These Zucchini Muffins are deliciously fluffy, moist and come together quickly with just one bowl. Perfect for breakfast or a mid-day snack and so easy to make with healthy pantry-friendly ingredients. Freezer-friendly, gluten-free, paleo, low carb and keto-friendly. Includes step-by-step instruction, photos and video.
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Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins
Wondering how to use up all of that garden zucchini? These Zucchini Muffins are one of our favorite breakfast recipes to make once zucchini season comes around.
These healthy muffins are so quick and easy to make and bake up soft, tender and deilcious. They make the perfect healthy breakfast or grab-and-go snack for those busy mornings.
And if you’re looking for some more zucchini recipes to use up the rest of your farmer’s market or grocery store zucchini bounty, we’ve also go Zucchini Cookies, Zucchini Bread, Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread and Zucchini Cake.
Why we love this recipe
- A simple and delicious one bowl recipe that uses mainly pantry-friendly items from your kitchen
- Made with wholesome ingredients and completely grain-free, dairy-free and paleo-friendly.
- Totally kid-friendly and includes a keto-friendly sweetener option
Muffin Recipe Ingredients
Most zucchini muffins are typically made with all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, To keep this flourless zucchini muffin recipe paleo-friendly, we are using:
Wet Ingredients:
- Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature. You can use 2 flax eggs to make these zucchini muffins vegan.
- Unsalted Almond Butter: You could also use cashew butter or any other nut or seed butter, if preferred.
- Pure maple syrup – Adds natural sweetness and extra moisture.
- Maple sugar (can sub with coconut sugar but the color will be darker) – swap with golden monk fruit or your preferred granulated golden low carb sweetener in place of brown sugar.
- Coconut oil – melted and cooled slightly. Be sure to use refined if you don’t want any coconut flavor or swap with avocado oil or another neutral tasting oil,
- Apple cider vinegar – just a touch and the key to keeping these paleo zucchini muffins soft and tender
- Vanilla – adds flavor and makes these zucchini muffins delicious
Dry Ingredients
- baking powder and baking soda: this combination of leaveners help the muffins rise
- super fine almond flour: our favorite grain-free flour to use in place of all purpose flour
- Tapioca flour – another gluten-free flour that helps to provides the right structure when making gluten-free muffins. You can sub with arrowroot starch or coconut flour for keto zucchini muffins
- ground cinnamon and sea salt – add flavor and balances out the sweetness
- Grated Zucchini: Be sure to squeeze out the water from your grated zucchini after measuring. Wondering how to grate zucchini, check out the instructions here.
- dairy-free chocolate chunks or vegan mini chocolate chips – we like Hu’s Kitchen Gems or Lily’s Sweet Chocolate Chips. Leave out or swap in nuts if you don’t love chocolate and zucchini together.
How to Grate Zucchini for Muffins
- Wash the zucchini – this ensures you remove any pesticides and bacteria.
- Trim off the ends – use a sharp knife to cut both ends of the zucchini and discard.
- With a box grater: Hold box grater with one hand and the zucchini with the other hand. Run the zucchini up and down. Scoop the shredded zucchini into a large bowl
- Be sure to squeeze very well to remove all of the liquid of the grated zucchini using a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or paper towel to
How to Make Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Watch the video below to see how quickly and easily these Paleo Zucchini Muffins come together!
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or avocado oil or line with parchment paper liners.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the eggs then whisk in the almond butter, maple syrup, sugar, coconut oil, vinegar and vanilla until well combined.
- GRATE THE ZUCCHINI using a box grater. Wrap the shredded zucchini in a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or paper towels and squeeze well to remove the excess water. Drain and add to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.Drain and add to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Stir in Dry Ingredients: Place a large mesh sieve on top of the bowl, and sift in the 2/3 teaspoon baking powder, baking soda, almond flour, tapioca flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and salt and stir until the batter is well mixed. Fold in 2/3 cups of the chocolate chips.
- Assemble: Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Top generously with more chocolate chips or chopped nuts and seeds on each muffin.
- Bake: Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few wet crumbs.
- Let Cool: Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes.
Tips for the Best Zucchini Muffins
- Remove Moisture From Zucchini: It’s important to remove any water from your shredded zucchini to prevent the bread from getting soggy.
- Line your muffin pan with liners: Be sure to use parchment paper liners or silicone muffin liners for easier removal and clean-up.
- Use Fresh Zucchini: This recipe is perfect for the summer because zucchini season is in full swing! In-season zucchini will give you the moistest, most delicious zucchini muffins ever.
Variations
Wondering what to add to zucchini muffins to make them stand out?
- Banana – omit the maple syrup and add in a very ripe mashed banana for some natural sweetness.
- Fresh or Frozen Berries – we love adding blueberries to add some extra moisture and sweetness.
- Pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds or flaxseeds – add an additional crunch and bumps up the protein.
- Nuts. We love adding chopped walnuts or pecans
- Add a dollop or a smear of nut butter for a delicious afternoon snack or after-dinner dessert
How to Store Flourless Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
To store your paleo zucchini muffins, keep them in an airtight plastic bag in the refrigerator. They’ll stay good for 3-4 days. You can eat them cold or reheat them in the microwave!
Can you freeze zucchini muffins?
Yes, the great thing about these zucchini chocolate muffins is you can make them ahead and freeze them to enjoy throughout the week.
How to Freeze Zucchini Muffins
Wondering if you can freeze zucchini muffins? The great thing about flourless zucchini muffins is that you can make them ahead of time since they freeze beautifully! You can make a double batch on your Sunday meal prep and then warm them up to enjoy them throughout the week.
Once the muffins are cooled, place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the microwave.
Are zucchini muffins healthy?
Bakery style muffins are typically made with all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar and granulated sugar. These healthy chocolate chip zucchini muffins are gluten-free, paleo-friendly, refined sugar free and made with almond flour and a lower glycemic sweetener which can be substituted with a low carb sweetener if you are following a keto lifestyle.
More zucchini recipes you might like:
Zucchini Pizza Crust with Parmesan Cheese
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Recommended Tools You’ll Need For this Recipe:
These Zucchini Muffins are deliciously fluffy, moist and come together quickly with just one bowl. Perfect for breakfast or a mid-day snack and so easy to make with healthy pantry-friendly ingredients. Freezer-friendly, gluten-free, paleo, low carb and keto-friendly. Includes step-by-step instruction, photos and video.
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup smooth almond butter
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup , use Lakanto SF maple syrup for keto
- ¼ cup maple sugar , can sub with coconut sugar but the color will be darker - use golden monk fruit sweetener for low carb
- 1/3 cup coconut oil , melted and cooled slightly
- 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups super fine almond flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour , sub with coconut flour for keto
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 fine sea salt
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips divided
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or avocado oil or line with parchment paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs then whisk in the almond butter, maple syrup, sugar, coconut oil, vinegar and vanilla until well combined.
Grate zucchini using a box grater. Wrap in a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or paper towels and squeeze well to remove the excess water. Drain and add to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Place a large mesh sieve on top of the bowl, and sift in the baking powder, baking soda, almond flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon and salt and stir until the batter is well mixed. Fold in 2/3 cups of the chocolate chips.
- Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Top generously with more chocolate chips on each muffin.
Bake for 21-23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few wet crumbs. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
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