Packed with fruits and veggies, these apple carrot zucchini muffins are surprisingly moist and delicious. An easy one-bowl, 45-minute recipe that makes a great grab-and-go breakfast.
Meal prepping breakfast saves us money and helps us eat healthier. Other than muffins, we often make banana flapjacks and vegan protein overnight oats.
As a dietitian, I am always looking for simple ways to help people add fruits and veggies to their diet, especially as most people don't enjoy them on their own.
These zucchini apple muffins became one of my favorite recipes to make. Not only they are healthier than traditional muffins, but they are also packed with fruits and vegetables.
I love pairing them with protein coffee or silken tofu scramble for a breakfast that will keep me full for hours.
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💚Why you will love apple carrot zucchini muffins
- Delicious, moist, and incredibly filling
- Apples and carrots add natural sweetness, making muffins low in added sugar
- Naturally gluten-free, vegan, and made with whole grains
- Freezer-friendly, making them a great meal prep recipe
🌾What you will need
- Oat flour - Make your own at home by blending rolled or quick oats in a high-speed blender until they are finely ground.
- Carrots - Freshly grated carrots are recommended; pre-shredded carrots lack moisture, which might result in dry muffins.
- Apple - I use Honeycrisp as it is sweeter, but any variety would work. Granny Smith gives muffins some tartness.
- Maple syrup - Can be substituted with honey or agave syrup.
- Cashew butter - Can be replaced with other nuts/seed butter, including peanut butter, almond butter, or tahini.
🧁Muffin add-ins
Want to add more texture and flavor? Toss in your preferred add-ins! Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Chopped walnuts, pecans
- Chocolate chips
- Shredded coconut
- Chopped dates
🔪How to make
Step 1: Mix oat flour along with the rest of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Next, add all wet ingredients and the shredded vegetables. Stir until everything is well incorporated.
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Step 3: Scoop batter into the muffin tin, filling each hole ¾ of the way full.
Step 4: Bake at 220C/430F for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180C/350F and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Let muffins cool slightly before digging in!
✔Helpful tips
- Weigh out ingredients - This ensures accuracy. If using measuring cups, use the scoop-and-level method rather than scooping flour directly from the bag or packing it into the cup.
- Texture of batter - Batter will be thicker to account for the moisture released from the fruits and veggies during baking.
- Adjust sweetness to taste - These muffins are lightly sweet. For sweeter muffins, add 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sweetener.
- Be careful not to overbake - These lower-fat muffins dry out easily. Muffins are done baking when a toothpick inserted down the middle comes out clean.
❄Storing suggestions
Storing - Allow apple carrot zucchini muffins to cool completely. Transfer to zip-top bags, then refrigerate for 4-5 days, or freeze for 3 months.
Reheating - Allow frozen muffins to thaw 30 minutes on the counter, or overnight in the fridge. Heat them in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until warm.
❔Commonly asked questions
Peeling zucchini for muffins is unnecessary, as it will soften during baking. Plus, the peel is high in fiber and gives your muffins beautiful green specks.
You do not need to squeeze out moisture from your zucchini to make these zucchini apple muffins, as the moisture is already accounted for.
Dry muffins are likely a result of overbaking. These lower-fat muffins tend to dry out quickly when left in the oven for too long.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Apple Carrot Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups oat flour Use gluten-free ones if needed (160g)*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup shredded carrots freshly shredded preferred
- ½ cup shredded zucchini
- ½ cup shredded apple
- ½ cup applesauce unsweetened preferred
- ½ cup maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
- ¼ cup cashew butter or other nut/seed butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C/430F. Lightly grease or line a 12-hole muffin pan with muffin liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine together oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, and baking soda.2 ¾ cups oat flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Then, add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix until everything is well incorporated. The batter will be thicker than regular muffin batter.½ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup shredded zucchini, ½ cup shredded apple, ½ cup applesauce, ½ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup cashew butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spoon batter into each muffin hole about ¾ of the way full.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180C/350F and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Insert a toothpick down the muffins to check for doneness. They are done baking when the toothpick comes out fairly clean with a few moist crumbs clinging.
- Let muffins set in the pan for a couple of minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to allow them to cool down further. Your muffins are ready to be enjoyed!
Notes
- Weigh out ingredients - This ensures accuracy. If using measuring cups, use the scoop-and-level method rather than scooping flour directly from the bag or packing it into the cup.
- Texture of batter - Batter will be thicker to account for the moisture released from the fruits and veggies during baking.
- Adjust sweetness to taste - These muffins are lightly sweet. For sweeter muffins, add 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sweetener.
- Be careful not to overbake - These lower-fat muffins dry out easily. Muffins are done baking when a toothpick inserted down the middle comes out clean.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Penny says
Looks great but I haven't tried it yet. I'd prefer to use the weight method for measuring the veggies but you only put Cup measures in the recipe. Please tell us how much each of those veggies should weigh. Thanks!
Meesha says
Simply press the 'metric' button in the recipe card (right above the ingredient list) and it will convert everything to grams. 😁