So ever since making my vegan chocolate zucchini cake I’ve been super keen to try putting zucchini in other baked goods, and these vegan zucchini muffins were it!
And…they are super good! They taste wonderful while also having this wholesome feel.
And now I’m thinking some vegan zucchini bread is up next because putting zucchini in baked goods is nothing but a very good idea (Update: vegan zucchini bread is here as well as vegan zucchini brownies and vegan zucchini fritters!).
And now I’m going to include a batter shot below that is not super pretty looking, but I had to show it so you can see how thick this batter is. I know that if I don’t show it some people will be trying to make this and then saying I must have made a mistake with the recipe, there must be more liquid required!
But no, it is supposed to be super thick. You start mixing it, and then you might have to let the batter sit for a couple of minutes and then mix it again, so that the zucchini releases more of its moisture into the batter and somehow it all comes together. It has to be thick, because zucchini is such a moist ingredient that once baked, you have the most perfectly moist zucchini muffins.
You’ll spoon the batter into the muffin partitions, it definitely won’t pour!
It is super important that you don’t use too much flour though, and since flour is a tricky measurement (and cup sizes across the world are different!), weighing it on a food scale is the best option.
If you’re not going to weigh the flour then make sure you use the correct technique for measuring flour which is ‘spoon and level’, you have to fluff up the flour, spoon it into the cup and then level it off with a knife. Don’t pack it in, it has to be spooned and levelled (and use a US cup measure), otherwise you can accidentally use more than required. Which is why weighing is often a very good idea for accuracy.
If you did accidentally use too much flour then your batter will be too thick to mix and you’ll need to compensate with a bit more liquid, but I’m hoping you’ll weigh the flour so that won’t happen and you’ll get a consistent result.
The zucchini is shredded up before going into the batter and the easiest way to do this is in a food processor. You can grate it by hand but it would take much longer.
And if you’re wondering: why the heck use zucchini in baked goods? Well the answer is – they provide heaps of moisture, without adding flavor! So you don’t taste any zucchini in the final product, but you get deliciously moist baked goods as a result. The zucchini cooks down so that there’s almost no trace of it in the final product (okay yes you can see a tiny bit of green in these muffins, but trust me they don’t taste like green vegetables!).
And then I also used walnuts in these and I really think the walnuts take these muffins to the top levels of deliciousness! Of course if you have a nut allergy you can just leave them out or add in some raisins! I think that would be super good with these too.
I hope you’ll enjoy these vegan zucchini muffins, they are:
- Moist
- Wholesome
- Filling
- Easy
- Super delish!
They are awesome to eat exactly as is, but I’m also a fan of cutting them in half and putting on some vegan butter. Keep them covered at room temperature and they’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days.
What do you think of these vegan zucchini muffins? Let me know in the comments and shoot any questions my way (and rate the recipe too please, thanks!).
For more fabulous vegan muffins, check out these recipes:
- Vegan Banana Bread Muffins
- Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Vegan Raisin Bran Muffins
- Vegan Cornbread Muffins
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Vegan Zucchini Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12
Description
Wholesome and delicious vegan zucchini muffins. These vegan muffins are moist, filling super easy to make, and fabulous either as is or spread with some vegan butter.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) White Sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 cup (140g) Shredded Zucchini (packed)*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) Olive Oil*
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Flax Egg
- 1 cup (100g) Walnuts (broken up)*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the white and brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Shred your zucchini in a food processor or with a grater and add to the mixing bowl.
- Prepare your flax egg by mixing 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp of hot water and allowing it to sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the olive oil, vanilla, soy milk and apple cider vinegar to the mixing bowl along with your flax egg.
- Mix into a thick batter. If you are finding it difficult to mix it all in properly, then let the batter rest for a couple of minutes and the moisture from the zucchinis will seep through the batter, so when you mix it again it should all come together.
- Add in the broken up walnuts and mix.
- Spray a muffin tray with non-stick spray and divide the batter evenly between the muffin partitions.
- Place into the oven to bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
- Remove the muffins from the tray and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.
Notes
*You’ll need about 2-3 small zucchinis for 1 cup of shredded zucchini.
*I often like using a high quality olive oil in baking but you can switch for a different vegetable oil if you prefer.
*You can omit the walnuts if you prefer, or use something different like raisins (though I haven’t tested this).
- Category: Baking, Dessert, Breakfast
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Muffin (of 12)
- Calories: 284
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 229mg
- Fat: 14.9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8g
- Carbohydrates: 34.8g
- Fiber: 1.6g
- Protein: 3.8g
Keywords: vegan zucchini muffins
Of all the recipes I’ve tried for vegan zucchini muffins, this one is by far one of the best!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Monica!
I’m not vegan but made them to share and they might be the best muffins I’ve ever made! Used almond milk and subbed rice vinegar for apple cider, texture turned out perfect. Baked for exactly 35 mins. Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
So happy to hear that Danielle! Thanks a million!
I used bobs gf all purpose and I used egg replacer instead of flax egg. I added extra oil because gf stuff is always dryer. It worked pretty good but i may try apple sauce next time to make it a little bit more moist.
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing Sarah! I agree, I think applesauce will work great.
Just made these for the first time, and they are absolutely delicious!! I did use a kitchen scale, and I used half coconut sugar, and half tubinado (because it’s what I had in the pantry) in sub of white sugar. They are perfect; awesome recipe!
So glad you enjoyed them Christine!
This. Recipe. Is. Amazing! My family loved them so much! One of my siblings thought these were made out of bananas, he was shocked when I told him they were actually zucchini muffins because he hates zucchini and he loved these babies a lot 😅
★★★★★
Awesome! This is wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing Aylcia!
Delicious. I had to substitute the sugar, as I should not been having any, with a combination of coconut/carob and erythritol/stevia and chia instead of flax. Turned out fantastic. Moist, crunchy on top, the salt and walnuts a bonus! I used a scale as recommended. I love your baked goods, never a disappointment!
★★★★★
So glad it worked out well! Thanks for the great review Marina!
This is a great recipe! I have made it twice without walnuts because of an allergy. I found that 25 minutes was enough baking time for me (maybe they were smaller without walnuts or my pan is super dark?) The muffins are moist and have great flavor! They kept well the day after, and I often have problems with my vegan baked goods getting dense or generally less good after sitting out.
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I made this and added chocolate chips instead of walnuts. it was so so delicious and everyone else who tried it also loved it. will be making it again today 🙂
Wonderful! Thanks Rosta!
Just made these and they were excellent!
★★★★★
My husband loves zucchini baked goods and this recipe didn’t disappoint! A crowd pleaser for sure. I used vanilla oat milk and avoided the walnuts (because of an allergy). Thanks for another great recipe! Next up, chocolate zucchini cake!
~Catherine
★★★★★
Thanks so much Catherine!
Oh. My. Gosh. These are some of the BEST muffins my family and I have ever had! They are light and fluffy, with an amazingly crispy top and wonderful flavors throughout. This recipe should have so many more reviews than it does – it’s so good!! And the fact that they are vegan and relatively healthy makes them that much more amazing. I substituted coconut sugar for the brown sugar and used whole wheat flour as well as all purpose. I also used a chia egg instead of a flaxseed egg (1 T chia seeds and 2 1/2 T water). Even people who are not vegan (but want a healthier dessert/breakfast/snack alternative), should give this recipe a try! Thank you so much for this recipe!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Karina!
Absolutely perfect muffins! My picky 18 month old ate 2+ muffins today, so she finally got some veggies, lol. Thanks!
★★★★★
Hahaha awesome! Thanks for sharing Liz!
I just made them! I replaced brown sugar for coconut sugar and white sugar for xilythol. It made me feel a little bit less concerned with all the sugar/oil in this recipe. The result was fantastic. It’s a good mix of bread/cake. Thank you! I love your recipes. Using zucchini in the baking is a great way to get the muffins soft and tasty.
★★★★★