Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins

Name: Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 1/4 cups grated fresh zucchini; 1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend ((I used Better Batter; click thru for details)); 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it); 2/3 cup certified gluten free oat flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil (melted and cooled); 4 eggs (at room temperature, beaten); 1/2 cup buttermilk (at room temperature); 1 cup raisins, chopped nuts, chocolate chips or other small dried fruit

By Nicole Hunn | Published: May 7, 2023 | Posted In: Breakfast & Brunch, Cakes, Muffins

6 zucchini muffins on rimmed baking sheet

5 from 24 votes

Prep Time : 15

Cook Time : 20

These tender and moist gluten free zucchini muffins are packed with zucchini, but you'd never know it! A touch of whole grains make them extra hearty, too.

Jump to Recipe

These hearty, sweet gluten free zucchini muffins are made with healthy fats and some whole grains, and they're relatively low in sugar. Add chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped nuts, or leave them plain!

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Why this gluten free zucchini muffin recipe is special

These muffins are moist, tender, and only lightly sweet but still really flavorful. They're healthier than most, but definitely not “diet” muffins.

They’re made with a combination of an all purpose gluten free flour blend and whole grain oat flour, and of course tons of zucchini (insert zucchini emoji here, why isn’t there one?).

There’s only half a cup of sugar in the whole dozen+ batch of generously-sized muffins. You can use raisins instead of chocolate chips, but I like the bits of chocolate in each bite.

I love spreading a spoonful of nut butter on them in the mornings for a more substantial breakfast, but I've also reached for them after dinner as a sweet-but-not-too-sweet treat.

Gluten free zucchini muffin ingredients

Zucchini – make sure that you squeeze out as much moisture as you can
Gluten free flour – I usually use Better Batter, but you use any of my favorite all purpose gluten free flour blends to make these muffins successfully. If your blend doesn't have xanthan gum, be sure to add some or your muffins won't hold together!
Oat flour – Save money by making your own — just grinding oats in a blender
Salt – Brings out and balances all the other flavors
Sugar – There's just enough in this recipe for a touch of sweetness and to make the muffins nice and tender
Coconut oil – This is a healthier alternative to other types of oil
Eggs – The eggs bind the muffins together, make them a little cakier, and also give the muffins some lift
Buttermilk – The acidity adds some gentle tangy depth of flavor; it also helps to create a higher rise

Draining moisture from the grated zucchini

Zucchini is around 95% water! All that water will make your baked goods overly fluffy and relatively flavorless. That's why you have to squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible.

A kitchen towel with a flat weave (known as a tea towel) works fine, but a fine mesh bag works even better. I have a nut milk bag that has dedicated its life to draining my zucchini.

Why we drain the moisture from the zucchini

Some recipes are formulated to be made with zucchini that hasn't been drained of excess moisture, but zucchini vary a ton in their moisture content from one to the next. That makes it very difficult to control for the amount of moisture in your zucchini versus my zucchini. Or even in two of my very own zucchini.

Never attempt to bake with one of those enormous zucchini that you left for a day too long in the garden during the hottest days of the year. If your zucchini has been left to grow for too long, past a certain point of growth it's just gaining water.

Even if you're baking with appropriately-sized zucchini, there is a fair amount of variation in moisture content. By squeezing the water out of your grated zucchini, we're controlling for that.

A muffin batter that has too much water will expand quickly in the oven. The muffins would look puffy when they're just baked, but they'd sink in the middle as they cooled, and before we know it, you're commenting on this post that the recipe is terrible!

Two zucchini muffins each on a small white plate

More tips & tricks for recipe success

This recipe is super simple, so if you follow it, you shouldn't go wrong. Here are some more of my top tips for getting these muffins right every time:

Forget the peeler for this muffin recipe

You could spend time peeling your zucchini before grating it, but I'm going to let you in on a little secret: It's totally unnecessary!

Leaving the skin on your zucchini won't affect the taste or texture of your muffins. You'll see some green specks in your batter and finished product, but I promise the taste will be exactly as intended.

Use a box grater for fast results

I find that a box grater is the most convenient way to grate zucchini. It's easy to get a firm grip by holding the handle at the top, and then all you have to do is pass the zucchini back and forth over the grater.

If you have a box grater with multiple grating options, use the smallest to make it easier to mix the zucchini with the other ingredients.

Fill your muffin tin wells for big muffin tops

I’ve switched to making about 12 muffins from making nearly double that with the same amount of muffin batter. I just love a muffin with a true muffin top, so I now fill those muffin cups all the way to the top.

Filling the wells to the top, you may get 12 muffins or you may get more. It will depend on the size of the wells in your muffin tin.

I’m pretty sure I’m the only one in my family who cares about the beauty of the muffins at all. But a muffin top has a slightly crisp texture around the edges that a muffin without a true top simply doesn’t.

Cool your gf zucchini muffins on a wire rack

If you leave your healthy zucchini muffins to cool in the muffin pan, you may find them to have soggy bottoms when it's time enjoy the fruits of your labor.

To prevent this, just remove them from the pan after they've had a chance to cool for a few minutes. I like to put them on a wire rack so that there's plenty of airflow to help dissipate escaping steam.

How to store zucchini gluten free muffins for later

These zucchini muffins are so tasty that you might be tempted to eat them all up as soon as they've had time to cool. I'm not saying you can't do that, but if you did want to save some for later, you'd have no problem doing so.

Short-term storage on the counter

You can store your zucchini muffins at room temperature by leaving them on the counter. They'll last at least a couple days, but it's important that they stay in an airtight container to keep them from drying out. I like using zip-top bags.

Long-term storage in the freezer

These muffins freeze very well in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Just eliminate as much air as possible from the container before freezing the muffins in a single layer, and defrost frozen zucchini muffins on the counter overnight before serving. They can be refreshed in the toaster oven before serving.

Gluten free zucchini muffins ingredient substitution suggestions

If you have to accommodate other dietary needs and preferences when making these muffins, here are some of my suggestions for making ingredient substitutions.

Gluten free, dairy free zucchini muffins

These muffins aren't made with butter, so there's no need to replace the fat. But if you can't have dairy, you'll need to replace the buttermilk.

My favorite way to replace buttermilk is half plain yogurt, half milk. If you can have dairy, you can use dairy ingredients. If not, use nondairy plain yogurt and unsweetened plain nondairy milk, like almond milk. Just be sure that your chocolate chips are dairy free.

Can you make these muffins egg-free?

There are a lot of eggs in this recipe, so I don't recommend replacing them with an egg replacer. With this many eggs, you really need a different recipe. So sorry!

Gluten free, oat free zucchini muffins

I never buy oat flour, but I bake with it all the time by grinding my own oat flour in a blender.

If you can’t have oats, try quinoa flakes as a substitute for oats in this recipe.

Gluten free, sugar free zucchini muffins

I've never made these zucchini muffins with a sugar alternative, but if you're aiming for a refined sugar free life, you can try Lankato brand monk fruit granulated sugar as a replacement for the white sugar in this recipe.

You can also try coconut sugar, but I would expect that the muffins will taste a little different as coconut sugar tends to taste more like brown sugar, and is quite heavy. I don't recommend liquid sugars like maple syrup or honey for this recipe.

Substituting coconut oil

The virgin coconut oil that’s called for in this recipe is the jarred kind that’s semi solid at cool room temperature. Well, in the middle of the summer in my house, it tends to be kind of a liquid—but you know what I mean.

If you don’t have coconut oil, you can use vegan butter or even unsalted butter in its place. Nearly any fat that is mostly solid at room temperature should work.

Zucchini muffin, gluten free cut in half on a plate

FAQs

Can you taste the zucchini in these muffins?

No, you cannot taste the zucchini in these muffins, and that's one of the most amazing things about this recipe. Zucchini adds a ton of moisture to these muffins (plus healthy vitamins and nutrients!), without any added taste.

Do you peel the zucchini before grating it?

No, you do not have to peel your zucchini before grating. You're welcome to, but there's really no need — leaving the skin on the zucchini doesn't affect the taste or texture of the muffins at all.

Can I use almond flour as an all purpose gluten free flour blend in this recipe?

I don't recommend using almond flour for this muffin recipe. If you'd like to bake muffins with almond flour, try our bakery-style almond flour muffins!

Can I use this recipe to make zucchini bread?

No, it's better to use my gluten free zucchini bread recipe if you'd rather use a loaf pan than muffin tin. The ingredient ratios in that recipe have been perfected for bread.

How do I know when my zucchini muffins are done baking?

The stated baking time is about 20 minutes, but baking time can always vary from oven to oven. Your zucchini muffins are ready when they spring back up after a gentle press or when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few, moist crumbs.

How to make the best gluten free zucchini muffins

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Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins

These tender and moist gluten free zucchini muffins are packed with zucchini, but you'd never know it! A touch of whole grains make them extra hearty, too.

Course: Breakfast, Muffins

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Yield: 12 muffins

Author: Nicole Hunn

Ingredients

3 ¼ cups (310 g) grated fresh zucchini
1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for details)
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
⅔ cup (80 g) certified gluten free oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (112 g) virgin coconut oil melted and cooled
4 (200 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
½ cup (4 fluid ounces) buttermilk at room temperature
1 cup (100 g) raisins, chopped nuts, chocolate chips or other small dried fruit

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set it aside.

Drain the zucchini.

Place the grated zucchini in the center of a large clean tea towel (a kitchen towel with a flat weave) or in a fine mesh bag.
Gather the towel or bag around the zucchini, and twist tightly to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. It should reduce in weight by nearly half.
Set the zucchini aside.

Make the muffin batter.

In a large bowl, place the all purpose flour, xanthan gum, oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and whisk to combine well.
Add the grated zucchini and mix to combine, breaking up any clumps.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the coconut oil, eggs, and buttermilk, and mix to combine. The batter will be thick but not stiff.
Add the chocolate chips, raisins or chopped nuts, and mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Fill the prepared wells of the muffin tins about completely full of batter. With wet fingers, smooth the tops of the batter in the wells.

Bake the muffins.

Place the muffin tin in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed gently and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you have any leftover batter, repeat with whatever remains.

How to store leftover muffins.

These muffins freeze very well in a freezer-safe container. Just eliminate as much air as possible from the container before freezing the muffins in a single layer.
defrost on the counter overnight before serving. They can be refreshed in the toaster oven before serving.

Notes

Originally published on the blog in 2014. In 2020, sugar changed from brown to granulated; muffin size increased; photos and video new; more textual resources added in 2022.