Whip up a batch of these perfectly moist zucchini nut muffins in a flash. They have just the right touch of spice to complement all the hearty flavor of fresh zucchini!
I harvested the last of our zucchini last evening, scrambling to pull all of the tender vegetables out of the garden before the heavy frost I knew was coming. Looking at the last of those beautiful zucchini in my basket, a little sadness settled in my heart. Zucchini muffins.
The end of zucchini season means that eventually my twice-weekly zucchini muffin habit must also come to a close. Thankfully, I have enough shredded zucchini squirreled away in the freezer to get me through til about Halloween. Maybe.
So this morning I’m sharing with you my zucchini recipe. Call it an ode to zucchini season. If you also happened to be scrambling around your garden last night, harvesting like a crazy woman, and just happen to have a basket of gorgeous zucchini on your counter today…this is the breakfast you deserve.
Thankfully, it’s incredibly easy to whip up, and comes together in no time. Which is a good thing, because holy moly…I forgot how labor-intensive harvesting is, and I feel it today!
Side note, whenever I’ve started asking my 4 year old to pick up his toys, his answer lately is “I can’t. I feel old.” Apparently I need to stop talking to myself out loud, since there’s really only one person the little guy picked that up from. 🙈
Old or young, these muffins are a cinch to make, and to me, they make a morning special. Pumpkin season may be here, and I’m grateful for all that pumpkin goodness on the horizon, but to me, zucchini is still where it’s at. For just a little longer, anyway. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!
Zucchini Nut Muffins
These perfectly moist zucchini nut muffins have just the right touch of spice to complement all the hearty flavor of fresh zucchini!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup mild olive oil, or other vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups grated zucchini
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add shredded zucchini, and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add the dry mixed dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the large bowl, and stir well. Add nuts, and fold in until evenly distributed.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until centers are just firm. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.
Frequently asked questions about making zucchini muffins…
Should I squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini?
No. If you grate the zucchini into a bowl, you’ll want to leave any extra wetness behind in the bowl when you measure out your zucchini for the recipe. But don’t actually squeeze the zucchini dry. You want to retain most of its natural moisture, or these muffins will not be so wonderfully moist, and won’t have as delicate a crumb.
Do you really mean 325°? Isn’t that low?
Yes! These are meant to cook in a low oven, and that’s what helps them to cook evenly through, without becoming dry. So 325° is correct.
I don’t have zucchini! What else can I use?
It won’t be quite the same, but in an effort to recreate the joy of zucchini muffins, sans zucchini, I have tried the following with some success: grated summer squash, grated immature winter squash (young blue hubbard is actually a pretty good substitute!), and grated raw pumpkin (either ripe or green). They’re all honestly very good in their own right, albeit not quite as magical as zucchini. Use the same measurement in the recipe, and just swap them 1:1 for the zucchini.
Have any questions I haven’t answered? Ask away in the comments below!
