Carrot Zucchini Muffins
These carrot zucchini mini muffins are the kind of snack that disappears before you realize it happened. They’re soft, lightly spiced, and just sweet enough, with grated carrot and zucchini folded right into the batter. Baked in a mini muffin pan, they’re perfectly sized for little hands, lunchboxes, or quick snacks, and they come together easily with simple ingredients and no extra steps.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free option, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
While my kids actually like vegetables—especially raw and dipped in Greek Yogurt Ranch— they don’t love ALL vegetables. So I try to get them in when I can. These carrot zucchini muffins are a perfect way to add extra veggies in a way that they will eat.
Filled with whole grains and vegetables and naturally sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup or honey, these are the perfect muffins for kids to grab for breakfast or a snack. It might seem like a lot of zucchini, but they bake up super moist and tender. Plus, they’re packed with whole grain flour and are low in fat and added sugar. Win-win! Want a gluten free version? Check out my recipe for Gluten Free Carrot Zucchini Muffins!
What Makes These Carrot Zucchini Muffins So Good?
- Kid-friendly. My kids love these mini muffins. I’ve made them many, many times and they seriously could polish off a half dozen at a time if I let them. Somehow, in muffin form, zucchini is totally acceptable. Whatever works!
- A great way to use up all that summer zucchini. Got a big crop of zucchini in the garden? Bake a few batches of these muffins and stash some in the freezer.
- Easy. This is a stir-together batter, so no mixer is needed. And you don’t need to squeeze out any excess liquid from the carrots and zucchini, which saves time, too!
- Made for lunchboxes. I love that there’s just a little sweetener in the form of maple syrup, so there won’t be a big sugar crash later. And the muffins are nut-free, so you can send them off to school even if it’s a nut-free environment.
- Fan favorite. These muffins have been getting kids to eat their veggies for years! Check out these 5-star reviews!
So easy to make and my 4 year old is obsessed! Love the hidden veggies and that it’s only sweetened with maple syrup. -Yvonne
I don’t usually leave reviews, but I have made this recipe so many times now, it seems wrong not to.
These muffins are amazing. It’s a very forgiving recipe, and it’s packed with veggies, which is fantastic. They’ve been a go-to in my house for years. -Liz
Love these! I make a batch just about every week! -Ali
I just want to say THANK. YOU. My daughter (now 13 mo) has always been a fussy eater. These muffins saved us. Literally. She never wanted to be spoon fed and never wanted veggies, so from 9/10 months on these muffins have been a staple in our house and one of the few things we can always rely on her eating (fingers crossed). I make a double batch and freeze them to prevent my husband from eating them all when they’re fresh out of the oven (and bc they’re easier for her to grab/they’re less crumbly soft when they’re a little cold). Thank you! -Chrissi
What You’ll Need
Here’s the short ingredients list for these vegetable muffins, along with a few notes. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- White Whole Wheat Flour: You could also use regular whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour which may slightly affect the color of the muffins (these are darker flours) but not the taste.
- Cinnamon: Feel free to add a little more cinnamon if you like cinnamon.
- Salt: I use fine sea salt or table salt.
- Baking Soda: Check to make sure the baking soda is fresh for the best results.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter is fine, or use melted coconut oil to make them dairy-free.
- Maple Syrup: Honey also works here if you don’t have maple syrup, or try coconut sugar.
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Vegetables: A mix of grated zucchini and carrots.
- Raisins: Regular or golden raisins work fine.
How to Make Carrot Zucchini Muffins
Check out how you’ll make this quick recipe in the photos below, and find the full instruction details in the recipe card lower down.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the dry mix. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Separately, stir together the butter, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla.
- Combine. Stir the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- Add in vegetables. Stir in the zucchini, carrots, and raisins.
- Add batter to pan. Place the batter in the muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full.
- Bake. Place in the oven and bake for up to 20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan then turn them out to cool completely.
Tips and Variation Ideas
- There’s enough batter, I promise! While there may seem to be minimal batter holding the veggies together, don’t worry! Just go with it. They always bake up perfectly.
- Freeze the carrots and zucchini. This is a great tip from a reader: pre-shred the zucchini and carrots and store them portioned out in one bag, or make up large bags and store them separately. Keep the shredded veggies in the freezer for up to 3 months so you can make these muffins anytime. Thaw the vegetables slightly before adding to the batter.
- No liners are needed. I have never used paper liners, but I do make sure to spray the muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Then after they bake, I let them cool on a rack for a few minutes before popping out with a butter knife.
- Cool them completely. The muffins are a bit soft while they’re still warm, so while they still taste amazing, for a sturdier texture let cool to room temperature before eating.
- What kind of flour? These muffins are made with white whole wheat flour. If you can’t get your kids into stuff made with regular whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour creates a texture closer to regular all-purpose flour and it’s easy to substitute into most recipes. But if they don’t mind whole wheat flour, you can use whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (finer ground).
- Use either honey or maple syrup. This recipe uses real maple syrup for a nice flavor and sweetness while adding flavor and moisture to this healthier muffin. Honey works too.
- Dairy-free option: Swap the butter for non-dairy butter or an oil of your choice.
How to Store
- Counter – Cool the muffins completely so that they don’t become soggy, then transfer them to an airtight container and keep them on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Fridge – Place the muffins in their airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer – These muffins freeze well! Place them in freezer-safe bags and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before eating.
Carrot Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
- ½ cup pure maple syrup, or honey
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely grated zucchini
- ½ cup finely grated carrot
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and place rack in the center of the oven, and coat a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine 1 cup white whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons melted butter, ½ cup pure maple syrup, 1 large egg,, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir together until just barely combined.
- Add 1 cup finely grated zucchini, , and ½ cup raisins, and stir gently until just distributed.
- Fill each cup in the mini muffin pan approximately 3/4 full (I use a small cookie scoop slightly overfilled).
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer.
Did you make this?
Leave a star rating to help others know that they should make this recipe.
Share a photo and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram!
Categories:
Originally published on May 18, 2014
What is with the incredibly long preamble to the recipe? Super annoying.
In the “incredibly long preamble” I give some context to the recipe and provide information that may be helpful to some readers. In doing so, I am also doing what Google requires of me to prove that I actually have knowledge about the recipe and therefore am a qualified source (they call it EAT – expertise/authority/trust). I also started blogging as a hobby. and some of my older posts have stories in them because I didn’t think anyone would ever read it at that time, and was doing it to chronicle my life. I am working on edits to many of my posts, but it takes time for this one-woman business. For readers such as you who are ready to jump right in and cook/bake, if you don’t want to scroll, I provide a convenient Jump to Recipe button at the top of each post that brings you straight to the recipe card.
I really enjoyed the oats and spice profile in this recipe! Although, I felt the muffins could have been a tad more moist and needed more zucchini and carrots! I increased the sweetener to half a cup and even added dark chocolate chips to half the batch. They were delicious, I will just add more veggies next time!
That’s so interesting because so many people tell me that they don’t believe the muffins will bake well because of how little batter there is compared to the amount of veggies. Did you drain or squeeze out the shredded veggies by any chance?
I’ve read the recipe numerous times to try and find oats in the recipe and don’t see any. Did you add oats and maybe is that why they were dry?
There are no oats in this recipe.
Shocked and amazed! Instead of grating zucchini and carrots, I used the leftovers from juicing cucumber, beets and carrots. Turned out amazing! And they were pink! My girls loved them! Great recipe!
That is brilliant!
I tried making this with almond flour and it was too wet (even though I didn’t add all of the wet ingredients). Do you have any suggestions on how I can make these muffins with almond flour?
Almond flour does not absorb moisture like the other flours. I cannot guarantee any results without testing it myself, but you might be able to use some almond flour and some coconut flour, as the coconut flour would absorb some of the moisture.
I followed the recipe without any substitutions. My 2 and 5 year old loved it but my husband polished them off in one sitting! Will have to hide them in the freezer next time. Thanks for a great recipe.
I love hearing this! Thanks!
These really are wonderful. Light and spiced perfectly. One of the few muffins my toddler likes!
If I want to add some ground flax seed, how much can I add without ruining the recipe? Would I have to change something else, i.e. less flour in order to do so. Thanks for your help
I have not added flaxseed to this recipe, and haven’t tested out a similar substitution in other recipes. I would think a couple tablespoons would be fine, but I cannot confirm this. Some people use a “flax egg” to substitute for the egg in the recipe, so you can try that. For each egg you combine 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 Tablespoons of hot water and let sit for a few minutes to gel up before adding to the recipe.
These muffins are amazing. I make them weekly for my toddler. I substituted the maple syrup for half maple syrup and half applesauce. I also make them in regular muffin size and cook for 18-20 mins. Delicious and an easy way to get vegetables in! Thanks for the recipe
Great idea to keep the moisture and cut the sugar a bit. So glad you and your little one enjoy them!
I am definitely trying this with applesauce next time! I just threw my first batch in the oven with just maple syrup, but my reasoning for making these, is to get my 2 yer old to eat more veggies (she refuses to eat any!)… but I know she will eat a muffin!! Haha
Thank you for the great idea!!!
These have gotten so many kids to eat their veggies! Next, try my cauli tots!! 😉
They came out delicious. Love this recipe. Even my picky eater husband likes them. Thank you for the recipe.
Hello!
This is my first time trying one of your recipes.
These muffins are so delicious, and they are super easy to make! (I did add some chopped pecans).
Wonderfully sweet (naturally thank you!!), and super moist! I made regular size muffins though, instead of the mini size, and baked them for 20 minutes. Perfect for Breakfast with a cup of coffee!!
Thanks!
Kerri