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Deliciously moist vegan zucchini muffins that are buttery ‘n fluffy! The best gluten free zucchini muffins—egg-free & delicious.
So you wanna make vegan zucchini muffins. Interesting. Hehe!! Was that serious enough for you? I felt like I had on some kind of trench coat, most definitely a fedora and certainly a stern look on my face.
Oh boy… Well, let me tell you, I used to get so nervous about the mere thought of zucchini in my baked goods, never mind ever-so-popular zucchini bread or zucchini muffins! I mean, we haven’t even discussed vegan and gluten free zucchini muffins. M’kay?
But I kept thinking back to this amazing zucchini bread that I had. Picture it: it was 2003. Dang it, that was a long time ago. And yep, I had to ask Erik for that date because cobwebs in the brain and all that. Anywho, it was the most divine, moist ‘n rich chocolate zucchini bread I’d ever had. It was one of the best breads I’d ever eaten… including my famous vegan gluten free pumpkin bread!
Eyes: opened. Stomach: growling. Recipe Brain: pumping! So after a few years of
running this food blog and getting all the requests for zucchini bread and zucchini muffins, I finally bit the bullet and created my gluten free vegan zucchini bread. And y’all loved it.
healthy vegan chocolate chip zucchini muffins
With just a bit of tweaking, I transformed that tasty ‘n easy zucchini bread into today’s Healthy Moist Vegan Zucchini Muffins (with chocolate chips, of course)!! These vegan zucchini muffins are moist, buttery (without any actual butter, woot!), oh-so-flavorful, with just a hint of cinnamon and packed full of vegan chocolate chips and a dash of chopped walnuts.
Trust me, you’re gonna love this. My mom, who’s not biased at all obviously (heh heh), kept asking me how I did it? Why they’re so soft ‘n moist? And how did I come up with the idea to add zucchini to muffins? To which I feigned a coughing fit, then conveniently moved on to the next subject…
Try my healthy moist vegan zucchini muffins and let me know what you think in the comments below! I simply can’t wait! Without further ado, let’s get started!
How to Make Vegan Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins
- Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Step 2: Whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Step 3: Combine the wet and dry to make the gluten free zucchini muffin batter.
- Step 4: Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Step 5: Scoop and drop muffins batter into lined muffin pan.
- Step 6: Bake.
- Step 7: Cool and enjoy the best vegan zucchini muffins ever!
Vegan Muffin Recipes For You: GF Vegan Dark Chocolate Muffins • Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins • Gluten Free Vegan Blueberry Applesauce Muffins
how do i turn this vegan zucchini muffins recipe into zucchini bread?
I’m so glad you asked! As it happens… I have a Vegan Gluten Free Zucchini Bread recipe that is soooo good. It yields the best loaf of zucchini bread, and yes, it’s gluten free, egg-free, dairy-free and vegan, just like this healthy zucchini muffins recipe!
storing these gluten free zucchini muffins
how long do gluten free zucchini muffins last?
These gluten free vegan zucchini muffins can last up to 5 days. They’re best on Day 1, still good/okay through Day 3, and can last up to Day 5.
can i freeze zucchini muffins?
Yes! I love baking, cooling, then immediately freezing these healthy vegan zucchini muffins. Freezing these muffins right away ensures that you lock in the freshness! To do so: simply cool the muffins completely, then store in a freezer-friendly container for 1-2 months. Allow frozen zucchini muffins to thaw for 15-30 minutes before enjoying.
where can i find more vegan chocolate chip muffin recipes?
Check out my favorite easy ‘n healthy chocolate & chocolate chip muffin recipes below!
- Vegan Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Muffins Recipe
- Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
q&a for healthy zucchini bread muffins (gf)
Can I make these vegan zucchini muffins with applesauce? I wouldn’t recommend it. These muffins are perfectly moist as is. If you swap out any of the ingredients for applesauce, you might create overly moist/undercooked zucchini muffins that will most likely be gummy & overly chewy!
How do I store these gluten free zucchini muffins? Check out the section above, titled “Storing this Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins Recipe” for answers.
Are these egg-free zucchini muffins dairy-free? Yes! These zucchini muffins are made with non-dairy products and are also gluten free and vegan.
Can I substitute the flax eggs in these zucchini muffins with something else? Yes, you may use chia eggs instead. For instructions on how to make a flax egg, click the link. If you choose to use regular eggs, the zucchini muffins won’t be vegan. 😉
How do you cut zucchini for zucchini bread muffins? Use a box grater or a food processor with the shredding disk attached.
Where do I find a good box grater to grate the zucchini for this zucchini bread muffins recipe? Here is the exact box grater I used to make these zucchini bread muffins.
So… did my mom lead you astray? Are these not the best easy healthy zucchini bread muffins EVER?? I can’t wait to hear what you and your loved ones think! It’s always a true pleasure sharing in these kitchen adventures with you. ‘Til the next one…
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
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Gluten Free Vegan Muffin Recipes & More
- GF Banana Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Banana Oat Muffins
- Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
- Healthy Banana Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Lemon Blackberry Muffins
- Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies
- Soft Baked Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Zucchini Muffins (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free oat flour – if using homemade oat flour, make sure it’s very finely ground (not coarse)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ flax eggs, 4 ½ TEAspoons ground flaxseed and ¼ cup + 1 ½ TEAspoons water, whisked together, set for 15 mins
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Fold-in Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups grated zucchini
- ¾ cup vegan chocolate chips
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts, optional
Optional Topping
- 1 tablespoon vegan chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place muffin liners into a standard, 12-muffin pan. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Whisk until just incorporated, making sure no flour patches remain.
- Thoroughly fold and mash zucchini into the batter, until zucchini is very well incorporated (about 1 min). The batter will be very, very thick—do not add additional liquids to thin out the batter. Fold in chocolate chips and optional walnuts.
- Using a large scoop, scoop and drop batter evenly into the muffin pan. I use this ice cream scoop to create beautiful domed tops. If not using a scoop, use a rubber spatula or spoon to smooth batter into an even layer with a domed top. To make fewer, high-domed top muffins, fill cups all the way with a slight mound on top; to make a larger quantity of medium-domed top muffins, fill cups ¾ of the way. Optionally, top with chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Bake for 24-32 minutes, depending on how many muffins are made. Mine took 28 minutes for 8 total tall-domed top muffins. It will bake on the lower end for 12 muffins. Insert a toothpick to check for doneness—once it comes out clean with just a few moist bits, it’s done.
- Allow muffins to cool in the muffin pan, placed on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Then lift muffins out of the pan, transferring directly onto the cooling rack. Allow to finish cooling for 30-60 minutes. Enjoy!
- Adapted from my reader-favorite Vegan Gluten Free Zucchini Bread.
Yummy Vegan Gluten Free Muffin Recipes
- and Best Moist Banana Chocolate Chip Bread, just for fun!
Notes
Recommended Tools for Healthy Moist Vegan Zucchini Muffins
- Box Grater: Here’s the exact grater I use to make my zucchini muffins. It’s the best!
- Non-stick Parchment Liners: These liners are fantastic. They don’t stick to the muffins, so they’re easy to peel off.
- Muffin Pan: One of the most reliable muffin pans I’ve ever used.
- Ice Cream Scoop: My secret weapon when it comes to scooping muffins. It helps me control the batter and get perfectly domed tops.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips: One of my favorite brands of vegan chocolate chips. I love the way they melt!
- Maple Syrup: A major pantry staple for all of my vegan baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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can you use english cucumber instead
Hi Bob. I would not recommend using English cucumber because it’s much wetter than zucchini, so it will through off the wet/dry ratios and leave you with less than ideal results. If you can’t get zucchini, try using another kind of squash (haven’t tried this myself though). Let me know how it all turns out! 🙂
Hi Bob. I would not recommend using English cucumber because it’s much wetter than zucchini, so it will throw off the wet/dry ratios and leave you with less than ideal results. If you can’t get zucchini, try using another kind of squash (haven’t tried this myself though). Let me know how it all turns out! 🙂
Love these! Used 1/2 oat flour and 1/2 all purpose – so delicious. Thank you!
That’s awesome! So glad the sub worked for you Lauren. 🙂
Can I just use all purpose do you think?
Hi Andrea! I haven’t tried this with regular AP flour, so I can’t say for sure. If you do try it, please let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe!
I used raisins in place of the chocolate chips. They baked up beautifully! I ended up with 11 small to medium muffins.
So healthy and satisfying! Next time I’m making a double batch 🙂
Myriam
That’s so wonderful to hear Myriam! 😊 Love the swap from chocolate chips to raisins. I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
I made this recipe last night and subbed one cup of Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF baking mix for one cup of the oat flour. The other cup was oat flour, as directed. I had to add a few tbsp of almond milk to it because the Bob’s Red Mill flour I used tends to need a little extra liquid. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it’s delicious the next morning! They’re very moist without being soggy or gummy.
Oh I’m so glad the flour sub worked out for you Evan! I know GF AP flours can be tricky. Thanks for taking the time to share the results! 🙂
Could I use a real egg instead of flax?
I haven’t tried it, but it should be okay. Let me know how it goes!
I just made these. In place of coconut oil, I used 1/4 cup tahini plus 2 Tbsp applesauce, and they are delicious. Two questions:
1. You advise to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Is that something unique to zucchini muffins? Because all advice I read elsewhere says muffins should be taken out of the pan within 5 minutes or they get soggy.
2. I grated and froze excess garden zucchini for future muffins. When they thaw they release lots of water. So should I let the thawed zucchini drain, or should I use the zucchini water in the recipe. Any advice is appreciated about how to use frozen shredded zucchini. Thanks! Love your recipes!
Hi Jill! So glad you’re enjoying the muffins. As for your questions, 1) This is not unique to zucchini muffins. Cooling in the pan allows is part of what gives my muffins their great texture. No need to worry about these getting soggy. 😉 2) I would drain the zucchini a bit, so that it had as close to the original moisture level as you can. Avoid adding excess liquid when possible. Happy baking!
It made 12 smallish muffins. I also used applesauce instead of coconut oil. WIll maybe use pineapple / carrot with this in future for part of zucchini to make them morning glory sans chocolate chips
Lol. Did not wait to eat these as directed
So happy you enjoyed them! And I’m glad to hear about the applesauce sub. 🙂
Sooo good! I used apple sauce instead of coconut oil and they worked out great!
Thank you! Oh, I love that applesauce worked in place of coconut oil. Enjoy! 🙂
Thanks for a great recipe 🙂 I am not vegan, but I love baking vegan recipes because they typically use much cleaner ingredients and omit a lot of ingredients that bother my stomach like eggs and dairy. Applesauce is one popular ingredient though and it bothers my stomach too so I was happy to find your recipe with no applesauce! I also had over 1 1/4 cups zucchini after grating one zucchini and didn’t want to waste any so I added it all and they still turned out great. I added 1 tsp ground cloves too! Love these so much and will be making again (and again)!
You’re so welcome, Sylvia! 🙂 So true about vegan recipes—some of us do typically try to make ‘em a bit cleaner and with whole ingredients, esp around these parts! 😉 I’m so glad that you were able to use up all of your zucchini without any troubles. Love that you added ground cloves too! Happy baking (and eating)! 😉
well I can tell you substituting rice flour for the oat flour does not work! If you cant use oat flour and you can”t have almond flour what other subs can you use??
Hi Cheryl, thanks for letting me know about the rice flour sub. 🙂 For the oat flour, you can try a gluten free all purpose flour (although every GF AP flour brand works differently). Hope this helps!