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These bite-sized Carrot Zucchini Muffins are naturally sweetened, loaded with vegetables and whole grains, and a reader favorite – they’ve been getting kids to eat their veggies for years! Add nut-free mini muffins to lunchboxes or enjoy them after school.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free option, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
Easiest Ever Carrot Zucchini Muffins
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!
- 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?
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Originally published on May 18, 2014
hi can I use all purpose flour?
Yes, that should work.
I’m not much of a baker but I made these today and they turned out so good! I left out the raisins and my husband, baby and I all loved it. I’m definitely going to be making these regularly. Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe!
Picky eater approved! My kids don’t like raisins so we just doubled the carrots. It’s a winner! About it make a few more batches for the freezer!
Hi! Do I need to squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini?
Nope, no need to do that.
These turned out deliciously! I reduced maple syrup to 1/3 cup and used chopped up dates instead of raisins. I’ll definitely add to my toddler muffin rotation. 🙂
These are delicious & perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
These are so good! I doubled the recipe, reduced the butter by 2tbsp, reduced the maple syrup by half, and added a banana. Absolutely fantastic.. My kid and baby both love them, as do my husband and I.
I’m so happy I found this recipe. My daughter has gotten increasingly picky and has a sweet tooth so I was looking for options for healthy recipe that she would actually want to eat. These muffins turned out SO moist and yummy and have just the right amount of sweetness. We’re addicted and they’ve become a staple in our house. Thank you so much!
I ❤️ this recipe and have already made it a half dozen times! It’s always a challenge using all our garden zucchini, and while we try to stay away from too many sweets, this was too good to pass up. I made it a little more exotic by adding chopped crystallized ginger in place of the raisins (more of a adult taste, to be sure), and added 1/2 tsp ground cardamom.my husband said that hands down, this is the best zucchini muffin he’s ever had, and one of friends requested a batch to serve to her visiting family from India. A KEEPER! Keeps well in the freezer, too. Thank you!
Wow! Subbed 1 ripe banana + some honey for the 1/2 cup of honey (the mashed banana didn’t quite make it to 1/2 a cup so I topped it off with honey). This was so good! And even better I didn’t have to squeeze the zucchini dry! Thank you for this recipe, it’s definitely a keeper!
So good! I was in doubt that such a simple and healthy recipe could be so delicious.
Perfectly light & fluffy with just enough sweetness.
It’s long been a favorite! Glad you enjoyed it too!
I make these every week for my son who’s not very keen on veggies right now. I make them in regular sized muffin tins at 375* and just keep checking them around 20 minutes. Im wondering if you’ve tried making this in a loaf pan? I’m assuming that it would be too wet to set up in the oven.
I haven’t tried in a laof pan, but I’ve been meaning to. I think you would have to double it to fill the pan.
How is this gluten free?
This recipe is not. It was made before me (and my blog) went gluten free, but I have a GF version here – https://cupcakesandkalechips.com/gluten-free-carrot-zucchini-mini-muffins/