Banana Zucchini Muffins are a great way to use up that last bit of zucchini as we enter into the Fall months. These are really the best Banana Zucchini Muffins ever! While these are the best Banana Zucchini Muffins ever, I also have a Best Zucchini Bread recipe you should try!
Banana Zucchini Muffins
I love the fall season, and there is nothing better than enjoying a cup of coffee or tea with a muffin on a cool, crisp morning. These Banana Zucchini Muffins are extra large in size, which gives you an excuse to enjoy your morning a little longer! Plus, they are so moist and delicious, that you will want to savor it as long as possible! This recipe is similar to my Zucchini Banana Layer Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting (Say that one eight times fast…). You will notice there is no frosting on these muffins-they are perfect as it is. And, they really are pretty simple to make!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Zucchini: You will never know there is zucchini in these muffins, but it adds so much moisture! So, don’t leave it out! If you run out of zucchini (which is hard to do), you can check out my Banana Muffins for another soft, moist muffin.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for the muffins. You could experiment with whole wheat or gluten-free flour.
- Cinnamon: For a warm depth of flavor, I added cinnamon to the muffin batter. For a different flavor profile, you could substitute nutmeg, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Eggs: Out of eggs? No problem! Try the muffins with one of my egg substitutes!
- Vegetable Oil: Adding vegetable oil to the batter keeps the muffins from getting dry. If you don’t have oil, you could use melted butter or try with apple sauce.
- Bananas: The riper the bananas, the better! You need about 1 cup of mashed banana, which was 2 bananas. They add sweetness, moisture, and flavor.
The Secret to Baking with Zucchini
I can’t seem to give up the zucchini season quite yet. They are such a wonderful vegetable to use in baking, and I think more people are finally jumping on the ‘zucchini in baking’ bandwagon.
You would never know there’s zucchini in these muffins if it wasn’t for the green bits. I know some people aren’t anxious to eat desserts with zucchini in it, but this is a must-try. There is no noticeable flavor and it adds something fantastic to the final product. There are a couple of tricks to making the most of your zucchini in your recipe:
- Use the fine side of your grater for smaller-sized shredded zucchini. If you use the larger side, the coarser pieces will have a slightly more noticeable flavor and texture in a finished cake or bread recipe. (Farm kids tend to want that!)
- Some recipes ask that the zucchini is pressed well with a clean towel to soak up excess moisture or to prevent whatever you are baking from getting too soggy. Pay close attention to the recipe that you are making with zucchini as the level of moisture they provide is important.
How To Store Banana Zucchini Muffins
- Room Temperature: To keep muffins fresh, store them at room temperature. I like to store them in a single layer inside a large sealable plastic bag or an airtight container. Some people suggest putting a piece of paper towel at the bottom to soak up any moisture, but this might not be needed if the muffins are already cool. If you use an airtight container, adding a piece of bread can help keep the muffins from getting too moist. Muffins taste best if you eat them within 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: (Refrigeration, in general, dries out baked goods faster so a typical muffin recipe shouldn’t be refrigerated.) Place in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container and then place into the refrigerator. They should keep for up to 5 days. To reheat, remove from refrigerator pop into the microwave for 10 seconds or just allow muffin to come to room temperature naturally, about 15 minutes.
Freezing & Thawing Zucchini Muffins
To freeze, first, allow the muffins to cool completely. Then, wrap the Banana Zucchini Muffins tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap and place them in a heavy-duty freezer bag. If you prefer not to use foil directly on your muffins, wrap them tightly with parchment paper, then place that into a sealable plastic bag. Be sure to label it with the date.
To thaw muffins: Take them out of the freezer and set them on the counter. Allow them to reach room temperature before you take them out of their packaging. They will re-absorb some of their moisture this way.
More Zucchini Desserts
Banana Zucchini Muffins
Equipment
- Wire rack Like these cooling racks
- Muffin tin I like these nonstick muffin pans
- Mixing bowl I use glass mixing bowls
Ingredients
Banana Zucchini Muffins
- 2 cups shredded zucchini, about 1 ½ medium zucchini
- 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (218 g) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with liners.
- Gently wrap the shredded zucchini in a paper towel or a clean towel and squeeze out any excess water. Set aside. (I prefer to not peel the green skin off on my zucchini, but you certainly can. If you have a very large zucchini, remove any seeds before the grating.)
- In a large bowl whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, add the mashed bananas, sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir well until fully combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
- Fold in the shredded zucchini.
- Add ⅓ cup of batter to each cupcake liner.
- Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick is removed with some crumbs, but no wet batter. Tops should be rounded and golden brown.
- Let muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
These muffins are excellent! The zucchini kept them moist, and the banana added a nice sweetness. The cinnamon flavor was a great touch, making them perfect for breakfast or a snack!
Elizabeth
Wow, just wow! I could actually eat the entire muffin (and not just the top)! They are so moist with the perfect amount of banana flavor.
Bella
These muffins were fantastic. The texture was perfect, thanks to the shredded zucchini, and the banana provided a natural sweetness.
Annabelle
I really enjoyed the banana zucchini muffins. They were sweet and moist. The cinnamon made them taste even better.
Selena
These muffins were so tasty! I loved the banana and zucchini together. They were super soft and delicious! I can't wait to have one with my cup of coffee in the morning.
Can whole wheat flour be substituted for all purpose flour?
Thanks.
Hi, Ellen! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. You can usually substitute whole wheat flour for all or part of all-purpose flour in a recipe. However, we have not tried using whole wheat flour in this recipe, so I can’t say how it would affect the muffins. Let us know if you try it, and have a great day!
I made these for our family. They loved them.
This is the best banana recipe ever. I even freeze and they are just as soft and moist when defrosted
I could not bring myself to use a full cup of oil, so I went with 1/4 cup, instead. They turned out fine. Nice recipe.
Made these as jumbo and mini muffins. They are moist, delicious, and are a great way to use up some fruits and veggies. This is perfectt for getting little ones to have a quick healthy breakfast or snack. I recommend them. Thanks so much.
What can I use in place of sugar in muffins, and zucchini breads?
Hi Amanda,
Would this work in a loaf pan? Sounds fabulous!
I haven’t but I’m sure you could.
Could you make this keto by using almond flour and sugar substitute??
I make pineapple zucchini bread. The most moist bread ever!
These are such a soft and moist muffin. The taste is incredible- just perfect. I have made other zucchini muffins before but these are such the right amount of sweetness. I will definitely be making these again.