Zucchini Banana Muffins
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Zucchini Banana Muffins are super moist with loads of flavor. The perfect way to use up all that leftover zucchini. These muffins are bursting with flavorful bananas and cinnamon. You won’t even taste the zucchini!
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I love “sneaking” zucchini into baked goods. These chocolate zucchini cupcakes and classic zucchini bread are just a couple of examples of this. But I also love banana muffins.
So why not combine the two and have the most epic muffin for summer?
That’s exactly what happened here and these zucchini banana muffins are the absolute best way to use up leftover zucchini. I think you’ll love these as much as I do!
They bake up soft, spongy, and not overly sweet! The best part is you can’t even taste the zucchini and wouldn’t even notice it unless you see the little green specks in the muffin.
Why this recipe works
- The recipe doesn’t call for milk. It’s not needed. The mashed banana, shredded zucchini, oil, and eggs add enough moisture to the batter to omit any extra liquid.
- Fill each cavity only ⅔ of the way full. This is important because of the way the muffins are baked. If the muffin pan is too full, the batter could potentially spill over.
- The muffins bake at 425°F for the first 5 minutes of baking then reduced to 350°F for the remaining baking time. The initial high temp will help create a lovely “bakery-style” muffin top.
You will adore these tender banana muffins with zucchini. They will make a great grab-and-go breakfast or afternoon snack.
Ingredient notes
- Banana: Make sure to use very ripe bananas. They’ll give the muffins the best flavor. Spotty brown skin = perfect for baking!
- Zucchini: You will need to shred the zucchini but there’s no need to peel it first. I love to use a box grater for this!
- Flour: I developed the recipe using all-purpose flour. I can’t guarantee how the muffins will turn out if you decide to use a different flour.
- However, a gluten free blend that is formulated to be a 1-to-1 replacement for all-purpose flour should work fine.
- Oil: I prefer canola or vegetable oil. But, you can use any flavorless oil.
How to make banana zucchini muffins
You don’t need a ton of equipment to make these muffins! This limits the number of dirty dishes you’ll have.
Who can say no to easy cleanup? Certainly not me!
- Mix the dry ingredients.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Transfer the batter to a muffin pan and bake.
Step by step instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Make a well in the center. To do this, use a spatula to push the dry ingredients to the outer edges of the bowl so there is a small hole in the middle. This where you’ll add the wet ingredients.
- Use a separate bowl or large measuring cup to whisk the oil, sugar, mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla together until well combined. Stir in the zucchini.
Use a box grater to grate the zucchini. It will be much thinner and
- Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the center of the dry intredients.
- Fold the ingredients together just until no dry streaks of flour are visible.
Quick Tip: Don’t overmix the batter or the muffins will be dense and tough. Mix only until fully combined.
- Spoon the batter into a 12-cup muffin pan lined with paper liners.
- Press a banana chip on top of each filled cup.
- Bake the muffins at 425°F for 5 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
Jen’s best tips
- This recipe is great with cocoa powder! Whisk 3-4 tablespoons into the dry ingredients.
- Skip the banana chip on top and opt for coarse sugar instead! Just sprinkle a bit over the batter before baking.
- ½ cup unsalted butter thay’s melted can replace the oil. Keep in mind, the muffins will not be as moist as if using oil.
- Add nuts! ½-⅔ cup of chopped nuts are great additions to this recipe.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Muffin batter should look “chunky” and not perfectly smooth. Overmixing causes too much gluten to develope and this will lead to tough muffins.
- Don’t overbake. Overbaked muffins will be dry! Start checking for doneness about 5 minutes early.
Storing & Freezing
Banana zucchini muffins are always best on the day they are made. However, you can store them to eat later.
To store: Place them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze: The muffins can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not with this recipe. The liquid to dry ratio is specifically formulated with all-purpose flour. You may wish to make my whole wheat banana muffins instead. Simply add 1 cup of finely shredded zucchini to the batter.
Yes! Use a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes. Tent loosely with aluminum foil if the top is getting too brown during baking.
Zucchini Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) canola, or vegetable oil
- ¾ cup (157 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ cups (345 g) pureed ripe banana, about 3 bananas
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (145 g) grated zucchini, about 1 medium zucchini
- banana chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° Spray 14 muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir with a whisk to combine. Make a well in the center; set aside.
- In a separate bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk the oil, sugar, banana, and vanilla together until well combined. Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Stir in the zucchini.
- Pour the mixture into the center of the dry ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to fold the batter together just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan; filling each cup ⅔ full. Top each with a banana chip if desired.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Take care to not overbake as this will cause the muffins to dry out.
- Remove the muffins from the pan immediately and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Oil: I don’t recommend substituting as this will compromise the muffin’s texture.
- Banana: You can mash the bananas with a fork, but I find the texture of the muffin is best when the banana is pureed until completely smooth. I like to use an emulsion blender for this.
- Zucchini: A box grater works best for shredding the zucchini.
- Muffin liners: I’ve found that these muffins tend to stick to some paper liners. If this is what you plan to use, I recommend lightly spraying the liners with nonstick spray. Then use a small pastry brush to swirl the oil all around the bottom and up the sides of the liners.
- Muffins will stay fresh for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 1 week stored in the refrigerator.
- They will keep for up to 3 months stored in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You may wish to warm them in the microwave for 10-12 seconds. Or place a single frozen muffin in the microwave for 40-60 seconds.
- Whisk 3-4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder into the dry ingredients.
- Instead of adding a banana chip on top, sprinkle the batter with coarse sugar. As the muffins bake, the sugar melts slightly, creating a lovely crunchy texture on top.
- Use ½ cup melted unsalted butter in place of oil.
- Mix in ½ – ⅔ cup of chopped nuts. Use any that you prefer!
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
My grand children say there the best. They are.
After finding this recipe years ago, I make these all the time. The kids absolutely love them. I usually add some chocolate chips as well. So moist and delicious. Great for the school lunch box.
These are my go to muffins for my kids and I know it like the back of my hand! I cut the oil and brown suar in half and add a dollop of Greek yogurt! I also go 1 2/3 cup flour and add 1/3 cup ground flax and oatmeal flakes. Never any problems! Thanks for the recipe.
@Monica, I use 1-1/2 c whole wheat flour and 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour, and I reduce the sugar to 1/4 c. I also add walnuts. Make these all winter with frozen grated zucchini. Love them!
From another introvert….I love this recipe! My toddler, daughter, cousin and husband gobbled it all up. Thank you for sharing this. I’ll be checking out your other recipes
I appreciate you putting weight measurements as we in Australia have a different cup measurement.
Unfortunately, healthy recipes are not my area of expertise.
So easy and delicious! A percect recipe to make with the kids and healthy too. Thank you