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
Recipe Ingredients
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.
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Hi,
Could I substitute agave for the honey or syrup? Also, when you finely grate zucchini and carrots thy release a lot of water and are quite wet, does the flour absorb ALL the liquid or do you squeeze the liquid out? Thanks! Cheers!
I’m sure agave would work fine, but I haven’t tried it myself. And I’ve never drained any liquid other than what stays behind when I transfer it to the mixing bowl.
I found this recipe a few weeks ago and have already made it several times! I make two changes: replace the raisins with more carrots for a full cup; and use 1/3 cup of applesauce instead of the egg (my 19-month-old daughter has a severe egg allergy). My daughter eats three regular-size muffins (one batch makes 12) for breakfast, so I need to start doubling or tripling the recipe so that I have some left to freeze! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Some great ideas! Thanks and I’m so glad she is enjoying them! I need to make a big batch myself!
great recipe! I just omitted the raisins , turned out great and my 2 yo son loves it
Oh awesome! I’m so glad! Thanks.
Just made these for my daughter who is really fussy and is on the spectrum, so it can be difficult to get her to eat. She liked them immediately. I stuck with the recipe, except ran out of maple syrup after about a spoon and then went to honey. Ran out of that just before the 1/2 cup mark and added molasses to make up for what I was lacking (probably a 10th of it) and baked for 15 minutes (made these in mini muffin tins). Perfectly timed. I yielded 24 and had a single serve pie tin I used to use up the rest and so the recipe yielded 24 minis and one mega muffin. Even hubby likes them and they have no white sugar. Will make these again.
Ha, love the mega muffin! So happy you enjoyed them!!
The recipe says “serves: 24-30” what does this mean? What is the yield of this recipe? If possible I would love to know how many mini muffins and how many full sized muffins.
It makes about 24-30 mini muffins. I have not made it into full size muffins, but probably about 8-12.
I just made these and they are so so good!! I’m not sure I want to share them with my toddler ;0)
Julia Kristina
http://juliakristina.com/blog
Haha! Double batch next time 🙂
I made them last week…my 2 yo loved them! I just made a double batch ??
I’m so happy to hear that the mini muffins were a hit, Emma!
These are quite possibly, the best healthy muffins ever. I’ve made this recipe twice already… our two little boys will even eat them. Mine will take a couple bites and that’s saying something! My boyfriend loved them as well. I just ate 3… oops. 😉 I made them regular sized and used coconut oil, golden raisins, and threw in some sliced almonds. Just yum, thanks so much for the recipe! :):):)
Oh my gosh, yay! Thanks so much for letting me know!
These are delicious! My 18-month son loves them. I used grated pumpkin instead of carrots ’cause I have loads hanging around, and they turned out great. Do you think you could get away with substituting apple sauce for butter?
I bet it would work, though once thing I like about this recipe is that it isn’t a ton of butter like some muffins.
I followed the recipe and yet after 45 minutes in the oven the mini muffins were still not cooked inside but very golden on the outside. I think the zucchini and carrots let out way too much liquid while baking. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem for next time?
Hmm, I’ve made these many time and never had a problem. Did you make mini or full size muffins?
Did you purée the veggies? I’ve done these muffins about five times and they always came out perfect when I would grate the veggies. Now that I had to make a huge batch I pureed them and now I’m having the same issue. Dark and gold on the outside and soggy and wet on the inside after 40 min. I’m making a combination of large and small muffins. I made small and large before and they were perfect. I guess all the extra water from the purée is the problem 🙁 I guess I’ll stick to grating by hand from now on.
Sad. Wasted time…
I’m sorry that the muffins didn’t turn out well for you this time, Gigi. I would suspect that you’re correct about the soggy interior being from too much liquid. Using a puree might work if you let the liquid strain out well before using it. You might try wrapping it in cheesecloth and squeezing it, or place the puree into a fine mesh strainer, cover with paper toweling, and place something heavy on top to force the liquid out.
If you want to use the food processor (I did because it was faster), just use a cheese cloth and stain all the liquid out. There will be tons of water that comes out from the zucchini. I had no problems with the muffins setting when I did that before adding them to the mixture!
Amazing. I’ve made these probably 50 times over the past 7 years and each time I make a triple batch and freeze.
Tip: for a triple batch, it is exactly one 12.5 oz bottle of maple syrup
A healthy muffin, it is a great idea because my son doesn’t like to eat vegetables so it is a great way. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Yep, always good to find yummy ways to get in some extra veggies. Thanks!