Healthy Zucchini Muffins

These healthy zucchini muffins are the best (if I say so myself)! They are sweetened with date syrup, vegan, oil-free and gluten-free. These muffins are made with zucchini, yes a vegetable, but so super delicious and fluffy.

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Zucchini and September go hand in hand for me. It marks the end of summer and new beginnings. School starts, work starts, out of office message are switched off and for me personally it means making a new planning until the end of the year. It also means I magically have all of a sudden a lot of organic zucchini in my fridge. Luckily, there are so many creative and delicious recipes with zucchini.

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Marinated zucchini is one of my favorite recipes, and when I’m in a rush I love to use zucchini in this 15 minute chickpeas recipe.

But there is so much more that you can do with zucchini. This recipe for healthy zucchini muffins is a perfect snack as it isn’t overly sweet. It taste like a healthy treat, but then also like a muffin. You have to try it!

While my husband was devouring these muffins I made him guess what the vegetable in this recipe is and he looked at me like I was nuts: ”I’m eating a vegetable?”. For the life of him, he just couldn’t guess.

Zucchini Muffins in black muffin tin

Why are zucchini muffins healthy?

Healthy is a rather subjective term, but let me explain. The fact that I’m using zucchini in this recipe is of course a bonus. But what makes these zucchini muffins in my opinion more healthy than other muffin recipes, are the whole food ingredients to sweeten and bind the muffins.

  • I’m using for example date syrup instead of white refined sugar (this will make the muffins a bit more darker than when using for example maple syrup). When using date syrup or maple syrup to replace white refined sugars, these muffins are more naturally sweetened.
  • I’m also using a gluten-free flour, which for some people can be a health benefit. But you can also use a (white) whole wheat flour, which will also  make these muffins so much better than the store-bought version.
  • Lastly, most muffins contain a very good amount of oil, which in my opinion is really not needed. This recipe is completely oil-free. I’m using apple sauce to act as an oil substitute.

Zucchini Muffins baking process in a white bowl and in a black muffin tin

Vegan zucchini muffins

I made this zucchini recipe vegan by using a recipe formula that I also use for other recipes. So I use plant-based milk, and I use flax eggs and apple puree to bind the muffins. And I also love to use date syrup in sweet recipes. Although, it makes each recipe a bit more darker than I sometimes wish, I love the subtle sweetness and the fact that it is a whole food, rather than a processed food.

Zucchini Muffins in white muffin molds in a white bowl

Recipe variations

To add more flavor or texture to these muffins, simply add small chopped nuts, seeds, berries, chocolate chips or small chopped dried fruits to the batter.

Zucchini Muffins in white muffin mold on a marble cutting board on a a green napkin

An oil-free baking tip

You can use oil (such as melted coconut oil) in this recipe instead of apple puree (use equal amounts).

However, if you are opting for the oil-free version and also are not using oil to grease the muffin tin, you will need to make sure to use the right non-stick cupcake and muffin tin, or reusable silicone baking cups.

You could also use paper muffin cupcake liners, like I did in this recipe. Although it may look pretty, it wasn’t so easy to get the cupcakes out of the paper liner. If you are using oil in this recipe, this might go way easier. But hey, why use paper when you can use a reusable option, right? ( these paper cupcake liners were gifted to me).

These zucchini muffins are so delicious! They are perfect for a snack, when on the-go, in the office or to pop in the lunch boxes of your kids.

I’d like to know if you love these muffins as much as we did. Let me know in the comment section below, rate this recipe or let’s connect on Facebook or Instagram #thegreencreator.

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Zucchini Muffins in white muffin mold on a marble cutting board on a a green napkin

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Zucchini Muffins in white muffin mold on a marble cutting board on a a green napkin

Healthy Zucchini Muffins

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  • Author: Bianca
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 11 muffins 1x
  • Category: Baked good
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These healthy zucchini muffins are sweetened with date syrup, vegan, oil-free and gluten-free. These muffins are made with zucchini, yes a vegetable, but so super delicious and fluffy.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ⅓ cup (85 gr) apple sauce
  • ½ cup (107 ml) date syrup or maple syrup
  • 2 flax eggs – mix 2 tbsp flax meal with 6 tbsp water (stir and let sit for a few minutes)
  • ⅔ cup (160 ml) ”buttermilk” (mix ⅔ cup almond- or soy milk with 2 teaspoons vinegar, let rest for a few minutes before using)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (1 small-to-medium zucchini, about 7 ounces/ 200 gr—squeeze out any excess moisture before stirring it into the batter)
  • 1 ¾ cups ( 225 gr) all-purpose gluten-free flour mix (such as Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free flour), white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 220 Celsius degrees. If you don’t have a non-stick muffin tin or if you don’t use silicone baking muffin cups , grease your muffin tin with coconut oil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the apple puree and date syrup.  Stir until they are combined.

Add the flax eggs and combine well.

Add the buttermilk, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract, and stir to combine.

Grate the zucchini with a box grater. Add in the grated zucchini, stir and then add the flour. Stir until combined.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups.

Bake the muffins for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the muffins turn (golden) brown. You can also do a toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into a muffin, the muffins are done when the toothpick comes out dry.

Let the muffins cool on a cooling rack.

Any leftover muffins can be kept, covered at room temperature or in the fridge for a few days.


 

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Zucchini Muffins in white muffin mold on a marble cutting board on a a green napkin

2 thoughts on “Healthy Zucchini Muffins”

  1. Hello! these sound amazing. i would like to make this for my son that was allergies. Are there substitutes for baking powder and baking soda?

    Reply
    • Hi Jessica,

      Yay! I hope he will like this recipe 🙂

      I have never made this recipe without baking soda or baking powder. But you can try to use cream of tartar (also a powder). For this recipe I would try 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.

      I hope this will work.

      Reply

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