Easy vegan zucchini muffins are a great way to start your day with a burst of citrusy goodness. Their tender, fluffy, slightly crunchy top texture and refreshing flavor make them a perfect addition to your breakfast table, an after-school treat, or a delightful companion for tea time. Whether you enjoy them as they are or customize them with chopped nuts or dried fruit, these muffins are sure to brighten your day.
Why We Love This Recipe
When you’ve got lots of fresh zucchini around in late summer, these muffins will be a great healthy choice to use some up.
Most zucchini muffin recipes have at least a cup of sugar in them: these are sweet enough with just a half cup of sugar.
And instead of butter, these are made with olive oil, which has more heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and very little saturated fat (learn more about heart health and the type of fats eaten from this article, Fast Facts on Fats and Heart Health, from the Mayo Clinic Health System).
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- White whole wheat flour – this adds extra nutrients like fiber and a little phosphorus and magnesium that are lost with flour processing. if you can find white whole wheat flour, the color and texture are lighter than regular whole wheat flour.
- Granulated sugar – select organic or a brand you have checked is vegan if this is important to you.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt – I use iodized salt
- Plant-based milk – you can use soy, almond, oat etc. I usually cook with soy milk because it is a good source of protein.
- Light olive oil – or another neutral oil like avocado or canola
- Aquafaba – this is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. It works well in the recipe to replace eggs.
- Lemon zest – this is really important for the flavor
- Lemon juice – fresh, since you have the lemon for the zest already. This interacts with the baking soda to help the muffins rise. You could substitute for white or apple cider vinegar.
- Vanilla extract
- Grated zucchini – use a box grater or the shredding disk on a food processor.
- Then you can also include additions like chopped walnuts, cashews, or pecans: see the variations below for more ideas.
How to Make Easy Vegan Zucchini Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Use a tablespoon or two of vegan margarine to coat the inside of 12 muffin cups.
- In a large bowl mix together the white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt well with a whisk.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the plant-based milk, olive oil, aquafaba, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and grated zucchini with a whisk until the mixture is well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a large wooden spoon. Mix just until the ingredients are blended: don’t overbeat the batter or it can get tough.
- Using an ice cream scoop, distribute the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup about ¾ full.
- Bake for about 23 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the muffins sit for 5-10 minutes. Then remove them from the pan. If needed, run a plastic knife around the edges of the muffins. Let them cool on a cooling rack until they are at room temperature.
Variations
You can add a variety of mix-ins to these vegan zucchini muffins for different flavors.
Try about a half cup of:
- Chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or cashews
- Dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, or chopped dates
- Corn kernels
Or make them chocolate: just skip the lemon zest, and add about a half of a cup of vegan chocolate chips (or even white chocolate chips).
Storage
After the muffins have cooled down, place them in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
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Easy Vegan Zucchini Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin tin
- Large mixing bowl
- whisk
- Box grater
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large wooden spoon
- Ice cream scoop
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (176 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (123 grams) white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plant-based milk
- ½ cup light olive oil
- ¼ cup aquafaba
- grated zest of 1 lemon about a teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups grated zucchini
- ½ cup optional additions: chopped walnuts, cashews, or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Use a tablespoon or two of vegan margarine to coat the inside of 12 muffin cups.
- In a large bowl mix together the white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt well with a whisk.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the plant-based milk, olive oil, aquafaba, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and grated zucchini with a whisk until the mixture is well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a large wooden spoon. Mix just until the ingredients are blended: don’t overbeat the batter or it can get tough.
- Using an ice cream scoop, distribute the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup about ¾ full.
- Bake for about 23 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the muffins sit for 5-10 minutes. Then remove them from the pan. If needed, run a plastic knife around the edges of the muffins. Let them cool on a cooling rack until they are at room temperature.
Notes
I tested this recipe with soy milk
Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas
If you have tried these easy vegan zucchini muffins, please let me know how you liked them in the comments below.
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