Zucchini Muffins – An Easy Small Batch Recipe For 6 Muffins

This time of the year, when the zucchini are ripe in the garden, I love to pull out my favorite zucchini recipes, including this small batch Zucchini Muffins recipe.

As much as I love zucchini bread, often times with just the two of us left at home, the bread ends up going bad before we can eat it all. However, when I make muffins, they seem to fly off of the counter.

Most likely that is because they are an easy grab and go food item. There is no need for a cutting board, knife or a plate.

Simply open the container, grab a zucchini muffin and you have yourself a quick dessert, snack or breakfast on the go!

But the best part about making these muffins is that you most likely already have the ingredients in your pantry. And with zucchini season in full swing, I am sure that if you don’t have a garden you can easily find a friend who will gladly provide you with one.

And if not, no worries! There are Farmer’s markets and grocery stores that are stocked with them this time of the year.

Equipment Required

• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Silicone Spatula
• Box Grater
• Baking Spray
• Muffin Pan
• Oven
• Toothpick

Equipment That Will Make This Recipe Even Easier

• Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
• Food Processor With Grating Blade
• Silicone Muffin Liners or Paper Liners
• Medium Size Cookie Scoop
• Cooling Rack

Helpful Recipe Tips For Making Zucchini Muffins

1. Use A Whisk

When mixing your dry ingredients together, it is best to use a whisk to break up any clumps that may be in the flour or other ingredients. You can also use the whisk to mix the oil and egg together.

2. Peel or Don’t Peel

The choice to peel the zucchini is up to you. If you don’t mind seeing green specs in every bite, by all means, save yourself time and don’t peel the zucchini.

However, if you are trying to sneak zucchini into the dessert because you have picky eaters or someone that swears they don’t like the taste of zucchini, then I recommend peeling it first.

3. Use A Food Processor To Grate The Zucchini

After you decide whether you are peeling the zucchini or not to make your muffins, it is time to shred or grate the zucchini. You can use a box grater. However, I find it much easier to use my Hamilton Beach Food Processor that has a grater blade attachment.

4. Use A Mixer

Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to mix the batter together. However, still fold in the zucchini and any other optional ingredients with a silicone spatula.

5. Make Clean Up A Breeze

If you love to bake, but don’t like the clean up process, do yourself a favor and use either silicone or paper muffin liners. It will save you the frustration of cleaning the muffin pan later.

Zucchini Muffins

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup finely shredded zucchini, peeled or unpeeled

Optional Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup raisins

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making zucchini muffins is to shred the zucchini. Using a box grater, hand grater or a food processor, grate the peeled or unpeeled zucchini into fine strands.

Set the zucchini aside and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Then coat the cups of a 6 hole muffin pan with cooking spray.

However, if you are using silicone or paper muffin liners, there is no need to spray the cups. I prefer to use silicone muffin liners as they are easy to clean and are reusable.

Make The Batter

Now that you have everything prepared, it is time to make the batter. In a medium size mixing bowl, add the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Whisk the dry ingredients until there are no visible clumps. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg and oil until well incorporated. Then slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, just until moistened.

Using a silicone spatula, fold in the shredded zucchini and any other optional ingredients that you are using. Continue to fold zucchini muffin batter until the ingredients are well distributed.

Next, fill the prepared muffin cups three-fourths full with batter. It is best to use a medium cookie scoop to divide the batter among each cup.

Depending on the size of your muffin pan, you will need approximately 2 scoops of batter per cup. However, start by filling each hole with 1 scoop and then add more until each cup is 3/4ths full.

Place the filled muffin pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick in center comes out clean.

Then remove the pan from the oven. Let the zucchini muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

However, if you want to eat one while they are still warm, go for it! They are absolutely delicious warm or at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What can I use instead of canola oil?

If you don’t have, or don’t want to use canola oil in this recipe, there are various substitutes that you can use. For a 1:1 oil substitute, use vegetable oil, extra virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil.

You can also substitute all natural applesauce in place of the oil. Although must recipe developers will tell you to substitute only half of the oil with the applesauce, I prefer to substitute it completely.

Just be sure to use all natural, no sugar added smooth applesauce.

2. How do I store Zucchini Muffins?

Once the muffins are completely cool, place them in a covered container. Store at room temperature for 4-5 days.

However, if you want to keep them longer, store them in the refrigerator or freezer. They will stay good in the refrigerator for 7 days, and if in an air tight container, up to 3 months in the freezer.

3. How much zucchini is 1 cup shredded?

To get 1 cup of shredded zucchini, you will need 1 medium size zucchini. Because the term medium means different things to different people, let me explain further.

You will need a zucchini that is about 6-7 inches in length and about 2-3 inches in diameter. Don’t worry if you have any leftover shredded zucchini.

You can stir the leftover strands in Barbecue Cheeseburger Pie and you won’t even taste it! It is a great way to sneak in some extra veggies into your dinner.

4. What else can I make with zucchini?

If you find yourself with a bunch of zucchini and don’t know what to do with it, here are some of my favorite zucchini recipes. Although, unlike this zucchini muffins recipe, some of these recipes are designed for larger servings.

• Zucchini & Chicken Casserole
• Sausage & Zucchini Skillet Casserole
• Zucchini & Ground Beef Skillet
• Zucchini Bread
• Lemon Zucchini Bread
• Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
• Zucchini Crisp (Mock Apple Crisp)
• Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
• Zucchini Relish

Enjoy! Mary

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