Healthy Zucchini Spice Muffins
These healthy zucchini spice muffins are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and made with whole wheat flour, grated zucchini, and warm spices. They're perfect for breakfast, quick wholesome snacks, or a midday pick-me-up. I love to make them ahead for busy mornings on the go!
If you love wholesome muffins, be sure to try our healthy pumpkin muffins too; they're also a reader favorite! And for a cozy dessert version of these warm spices, don't miss our zucchini spice cake.
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Recipe Overview
These zucchini spice muffins are soft, warmly spiced, and just sweet enough, with a tender crumb from grated zucchini and a cozy flavor from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. They're made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with maple syrup, making them a simple muffin to enjoy for breakfast, snacks, or packing into lunchboxes.
The batter comes together quickly with a bowl of dry ingredients, a bowl of wet ingredients, and freshly grated zucchini folded in at the end. There's no need to squeeze the zucchini dry; its moisture helps keep the muffins soft as they bake.
Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you'll need to make these zucchini spice muffins:
- Flour: I'm using whole wheat flour, but you can also use a mix of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour for a lighter texture.
- Zucchini: Grated zucchini adds moisture and tenderness to the muffins.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves give these muffins their warm, cozy flavor.
- Leavening: A combination of baking powder and baking soda helps create a light, fluffy muffin.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the spices.
- Maple syrup: Naturally sweetens the muffins and adds warm flavor.
- Eggs: Help give the muffins structure.
- Cooking oil: Keeps the muffins moist and tender.
- Vanilla: Rounds out the flavor of the spices and maple syrup.
How to Make Healthy Zucchini Spice Muffins
Begin by preheating the oven to 350℉ and lining a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease with cooking spray.
- Step 1: Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla until smooth and slightly lightened in color.
- Step 3: Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture along with the shredded zucchini. Stir gently until just combined, with no dry flour streaks remaining. The batter will be thick, but the zucchini will release moisture as the muffins bake.
- Step 4: Evenly divide the batter into the prepared muffin cups. I love using an ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Tips for Success
- Don't overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears to keep the muffins soft and tender.
- There's no need to squeeze the zucchini dry. The moisture helps soften the crumb as the muffins bake.
- Use a scoop for evenly sized muffins. An ice cream scoop or cookie scoop makes it easy to divide the batter and helps the muffins bake evenly.
- Let the muffins cool briefly in the pan. Five minutes gives them time to set before transferring them to a wire rack.
How to Store Zucchini Muffins
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or refrigerate them for up to a week. They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently warm before serving.
Healthy Zucchini Spice Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups grated zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease with cooking spray.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla until lightened in color and smooth.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture along with the shredded zucchini. Stir gently until just combined with no dry flour streaks. The batter will be thick, but the zucchini will release moisture as the muffins bake.
- Evenly divide the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups to ¾ full. I love to use an ice cream or cookie scoop. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- Batter: The batter will be thick when mixed, but the zucchini releases moisture as the muffins bake.
- Zucchini: There is no need to squeeze the zucchini dry unless it is especially watery.
- Texture: For a lighter texture, you can use half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour.
- Storage: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. Muffins may also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
More Baked Zucchini Recipes to Try
- Fudgy Zucchini Brownies: Another wholesome dessert you'll love
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins: Decadent and delicious
- Healthy Morning Zucchini Bread (Naturally Sweetened)
- Easy Zucchini Bread Recipe (Single Loaf)
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
Muffins
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I've been making these healthy zucchini muffins for 15 years. They are always delicious, and I love that they're wholesome without compromising the zucchini bread flavors we love!
Hi! Have you made these with oat flour or something similar? We have a wheat allergy in the house, but these sound amazing!
Hi Natasha. I have not tested these with oat flour, but it is on my list. I'd be happy to share my pre-testing notes though.
I always make my own oat flour and plan to use almost a 1:1 ratio, measure for measure. Whole wheat flour does weigh a bit more than oat flour so I plan to add 1 1/2 tablespoon more oat flour to the recipe. If the batter appears too wet (although the whole flour batter is very moist too), I may let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb. I expect the muffins to have a little less dome because oat flour is a little heavier than whole wheat.
If you try them, I'd love to hear your experience, Natasha.