Sneak some extra veggies into your diet with these Vegan Zucchini Muffins! They’re perfectly soft and moist, and made with easy-to-find, good-for-you ingredients.
Guess what? Zucchini can be used for so much more than zoodles and stuffing with veggies! These Vegan Zucchini Muffins are not only made with good-for-you ingredients but also taste amazing and are one of the best ways to sneak extra vegetables into your diet.
They’re moist, too! Most zucchini muffin recipes will have you drain the excess water from the shredded zucchini before adding it to the batter. I tested both ways and the non-drained zucchini came out on top every time! The muffins turned out to be deliciously moist while remaining fluffy and tender.
Keep this recipe in your back pocket the next time zucchini season rolls around (throughout summer here in North America). Grab a bunch and use them all up in this muffin recipe or my Savory Zucchini Bread, Zucchini Corn Fritters, and more!
Recipe features
- Warmly spiced and lightly sweetened vegan muffins.
- Naturally egg-free, dairy free, and easy to make gluten free and nut-free.
- Enjoy the muffins on their own or spread soft vegan butter on top.
Ingredient notes:
- Zucchini - Many zucchini muffin recipes begin by draining the excess moisture out of the shredded zucchini. For this recipe, the moisture is NOT squeezed out because it keeps the muffins moist.
- All purpose flour - Or use a 1:1 blend of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Or, substitute gluten free all purpose flour to keep these gluten free.
- Milk - I used almond milk, but any dairy free milk will work.
- Sugar - A blend of brown sugar and cane sugar lends sweetness to the muffins as well as deep, molasses-like flavors.
- Warm spices - Like cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Walnuts - For texture! Leave them out to make nut-free muffins or swap them for pecans or almonds instead.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Combine the wet ingredients. Stir the milk, applesauce, vanilla, melted coconut oil, and apple cider vinegar together in a large bowl.
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a separate bowl.
Step 3: Finish the batter. Pour the dry mix into the wet and gently fold the two together. Finish by folding in the shredded zucchini and walnuts.
Step 4: Bake. Divide the muffin batter into a greased muffin tin, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Step 5: Cool, then enjoy. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack. Grab one and enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- There’s no need to peel the zucchini. Grab it, shred it with a box grater or food processor, and toss it in the batter!
- Do your best not to over-mix the batter. Only stir the batter until the dry and wet mixtures just come together and no flour clumps remain.
- If you love to bake with zucchini as much as I do, you’ll definitely have to try my Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake and Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread as well!
What else can I add to zucchini muffins?
You can fold in chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, raisins, cocoa powder, different nuts, or dried fruit in with the batter.
Can zucchini muffins be made gluten free?
I haven’t tested it but a 1:1 gluten free flour blend should work instead of all purpose flour.
Can they be made without oil?
I haven’t tried making these muffins without oil but replacing the coconut oil with the same amount of applesauce should work.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: They freeze well for about 3 months. Wrap them individually in plastic or store the muffins in a ziplock bag instead.
More vegan muffins
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Vegan Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil melted and cooled to room temperature
- ¼ cup almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup zucchini shredded
- ¾ cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Melt the coconut oil, then set it aside and allow it to come to room temperature before using.
- Next, stir the milk, applesauce, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar together in a large mixing bowl, then add the cooled coconut oil.
- In a separate bowl, stir the flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Then, pour the dry ingredients into the wet and use a rubber spatula to fold them together. Last, stir in the zucchini and walnuts. NOTE: There's no need to squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini -- you can just shred it directly into the bowl.
- Grease a muffin tin with nonstick spray, then divide the batter evenly.
- Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then carefully remove them and transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Natalie says
I made a mistake and chose this recipe without thoroughly reading it and checking for reviews :(. It lacks so much flavor. No salt listed in the ingreidients. And that fact that it stated to add the sugar and cinnamon in the dry ingredients felt so weird. I wouldn't do this again
Erin says
Sorry you felt that way! And FYI -- adding sugar and cinnamon in with the dry ingredients is VERY normal, especially in vegan baking.