These zucchini carrot muffins are delicious, moist, and tender while packing in a lot of veggies! Our recipe is special because this healthy muffin still tastes delicious while being naturally sweetened and loaded with better-for-you ingredients like applesauce, whole wheat flour, and fresh zucchini and carrots for added nutrition and fiber. They’re also a sneaky way to get kids to eat some extra veggies while giving them a little treat, making them a nourishing breakfast or snack!
I absolutely love baking muffins, and I love adding veggies to as many things as possible (at least according to my husband!). So finding a way to make great zucchini and carrot muffins seemed like a no brainer, especially since we already have fantastic recipes for applesauce zucchini muffins and double chocolate zucchini muffins. These are all go-to options my family and friends love when I’m looking for healthier muffin choices, and they’re especially handy for those times you’ve got a bounty of zucchini to use up!
Late summer is when zucchini and carrots are at their peak, and this is a fun way to use those gorgeous fresh vegetables when they’re in season from the farmers market, your garden, or gifted to you by co-workers (they seem to magically appear on break room tables around us in the summer)! Plus, these muffins freeze wonderfully so you can enjoy them another day!
You’ll Love These Healthy Zucchini Carrot Muffins
Naturally sweetened. Our muffin base is sweetened with applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla Greek yogurt to create a muffin without refined sugar or unnecessary ingredients.
Moist and tender. The shredded zucchini and carrot keep these muffins incredibly moist without any dry, crumbly texture.
Made with whole wheat flour. These are a nutritious breakfast choice with the added fiber and nutrition from whole grains.
Freezer-friendly. Make a big batch and freeze them for grab-and-go breakfasts when needed! Simply microwave one for about 30 seconds straight from the freezer, and you’ve got a warm, fresh muffin ready to enjoy!
Ingredients for Carrot and Zucchini Muffins Recipe
- Large eggs. Provide structure and help bind all the ingredients together.
- Neutral oil. Keeps the muffins moist and tender (canola or vegetable oil works great).
- Vanilla Greek yogurt. Adds creaminess, tang, and protein while keeping these lower in added sugar than traditional muffins.
- Unsweetened applesauce. Provides natural sweetness and moisture without any added sugar (you can substitute mashed banana if needed).
- Pure maple syrup. Adds warmth and sweetness from a natural source.
- Vanilla extract. Enhances all the flavors and adds warmth.
- Grated zucchini. Adds moisture, texture, and a subtle sweetness while sneaking in extra vegetables.
- Grated carrot. Brings natural sweetness, color, and nutrition to the muffins.
- Baking powder and baking soda. The leavening agents that make these muffins light and fluffy.
- Salt. Enhances all the other flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Cinnamon. Adds warmth and spice that complements the zucchini and carrot beautifully.
- Nutmeg. A little bit adds subtle warmth and depth without overpowering the muffins.
- Whole wheat flour. Provides structure and adds fiber and nutrition compared to all-purpose flour.
- Optional glaze. Powdered sugar mixed with milk and vanilla creates a light, sweet glaze (totally optional but delicious!).
Complete ingredient measurements and recipe details can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Helpful Equipment
You’ll need a muffin tin and either cupcake liners or non-stick cooking spray. A wire cooling rack is helpful for cooling the muffins after they come out of the oven (this help prevent the bottoms from getting soggy). A box grater or food processor works great for shredding the zucchini and carrots!
How to Make Zucchini and Carrot Muffins
Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin by lining with cupcake liners or spraying with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk together the eggs, oil, Greek yogurt, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well combined. Then stir in the shredded zucchini and shredded carrot.
Add the dry ingredients. Slowly stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and whole wheat flour. Stir until just combined. Don’t overmix! A few lumps in the batter are totally fine and will give you a more tender muffin.
Fill the muffin tins. Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups, filling each one about two-thirds full.
Bake. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (it’s okay to have a few moist crumbs on the toothpick).
Cool. Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from getting soggy on the bottom!
Add the glaze (optional, but highly recommended). If you’re making the optional glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (if using) until smooth. Dunk your muffins into the glaze or drizzle it over the cooled muffins.
Variation Ideas for These Zucchini Carrot Muffins
- Substitute honey for the maple syrup. In a pinch, you can swap in honey for maple syrup. Just note the flavor will change a bit (but they’ll still be delicious! We use honey to sweeten our orange poppy seed muffins, and it works great).
- Replace maple syrup with brown sugar. Use the same amount of brown sugar in place of the maple syrup for a slightly different sweetness and flavor profile.
- Use all-purpose flour. Swap the whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour in a 1-to-1 ratio if you prefer a lighter crumb or if that’s what you have in your pantry.
- Use mashed banana in place of applesauce. You can mash a ripe banana to use in place of the applesauce if needed (a great option if this is what you have on hand).
- Top with turbinado sugar. Skip the optional glaze and instead sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on top of the muffin batter before baking for a nice crunchy, sweet topping.
- Add mix-ins. Fold in some chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch and extra flavor.
- Make them spiced. Increase the cinnamon to 1 tablespoon and add a pinch of cloves or ginger for extra warmth and spice.
Expert Tips for Making Muffins with Zucchini and Carrots
Pat the shredded zucchini and carrots dry. Shredded zucchini and carrots release moisture. If you’re worried about overly wet muffins or yours are turning out too wet, grate your veggies and then pat them dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before adding to the batter. This step isn’t always necessary, but it’s a good trick if you need it.
Don’t overmix the batter. This is important! Mix until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and can make your muffins tough and dense instead of tender and fluffy.
Fill the muffin cups evenly. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to divide the batter evenly between the cups so all your muffins bake at the same rate and cook through at the same time.
Check for doneness carefully. Every oven is different, so start checking for doneness at 18 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If you overbake them, they can get dry!
How to Store Zucchini Muffins with Carrots
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They also keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if you want them to last longer.
These muffins freeze beautifully! Let them cool completely, then wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and place the wrapped muffins into a labeled freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To enjoy a frozen muffin, simply unwrap it and microwave for about 30 seconds (adjust time based on your microwave). You’ll have a warm, fresh muffin ready to enjoy without any thawing required!
How to Serve
These muffins are delicious at room temperature or warmed up. You can enjoy them as a quick grab-and-go breakfast or snack, or pair them with a smoothie for a filling and nutritious breakfast! Give our blueberry cherry green smoothie, pineapple mango smoothie, or our chocolate protein smoothie with coffee a try with these!
Carrot and Zucchini Muffins Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Plain Greek yogurt works great in this recipe. You won’t notice a huge flavor difference because the maple syrup and vanilla extract carry the sweetness and flavor. Some people prefer the tanginess that plain yogurt adds!
If your muffins are sinking in the middle, a few things might help: avoid opening the oven door during baking (this can cause them to fall), make sure your oven temperature is accurate, and make sure you’re not overmixing the batter. You can also try reducing the baking soda slightly, as too much leavening can cause muffins to rise too much and then collapse.
Yes! You can substitute mashed banana for the applesauce in a 1-to-1 ratio. Keep in mind that banana will add its own flavor to the muffins and make them slightly sweeter, but they’ll still be delicious!
These muffins are good in the freezer for up to 3 months. After that, they’re still safe to eat, but the quality starts to decline. I like to label my container with the date so I know when I made them!
Love This Recipe? Try One of These Easy Muffin Recipes Next!
Whole Wheat Zucchini and Carrot Muffins
Equipment
- Large Cookie Scoop (helpful for portioning the batter)
Ingredients
Muffins
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ Cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- ½ Cup vanilla Greek yogurt (plain can also be used)
- ½ Cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ Cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Cup grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
- 1 Cup grated carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 + ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 + ¾ Cup whole wheat flour
Glaze (Optional, but Recommended)
- 1 Cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional, but recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin by lining with cupcake liners or spraying with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk together the eggs, oil, Greek yogurt, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well combined.2 large eggs¼ Cup neutral oil½ Cup vanilla Greek yogurt½ Cup unsweetened applesauce½ Cup pure maple syrup1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Then stir in the shredded zucchini and shredded carrot.1 Cup grated zucchini1 Cup grated carrot
- Add the dry ingredients. Slowly stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and whole wheat flour. Stir until just combined. *Don't overmix! A few lumps in the batter are totally fine and will give you a more tender muffin.1 + ½ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon salt2 teaspoons cinnamon¼ teaspoon nutmeg1 + ¾ Cup whole wheat flour
- Fill the muffin tins. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups, filling each one about two-thirds full.*I like to use a large cookie scoop to help me portion out muffins.
- Bake. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (a few moist crumbs on the toothpick are ok, you don't want to see wet batter).
- Cool. Allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Add the glaze (optional, but highly recommended). If you're making the optional glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (if using) until smooth. Dunk your muffins into the glaze or drizzle it over the cooled muffins.1 Cup powdered sugar2-3 Tablespoons milk½ teaspoon vanilla extract¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Notes
- Replace maple syrup 1-to-1 with honey or brown sugar. Just note the flavor will change a bit (but they’ll still be delicious).
- Use all-purpose flour. Swap some or all of the whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour in a 1-to-1 ratio if you prefer a lighter crumb or if that’s what you have in your pantry.
- Use mashed banana in place of applesauce. If you don’t have applesauce on hand, you can mash a ripe banana to use in it’s place if needed.
- Top with turbinado sugar. Skip the optional glaze and sprinkle a little turbinado sugar on top of the muffin batter before baking for a nice crunchy, sweet topping.
- Add mix-ins. Fold in some chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch and extra flavor.
- Make them spiced. Increase the cinnamon to 1 tablespoon and add a pinch of cloves or ginger for extra warmth and spice.
Meredith says
These are so yummy (that glaze tho – omg), and love that they’re packed with veggies!