Easy Almond Flour Zucchini Muffins (One-Bowl!)
Super moist, tender, and filled with flavor, these super easy almond flour zucchini muffins come together effortlessly in just one bowl and makes the perfect sweet snack anytime of day. The hint of maple syrup and vanilla & cinnamon scent makes these naturally gluten-free muffins irresistible!
About this Recipe
To call these muffins “veggie-loaded” might be an understatement!
This recipe uses a full two cups of zucchini, so it’s the perfect thing to make when the garden is overflowing with squash.
With a hint of maple syrup, these vanilla & cinnamon scented zucchini muffins are so good you’ll forget they’re not made with any wheat flour.
The combination of the almond flour and oat flour is the secret to creating a tender, fluffy crumb while still keeping this one-bowl muffin recipe totally, naturally gluten-free.
And since everything comes together in just one bowl, you can whip up a batch of these moist, tender, dairy free muffins anytime!
They even keep well in the fridge or freezer – so they’re a great grab-and-go breakfast, quick snack or sweet treat to meal prep on busy weeks.
The good news is that you do not need to squeeze the zucchini before adding to your batter! The liquid adds additional moisture to the muffins (plus it saves you an extra step).
Process & Tips
This easy muffin recipe couldn’t be simpler to make!
I love that all the ingredients can be mixed together in one bowl, keeping clean up (and dirty dishes) to a minimum.
You can use a cookie scoop (or a large tablespoon) to scoop the batter into a greased muffin tin, and then they’re off to bake for 15-20 minutes.
Really, the hardest part about this recipe is just waiting for them to cool before tearing them open & taking that first bite.
Enjoy them cold from the fridge, at room temperature, or warmed up with a little melted butter (traditional or plant-based) and honey drizzled on top.
Got lots of leftover zucchini too? I like to grate it, store it and stash it away in the back corner of the freezer. If you pre-measure it into the perfect zucchini bread-making (or zucchini muffin-making) amounts, then you’ll be ready for baking even in the cold months.
What Makes These Almond Flour Zucchini Muffins Rise?
These muffins rely on baking soda and baking powder for rise, along with a little extra help from the eggs!
Best Types of Flour for Gluten Free Muffins
There are so many gluten free flour mixes and options on the market, but to keep this recipe easy and accessible (even if you don’t have a specialty store nearby) we used a combination of almond flour and oat flour.
You can make your own gluten-free oat flour by placing 2 cups whole gluten-free rolled oats in a blender and blending until a coarse flour forms.
Or purchase pre-made gluten-free oat flour at many grocery stores and natural food markets or online.
Make sure you use gluten-free oats or gluten-free flour for this recipe, as regular oats and oat-flour can be cross contaminated with gluten.
Fun Zucchini Muffin Variations to Try
Make these zucchini carrot muffins by swapping in 1 cup grated carrot for 1 cup of the grated zucchini.
For a refined sugar-free option, use coconut sugar in place of the cane sugar.
To make this into gluten-free zucchini bread, try this recipe for chocolate chip zucchini bread.
For a paleo version or to make a chocolate muffin batter, try this recipe for double chocolate paleo zucchini muffins.
Add 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts for zucchini muffins with walnuts.
Love chocolate? Try this delicious recipe for double chocolate paleo zucchini muffins or this tender & tasty chocolate chip zucchini bread!
Ingredients & Modifications
Grated zucchini: Zucchini is the signature ingredient in these muffins and helps keep them extra tender, moist and filling. If you’re using these as a hidden-veggie muffin, you can peel the zucchini before grating to help the vegetable blend in. Otherwise no need to peel beforehand!
Almond flour: Finely ground almond flour works best for these zucchini muffins and is a great naturally gluten-free option. For a nut-free option, you can substitute more oat flour in place for almond flour.
Oat flour: Oat flour is easily my favorite gluten free flour choice. You can either look for it in your local store, or make your own (see my instructions above on how to do that).
Eggs: I haven’t tested this as a vegan recipe with flax eggs or vegan egg replacer. If you try it, be sure to let us know how it turns out!
Pure maple syrup: I like the flavor of maple syrup in this recipe but you can also use honey as an alternative refined sugar free sweetener.
Cane sugar: The cane sugar helps provide some sweetness to these veggie-loaded muffins. For a refined sugar-free option, use coconut sugar in place of the cane sugar.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract always pairs well with baked goods and really helps to play up the dessert-like flavors in this muffin.
Baking soda & baking powder: Together, with the eggs, the baking soda and baking powder help these gluten free muffins rise.
Cinnamon: The small amount of cinnamon in this recipe pairs so well with the other flavors (plus it’ll make your whole house smell amazing as they bake!).
Coconut oil: I used melted coconut oil in this recipe. You can substitute any neutral flavored oil in its place, such as avocado or canola.
Kosher salt: Look for kosher salt with the regular iodized salt at the grocery store (it has a subtler flavor). Use less iodized salt if that’s what you have on hand.
How to Store & Freeze Leftover Muffins
Keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for 48 hours. Or store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Past 4 days you’ll want to freeze any leftover muffins. I like to store mine in a sealed ziptop bag or freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.
If you live in a high humidity environment, I recommend refrigerating your gluten free zucchini muffins after baking.
Easy Almond Flour Zucchini Muffins (One-Bowl!)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado oil, or other neutral flavored oil
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup finely ground almond flour
- 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
- ⅓ cup pure cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups grated zucchini
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F.
- Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line with paper or silicone liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the almond flour, oat flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir gently until just incorporated. Add the zucchini and stir again until combined.
- Fill each section of a 12-section muffin tin with an equal amount of batter, then bake for 18-25 minutes, or until the edges begin to pull away from the sides and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then cool the rest on a cooling rack.
These completely exceeded my expectations (and my kids’!) Next time I will probably leave them in for the 25 minutes because I slightly undercooked them — which did not impact how much we all love them. Thanks Robyn! These will be in regular rotation this summer!
Stephanie, yay, SO glad you and your crew enjoyed these – love it when a recipe exceeds expectations! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I can’t wait to try this but I am out of maple syrup, could I substitute coconut sugar or brown sugar?
Hi Jacquie, do you have honey or any other liquid sweetener? I haven’t tested this on subbing a solid sweetener, so I’m not sure what will happen, as it’s possible the batter will be too dry. If you give it a try let me know how it goes and I’ll add a note to the recipe!