Zucchini muffins
Grated zucchini is the secret that keeps these muffins moist and tender for days, without any vegetable taste at all. They are warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, studded with crunchy walnuts and flecked with pretty little strands of green. It is a sweet way to get kids to eat more vegetables without them ever knowing.
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 24 min
- Rising or chilling
- 15 min
- Total time
- 59 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Instructions
Step 1
Heat the oven to 180°C and line twelve cups of a muffin tin with paper liners. A moderate heat gives the moist centers enough time to bake through without the tops burning. You are ready when the oven has reached temperature and the tin is lined.
Step 2
Wash 250 g zucchini, trim off the ends and grate it on the small holes of a grater, leaving the skin on. Let the shreds sit in a sieve for about ten minutes, then press gently to release some of the water, without wringing them dry. Zucchini that keeps some of its moisture makes the muffins moist, but too much water makes the crumb gummy. The shreds are ready when they are moist and soft but no longer dripping.
Step 3
Mix 220 g all-purpose flour, 5 g baking powder, 3 g baking soda, a pinch salt, 3 g ground cinnamon and a pinch ground nutmeg in a bowl. Spices mixed into the dry flour spread evenly through the muffins instead of collecting in spots. The mixture is ready when it is an even light brown.
Step 4
In a large bowl, whisk 100 g eggs with 110 g granulated sugar, 60 g brown sugar, 110 g vegetable oil and 5 g vanilla extract for about a minute. Whisking well partly dissolves the sugar and creates a thick mixture that keeps the zucchini suspended. It is ready when it is as thick as syrup, a light caramel color and glossy.
Step 5
Add the drained zucchini to the egg and sugar mixture and stir well so the shreds separate. Mixing the zucchini into the wet ingredients first keeps it from clumping into tangles when the flour goes in. You are done when the shreds are evenly distributed and coated in the thick mixture.
Step 6
Tip the dry ingredients into the bowl, add 60 g chopped walnuts if using, then fold with a flat spatula just until the flour is moistened. With so many vegetables in the batter, it needs only a little mixing, and stirring too much makes the muffins tough. The batter is ready when it is thick, with a few small streaks of flour and walnuts showing throughout.
Step 7
Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly among the twelve cups, filling each about four-fifths full. Even portions help all the muffins bake at the same rate. You are done when every cup holds about the same amount and the batter is slightly mounded.
Step 8
Bake at 180°C for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the muffins have risen into rounded domes and the tops are golden brown. These muffins are very moist, so they need enough time for the centers not to stay wet. They are done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs and the tops spring back when pressed.
Step 9
Leave the muffins in the tin for five minutes, then move them to a rack and wait about ten minutes more before eating. Zucchini muffins are softer than regular muffins, so the crumb needs time to set. They are ready when the bottoms are dry and the liners peel away without taking any crumb with them.
Equipment
- Oven
- Muffin tin
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Wire cooling rack
Tips
- There is no need to peel the zucchini, since the green skin adds lovely color and extra fiber.
- You can replace half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a nuttier, heartier muffin.
- If you leave out the walnuts, try chocolate chips or raisins in the same amount.
Storage
Thanks to the zucchini, the muffins stay very moist in an airtight container at room temperature for two days or in the fridge for five days. You can also freeze them for up to a month and thaw them at room temperature.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The crumb is soggy and sticky, as if underbaked.
- The zucchini held too much water. Let the shreds drain in the sieve longer and press out more water, and bake a few minutes longer.
- The muffins have long, stringy clumps of zucchini.
- The zucchini was grated on the large holes or not stirred loose enough. Use the small holes of the grater and stir the shreds apart in the egg mixture before adding the flour.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
