puree, but rather grind it coarsely as you would in a food processor.
The fact that this gets made in a food processor made clean up so easy. Not a ton of dishes to clean! Made these for my 8 month old and the whole family enjoyed them.
We topped them with a maple butter for ourselves and they were delicious!
They froze nicely to thaw for the baby one at a time.
These are delicious! It made 24 mini muffins for me and I used ripe banana instead of apple sauce because that’s what I had on hand. Thanks you so much for this recipe!
Just confirming I should use raw zucchini? Or do I cook first?
It goes in raw.
Duh!🤣🤦🏼♀️ok thanks so much! Can’t wait to have my baby try them.
Came out great! I didn’t realize I was short maple syrup and threw in some honey to make up for it but my son doesn’t seem to mind! I also had extra grated carrots laying around so I threw them in the food processor too and they still look delicious!
Hi , I am planning to make this . any alternatives for apple sauce ??
Hi- you could do mashed banana if that’s easier?
My one and three year old loved these! ❤️
So great! Easy, moist and delicious! And it saved me from using those precious and expensive eggs. My toddlers loved them. I didn’t have enough zucchini so I used fresh spinach to round out the 2 cups of veg. It made exactly 24 mini muffins for me. I will definitely make this again.
Made way more than 24 mini muffins. I didn’t have any more mini muffin tins, so I made six regular sized muffins. They had to bake about an extra 7-8 minutes.
Have made these more than once, followed the recipe and subbed gluten free flour. The whole family agrees – delicious! I LOVE that I can use the Vitamix to make these, so much easier than other zucchini muffin recipes. Thank you!
SO GOOD!! Perfect recipe! My husband may eat them all before my toddler does!
These were absolutely delicious and such a hit with my kids and husband!
I used coconut oil, and used my Vitamix to blend all the ingredients and fold in the flour and chocolate chips (no food processor). Highly recommend and will make these again.
Could I possibly use leftover raw zuccini noodles for this? (Pre-packaged)
I guess you probably could. I would think they’d work similarly.
These are SO GOOD and so easy! We did everything in the blender, from grating the zucchini to mixing everything together. The flavor is spot on and they baked up so fluffy and moist! We honestly can’t stop eating them. Thank you for your genius muffin recipes!
I had all the problems other people have mentioned. They were super undercooked after 20 minutes, they didn’t brown until about 35 min and didn’t rise at all. I was careful not to overmix them and they still came out dense. It was just a complete fail. Not sure what could’ve went wrong since some people seem to have liked them 🤷♀️
If they didn’t rise and they didn’t cook through, it sounds like the baking soda wasn’t active. I am sorry you had that experience.
Can I still use maple syrup if making these for a 10 month old?? Can you leave out the maple syrup?
You can do either option. I’d try to make sure you use an applesauce with nice flavor if you leave it out to ensure they taste good.
I make these almost every week my kids love them so much! Thank you!
Just mqkibg these qnd they looked bequtiful at 20 minutes but were still a bit wet they have been in now longer and have had to cover them with foil. They are looking a little flatter now. Praying thzy come out good.
I haven’t had this issue so I am not sure why it happened but I am sorry that you experienced it.
I used avocado oil instead of canola and they turned out great but the taste was definitely different. Could I have used coconut oil instead? I think that would have been a better choice.
Yes, you can use coconut oil, just melt it first and let it cool a bit
Love this easy recipe! My kids love it too and I love the healthy ingredients. I didn’t have applesauce so I threw in a mashed banana instead and it worked out fine! I also used less maple syrup and less chocolate chips (we are used to non-sweet things) and they were still yummy with just a touch of sweetness. Highly recommend. Especially since I don’t have to squeeze the zucchini!!
These are super yummy! I made the regular size though and they turned out really flat…not much rise. Do you think too much zucchini? Or maybe blended too much once I added the flour?
I’m not sure—I’ve only made them as minis. It’s possible that the density of the batter is harder to rise when they’re full size. I hope they still taste good though!
Hi! I was wondering if you were going to make these without a good processor, how much grated zucchini would you use? Thanks!
I would guess about 3/4 cup slightly packed.
Can you use regular white all purpose flour instead of whole wheat?
I haven’t made them that way but I think it would work—you may need to bake for a few extra minutes and they may be extra moist.
Just picked up 10 zucchini’s from my dads garden yesterday and have a bunch of your recipes saved to get to work on! Would it be okay to use a blender here instead of a food processor? Thanks!
Wow! You can use a blender, though you may need to either use the stick that came with it (if one did) or stop and start a few times. Aim for it to be chopped and sort of look like it’s grated, but not pureed completely. Enjoy!
I just made these and they were a fail for me! Browned on the top but still wet inside. They didn’t rise either, they’re little soggy pucks. Too bad!
Oh no! Is it possible that either your baking soda or baking powder wasn’t fresh? That would be the most likely cause of those issues. I’m sorry it happened regardless.
These are so good! We all loved them. And so easy to make – loved that there is no grating and squeezing required. Will be making again very good!
Is there a way to make these without oats? My son has an allergy
You could use quinoa flakes or I think 1/4 cup additional flour.
Does the moisture from the zucchini need to be removed after shredded in order for this recipe to work?
No, it works just as is.
Hi,
I’m gonna try this for sure. Planning to make with different veggies as well. This recipe sounds yummy! Thank you for this 🙂 Just a quick check, can I use butter instead of oil and can I skip baking powder and soda? Any other replacement to make it fluffy?
Yes, you can use butter. And on the baking powder and soda, you do need them if you want them to turn out like muffins. Otherwise they will likely not cook through and will be wet and dense.
My 5 year old was shocked when I told her there was zucchini in her muffins. She loved them and asked for one at every meal. Will definitely make again.
These were so easy to make and very very good! My family finished an entire batch in a matter of days. These froze and thawed nicely as well. Excited to have a new school lunch snack!
These were so delicious! My 5 year old said “I’m listening to my body and it’s telling me to eat more muffins” (I think she had at least 4)! We will be making these again!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Could you possibly provide weight measurements for the zucchini and the flour? My muffins just came out really raw and I think it’s because I had too much zucchini and too little flour. Tastes good though.
I am in the process of adding that—it will take a few months but it’s on my to-do list! (It’s possible that the zucchini wasn’t squeezed dry enough?)
I think the problem was I used the label on my flour to convert from cups to weight and maybe that was sifted instead of packed, idk. I tried again, actually did the flour by volume and made sure the batter was thicker, and they came out delicious!
My son (12 months) hates vegetables. I mean seriously I tired hiding it in sorts of ways and he always spits it out. I initially made half the recipe thinking I would have to eat them all. Seriously he loves them so much !!! This is the only vegetable he eats. I’ve never seen him eat anything that fast. I doubling the recipe and freezing them. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Is there a substitute for the oil. I don’t really like using that much oil in the recipe? Also, if refrigerated why are they only good 3 days?
I haven’t tried them any other way but it’s possible using some applesauce in place of the oil will work. They are fine longer in the fridge, but they get a little firmer than I like after that…
Is there a replacement for the applesauce ?
I haven’t tried it any other way but it’s possible mashed banana or butter would work.
I have made a lot of Amy’s muffins but these are our favorite! Soooo good. I plan to make these again and double the recipe to have some in the freezer for East snacking!
Yay!
This recipe is so delicious! My kids loved them. Instead of using applesauce I used 2 eggs and they were perfect. I’m sure they would have had some more sweetness had I used applesauce, so maybe add a little more of whatever sweetener you decide to use. They were perfect for us without the extra though.
Ok, these are amazing!!! I grated carrots and an apple instead of zucchini cause zuc’s are expensive atm and my husband (the chef) would lose his mind if i used one in baking. But they turned out so good! I also added some choc chips cause why not?
The batter was so thick and i checked twice to see if I’d missed an ingredient, but I hadn’t. Glad i didn’t add milk or anything cause the consistency turned out perfect. Almost pudding like.
I can forsee these being a staple for our whole family going into the winter months, esp with the ease of variation for ingredients! YUM!
My one year old have been having two (standard size!) of these muffins for breakfast everyday for the last week. He just loves it and actually expresses that he wants them! I can’t help but to steal a piece when I give it to him, it’s really tasty!
I’m so glad!
This recipe’s been really turned into my go-to recipe for toddler muffins! I’ve made them with zucchini and carrots (half and half), and with sweet potatoes without changing anything and both turned out super yummy 🙂 I even tried baking with half whole wheat flour and half oat flour and it’s still turned out perfect!!
Happened to have zucchini on-hand so I decided to make these with the help of my two-year-old and four-year-old. They are so good! Would definitely make these again. And very straightforward ingredients – which I always appreciate. Thanks!
I’ve made these, along with several others from your site, for my 2 year old many times now. He loves them! I’m so thankful I stumbled upon your website. I refer you often to friends with littles and have been using it myself since we started table foods. I’m so happy to be able to offer him healthy, unprocessed, and YUMMY (most important!) snacks and foods. 🙂
I am so glad!
Love this recipe! Made it with zucchini the other day and my daughter and I ate them up so we made a summer squash version this morning. I’m not a huge fan of cinnamon+chocolate combo so I did 3/4 tsp of cinnamon and it made a big difference for me. Gonna freeze some for a road trip we have in a few weeks!
Loved this recipe! Muffins were so moist and just sweet enough 🙂 great for the whole family
I’m so glad!
These were great! The kiddos each had 2 already – did not use the chocolate chips and it was still sweet enough for them. Thank you for the great recipe!
I’m so glad!
Excellent recipe! I swapped King Arthur measure for measure flour for the whole wheat flour and 1/4c Amaranth flakes and 1/4c quinoa flakes for the oats due to food allergies. The amaranth and quinoa are a little stronger flavor, but we’re used to it. It would likely be covered up more with the chocolate chips which I did not use. Thank you!
That sounds delicious!
Wondering if I could make these as regular cupcake size? We only have those types of pans. We LOVE all your muffins, so excited to try this one!
I haven’t tried these as full size, but if you do, I’d fill about 1/2-3/4 full (so not up to the edge) and you’ll need to bake longer. Sometimes muffins without eggs can take a while to bake in the center. I don’t really expect that to be the case given how well these bake as minis, but it’s possible. I’d guess you’d want to bake 22-24 minutes, but test the centers with a cake tester (you want it to come out cleanly) to be sure! I’d love to hear how they go if you try them that way!
If I wanted to make these with no maple syrup/honey/sugar, would I have to change/add anything to the recipe?
You could try milk in place of it, but they will not be very sweet at all and may be a little bland. Maybe add more cinnamon?
Is there anything to substitute the applesauce? I find that when I’ve used banana or applesauce to bake your muffin recipes they always come out raw. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong.
I’ve done it with yogurt, but I made them twice this past week as written and had no issues with them baking through baked as directed as mini muffins. Which muffins have you had issues with?
What can I use as a substitute for the flax seeds, and how much? Also, I have some grated zucchini that I’d like to use for this recipe-will the amount still be the same, 2 cups? Thank you!
I haven’t made it with anything other than flaxseed but you could try instant oats or oat flour if you have either of those. Is your grated zucchini already squeezed dry? If so, you’d probably use about a cup and you might need to add 1/4 cup milk or water to make the batter moist enough.
wow – 2 tablespoons of baking powder? is that meant to be 2 teaspoons? haven’t made them yet – but seems like a lot. great looking recipe !
Yes, two teaspoons, sorry!
Could you change the recipe to reflect this? How frustrating to waste good flour and ingredients during coronavirus lockdown! Thanks for the generally awesome toddler-friendly recipes.
I’m sorry that I missed that! Have you tried one? They might still be okay. (Again, I’m really sorry I didn’t update that immediately.)
Would I run into any issues if I didn’t use a food processor? Standard hand grater and good old fashioned elbow grease okay?
That will work fine. The food processor makes the batter a little more uniform but it will still work this way.
Is it possible to substitute the maple syrup/honey for a sugar of some sort?
Yes, honey should work just fine!