Applesauce Zucchini Muffins
Applesauce Zucchini Muffins are the perfect summer muffin recipe. They’re loaded with fresh zucchini and made healthier with whole wheat flour and applesauce.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Wondering what to do with all those farmer’s market or garden zucchini? If you love homemade zucchini bread, then you’re going to love these zucchini applesauce muffins. They’re moist, fluffy, and so flavorful.
They’re quick and easy to make with wholesome ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. You don’t even need a mixer!
These muffins are a delicious breakfast or snack. They’re loaded with veggies and lightened up with whole wheat flour and applesauce.
I’ve been making this recipe for years, and they come out perfect every time! I love that they’re freezer-friendly so I can freeze half the batch for later.
Looking for more veggie-filled healthy muffins? Try these Oatmeal Sweet Potato Muffins or Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins.
Ingredients
- Flour: Mix all-purpose and whole wheat flour for the best texture and flavor.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Using both of these leaveners together helps the muffins rise properly.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon for that warm flavor.
- Salt: A little bit of fine sea salt rounds out the flavors.
- Eggs: A couple of large eggs create that fantastic structure.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce makes these muffins healthier. Try them with homemade cinnamon applesauce. Need a substitution? Plain Greek yogurt is an excellent substitute for applesauce.
- Vegetable Oil: Oil will keep the muffins moist and help them become tender and fluffy. You can substitute your favorite neutral-flavored oil, like coconut or avocado oil.
- Milk: You can use any milk in these muffins. Dairy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk all work great. Buttermilk is also a great substitute.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup to sweeten the muffins. You can swap out for honey.
- Vanilla Extract: For added flavor.
- Zucchini: Shredded Zucchini is the main ingredient here! One medium zucchini is about one and a half cups of shredded zucchini. Read more about how to shred zucchini.
*The full ingredient list with amounts is in the recipe card below.
How to Make Zucchini Muffins with Applesauce
This healthy zucchini muffin recipe is easy to make and ready in just 35 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking oil or line it with paper liners and lightly spray the liners with oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Stir the dry ingredients mixture into the wet ingredients mixture using a silicone spatula, until just combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the shredded zucchini.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. They should each be 3/4 full. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minute before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Variations
- Add chocolate chips. Fold in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
- Muffin mix-ins. Stir in 1/3 cup of chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds), pumpkin seeds, raisins, dried cranberries, or blueberries (fresh or frozen).
- Make them dairy-free. Use almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk.
Serving Suggestions
Applesauce Zucchini Muffins are a delicious breakfast or snack. Serve them as they are, or cut them in half and add a smear of butter, cream cheese, or nut butter. They’re perfect for summer when zucchini is in season.
Storage
To Store: Once completely cooled, store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. You could also store them in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To Freeze: Individually wrap the muffins with plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw them on the counter at room temperature for 15 minutes before enjoying.
Expert Tip: When storing the muffins at room temperature, place a paper towel in the container to prevent them from getting soggy.
Zucchini Muffin Tips
- Spray the muffin pan or paper liners with cooking spray. Zucchini muffins have a lot of moisture, so they tend to stick to the pan or parchment liners. Make sure to spray with oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Spoon and level your flour. This will ensure you’re properly measuring your flour for the perfect texture. Watch how to spoon and level flour.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to mix until just barely combined. There will be some lumps. Overmixing can cause muffins to become tough instead of light and fluffy.
- Use a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to portion the batter. This will help you fill each cup evenly.
- Leave the muffins in the pan to cool for at least 5 minutes. This helps the muffin bottoms set.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
No! You don’t need to peel zucchini before shredding it with a grater for zucchini muffins.
No, you don’t need to squeeze out the liquid from the shredded zucchini for zucchini muffins unless the recipe specifies to. This zucchini muffin recipe takes into account the liquid, saving you that extra step!
Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. The muffins are done if the toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Applesauce Zucchini Muffins
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 Muffins 1x
- Category: Breakfast & Brunch
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Applesauce Zucchini Muffins are the perfect summer muffin recipe. They’re loaded with fresh zucchini and made healthier with whole wheat flour and applesauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking oil or line it with paper liners and lightly spray the liners with oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Stir the dry ingredients mixture into the wet ingredients mixture using a silicone spatula, until just combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the shredded zucchini.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. They should each be 3/4 full. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minute before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Don’t overmix the batter. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to mix until just barely combined. There will be some lumps. Overmixing can cause muffins to become tough instead of light and fluffy.
Once completely cooled, store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. You could also store them in the fridge for 3-4 days. To freeze, individually wrap the muffins with plastic wrap and store them in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw them on the counter at room temperature for 15 minutes before enjoying.
Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 154
- Sugar: 6.6 g
- Sodium: 165.8 mg
- Fat: 5.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.1 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 3.7 g
- Cholesterol: 31.1 mg
Would replacing the vegetable oil with butter or coconut oil work?
Yes! Melted coconut oil would be a great substitute in these muffins (and I use it sometimes when I make these too!)
Melted butter should also work, but the texture will likely be a bit more soft.