These easy Vegan Zucchini Muffins are moist, tender, and ready in 30 minutes. Can be made with chocolate or walnuts. No specialty vegan ingredients needed. Kid-friendly. Freezer friendly. Great for quick snacks or breakfast on the go.
Preheat: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a muffin pan with baking cups.
Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¾ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Set aside.
Wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup grapeseed oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar, ⅓ cup mashed ripe banana, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in 1½ cup shredded zucchini.
Combine: Scatter the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir just until combined (avoid over-mixing). Gently fold in 1 cup chocolate chips (or 1 cup walnuts), if using. Divide batter into 12 liners.
Bake: Bake for 5 minutes at 425℉ (220℃). Then, keep the muffins in the oven and reduce the heat to 350℉ (177℃). Continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes. (Total baking time will be about 20 minutes). Let muffins cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
How to measure flour: Use a kitchen scale for best results. Otherwise use the "Spoon and Level" Method: Fluff up flour in bag, then gently spoon it into the measuring cup until heaping, then level off the flour with the back (flat side) of a knife. Do not scoop the flour directly with the measuring cup or compact it, otherwise you'll likely add too much flour.
Zucchini: You can shred the zucchini with the skin on. For this recipe, no need to squeeze and drain the zucchini prior to adding it to the batter.
Optional add-ins: We've made these zucchini muffins with 1 cup (180 g) chocolate chips or 1 cup (125 g) chopped walnuts. Since these muffins are already sweet, we recommend choosing dark chocolate over milk chocolate (if using). Pay attention to labels to ensure the chocolate is vegan, if needed.
How to freeze these muffins: Let muffins cool completely, then transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let defrost in the fridge overnight. You can microwave the muffins to warm them before eating, if you'd like.