Zucchini Muffins With Applesauce

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Shredded zucchini is the star ingredient of this Zucchini Muffins With Applesauce recipe. And no, you can’t taste the zucchini! These muffins make the very best breakfast with some jam or butter smeared on top.

Zucchini muffin cut in half to show texture.

We love these lightly sweet and well-spiced muffins with some Apricot Preserves and some room-temperature European butter. Pure joy!

I have made these Zucchini Muffins With Applesauce several times in the last few weeks and my girls just love them every time!

If you love these muffins, you’ll also love my Banana Bread In Bundt Pan and BREAKFAST EGG MUFFINS.

Recipe For Zucchini Muffins With Applesauce

This recipe is a great one to make when there are tons of zucchini in the stores or any time of the year when you just need a tasty baked pastry.

I was inspired to make these zucchini muffins when I received a gift of 2 huge zucchini from my generous community garden neighbor.

Muffins in a basket lined with a kitchen cloth.

I grilled some of the zucchini with just olive oil, salt, and pepper (so good!) for dinner then I shredded more and made tons and tons of muffins.

So here is my perfected zucchini muffin recipe which I think you would love for several reasons.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The muffins aren’t too sweet. There’s just enough sugar to add to the sweetness of the applesauce, allowing your palate to savor all the flavors in these lovely muffins.
  • It contains whole wheat flour. Adding whole wheat flour adds fiber to the muffins which keeps you full longer.
  • It’s a great way to use up zucchini. Do you have tons of zucchini to use up? Shred them and make Zucchini Muffins With Applesauce.
  • Moist and delicious. These muffins are moist thanks to the shredded zucchini and they are so tasty.
  • The muffins are easy to make. You only one bowl to mix the batter and you do not need any special equipment. No squeezing of the shredded zucchini either. Just shred and mix!
  • The muffins are are great breakfast or snack. This is such a wholesome breakfast to enjoy or an afternoon snack, served with tea or coffee.
  • The muffins can be made ahead. Make them ahead for a quick grab-and-go meal.

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you need to make these wholesome zucchini muffins:

Ingredients for zucchini muffins with labels on them.

Some notes on key ingredients:

  • Applesauce: Get unsweetened applesauce. Unsweetened applesauce adds moisture to the muffins without added sugar.
  • Oil: Any neutral-tasting oil would work for muffins. My preferences are olive oil or avocado oil.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar, cane sugar, or brown sugar would work. You can also use maple syrup or honey in place of sugar.
  • Shredded Zucchini: Shred zucchini easily using the shred side of a box grater or a food processor fitted with the shredding attachment.

For the full list of ingredients with measurements, check out the recipe card below.

How To Make Zucchini Muffins With Applesauce

This is an easy one-bowl recipe and you can make these muffins by following these easy steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Then line a muffin pan with muffin liners or spray the pan with cooking spray.
  • Whisk together all the dry ingredients. This includes the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. A whisk is an important kitchen tool that makes combining dry ingredients easy by hand.
Dry ingredients for muffins in a bowl.
Dry ingredients for muffins whisked together.
  • Next, add the wet ingredients and mix together. This includes the eggs, milk, applesauce, and oil.
Wet ingredients for muffins in a bowl.
Wet ingredients for muffins whisked together.
  • Add the shredded zucchini and fold into the batter. Switch from using a whisk to using a spatula to make incorporating the zucchini easier.
Shredded zucchini added to batter.
Complete batter for zucchini muffins with applesauce in a bowl.
  • Scoop the batter into greased or paper-lined muffin cups and bake. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. These muffins are bigger in size and bake for about 25 minutes.
zucchini batter in muffin tin pan.
Baked zucchini muffins with applesauce in muffin tin.

Do not squeeze the zucchini after shredding. The extra liquid in the shredded zucchini helps make softer muffins.

Serving

Serve the muffins with a spread of butter, your favorite jam, or nut butter. So good! For brunch, serve alongside Scrambled Eggs With Vegetables.

Variations For Zucchini Muffins

Here are other exciting ingredients you could add to your zucchini muffins:

  • Add chocolate chips for chocolate chip zucchini muffins.
  • Add shredded carrots in place of half of the shredded zucchini for carrot zucchini muffins.
  • Add chopped nuts for zucchini nut muffins.
  • Add mashed banana instead of applesauce for banana zucchini muffins. If you use mashed bananas instead, the muffins might take a longer time to bake.
  • Add coarse sugar to the top of each muffin before baking for zucchini muffins with sugar topping.

Expert Tips

  • Do not overmix the batter when making muffins so the muffins stay moist. Mix each ingredient until just combined.
  • Wait until the muffins cool to easily remove them from the wrapper.
  • If greasing the muffin pan with oil or cooking spray grease generously for easy release from the pan.
  • Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, store in the fridge for up to 7 days, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Zucchini muffin in foreground with paper lining peeled from it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the secret to moist muffins?

Ingredients like milk, buttermilk, or yogurt add moisture to muffins.

Why are my muffins soggy?

If your muffins are soggy, it might be because you added too much liquid. It might also be because the batter didn’t bake fully.

What does zucchini replace in baking?

Zucchini doesn’t replace any ingredient in baking but it acts like a wet ingredient.

More Breakfast Recipes

Love these Zucchini Muffins With Applesauce? Also, check out these breakfast recipes:

If you make this recipe please leave a star rating below. Your rating helps others find the recipe plus I love hearing from you! Thank you!

Zucchini muffin cut in half to show texture.

Zucchini Muffins With Applesauce

5 from 3 votes
Tasty zucchini muffins on the healthier side with some whole wheat flour incorporated into the batter. Enjoy these muffins for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins

Equipment

  • Muffin Pan

Ingredients  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup olive oil or any neutral oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini about a medium zucchini, gently packed tightly

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350℉ (180 ℃). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners or spray with cooking spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (if using). Add in the applesauce, milk, oil, and eggs and whisk to just combine. Do not overmix.
  • Add the shredded zucchini and mix in using a spatula. Mix until just combined.
  • Add about half a cup of the batter to each prepared muffin tin. Each cup will be full as this makes large muffins.
  • Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Notes

1. Sugar: This recipe uses considerably less sugar than other muffin recipes. If you want the muffins sweeter, consider adding more sugar. Start by adding a quarter cup of sugar then decide if you want to add more.
2. Optional add-ins to these muffins are chocolate chips, chopped nuts, raisins, or rolled oats.
3. For more flavor, consider adding some vanilla extract.
4. These muffins freeze well so they are great for meal prep!

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American, Western
Calories: 255
Tried this recipe?Mention @preciouscore or tag #PreciousCore!

About Precious

Welcome to my core! I am Precious Nkeih, the recipe developer and writer right here on my blog, Precious Core. My goal is to show you insanely delicious recipes you can replicate in your kitchen. And I love to tell stories too. Hope you find recipes here that will make cooking easier for you! Check me out on YouTube at YouTube.com/PreciousKitchen.


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