Banana Zucchini Muffins
One bowl, ten minutes of hands-on work, and the most forgiving muffin recipe you'll ever make. A full cup of shredded zucchini adds moisture without any vegetable taste — just tender banana muffins everyone loves.
Equipment
- Box grater or food processor with grating disc
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Standard 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper liners or nonstick spray
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or neutral oil
- ½ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
Optional Add-Ins
- ½ cup chocolate chips or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small chunks.
- Whisk in the melted coconut oil, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
- Grate the zucchini directly into the bowl (do not squeeze or drain). Fold into the wet mixture with a spatula. It will look liquidy – that's correct.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold gently until just combined. A few streaks of flour are fine – do not overmix.
- If using, fold in chocolate chips or walnuts.
- Divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or store for later.
Notes
Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze individually wrapped for up to 3 months.
Key tips: Don't squeeze the zucchini – its moisture is what makes these tender. Use very ripe (brown-spotted) bananas for natural sweetness. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. For vegan, use a flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes).
Substitutions: Swap up to half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour. Reduce brown sugar to ⅓ cup for lower sugar version. Add 2 tbsp protein powder and reduce flour by same amount for protein boost.
Key tips: Don't squeeze the zucchini – its moisture is what makes these tender. Use very ripe (brown-spotted) bananas for natural sweetness. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. For vegan, use a flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes).
Substitutions: Swap up to half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour. Reduce brown sugar to ⅓ cup for lower sugar version. Add 2 tbsp protein powder and reduce flour by same amount for protein boost.