Our recipe for Banana Zucchini Muffins makes healthy and wholesome zucchini and banana muffins. These are so moist, flavorful, and delicious. And you don’t have to worry about eating too much sugar when you make this recipe.
We give an overview of steps to make them, how you can prepare them gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and with several recipe variations for add-ins. You’ll want to add these to other veggie-loaded muffin recipes you need in your life and in your oven.
Ingredients: (Full Recipe Below in the Recipe Card)
Here are the ingredients that you’ll need to make this recipe. And if you’re interested in vegan, dairy free, or gluten free substitute ideas, be sure to check out our substitution suggestions in the substitute section below.
Ripe bananas
Zucchini
Milk
Egg
Honey
Baking soda
Cinnamon
Salt
Vanilla
Flour
Olive oil
Coconut
Walnuts
Chocolate chips
Recommended Tools for Baking Muffins
To make this recipe you’ll need the following recommended tools for baking muffins.
Mixing Bowl
Mixing Spatula
Muffin Tin
Cupcake Papers
The Secret to Baking with Zucchini
The best tips for baking with zucchini are to remove any tough seeds, especially if your zucchini is very large. Large zucchinis tend to have tough seeds that are not as desirable to add to your baked goods.
When grating or shredding your zucchini, you’ll want to shred it finely. If you’re using a box grater, chances are there’s more than one option as far as the size that you can grate your zucchini. We recommend using a smaller grate.
And you’ll want to be sure to drain any excess liquid or water from the zucchini after you’ve shredded it. You can pat it dry with a paper towel or clean tea towel and remove any excess water.
Leftovers & Storage
If you’re fortunate enough to end up with leftover banana zucchini muffins, you’ll likely want to know about the best methods of storing and freezing these zucchini banana bread muffins for later.
To store your muffins, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Since these muffins tend to be moist, using the refrigerator is a good idea to help slow down the growth of mold. Your banana zucchini muffins should last in the refrigerator for up to a week.
How to Freeze Banana Zucchini Muffins
The best way to freeze banana zucchini muffins is after they’ve baked. If you have leftovers or want to make them ahead for a specific occasion, the best way to lengthen their shelf life is to freeze them.
To Freeze Banana Zucchini Muffins, let them cool completely first, then wrap them in any plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place them in a freezer bag labeled with the date.
Zucchini and Banana Muffins will last in the freezer at a good quality for up to 2-3 months. And when you’re ready to use them, remove them from the freezer and let them defrost at room temperature.
Chunky Monkey Zucchini Banana Muffins
Chunky monkey zucchini banana muffins is a fun twist on your basic banana zucchini muffins. We’ve included the ingredients for you in our recipe card below. The addition to make it chunky monkey is the use of chocolate. And if you choose to leave the chocolate out, that works too.
Make it into Zucchini Banana Bread
You might be thinking, I’d like to make this recipe, but I’d rather make it into a bread loaf. And you can totally do that using a loaf pan.
Just grease your loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or oil and increase the bake time to 50 – 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Of course, baking as bread rather than muffins will not alter the flavor outcome of the recipe.
Healthy Zucchini Banana Muffin Variations
Following are some recipe variations and add-in ideas for making the most delicious banana zucchini muffins according to your custom preferences.
Banana Zucchini Muffins Recipe with Blueberries
Consider adding fresh or frozen blueberries once you’ve got the batter all mixed. Stir them in gently so that you don’t break them apart and make the batter purple.
Pecan Banana Zucchini Muffins
Add some chopped pecans to your muffins in addition to the walnuts or in place of the walnuts for a delicious added crunch and healthy flavor for a zucchini nut muffins recipe.
Banana Zucchini Muffins with Bacon and Maple
All you bacon lovers out there, don’t forget to add some bacon to these delicious muffins. You can also add a drizzle of maple syrup. Be sure to cook the bacon first before adding it to the tops of your muffins.
Zucchini Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Add ½ cup of oatmeal to your batter to make banana zucchini oatmeal muffins. There’s something about the combination of zucchini oatmeal banana muffins that tastes wholesome.
Zucchini Carrot Banana Applesauce Muffins
Use applesauce in place of the oil to add moisture and add some shredded carrots for deliciousness. These zucchini carrot banana muffins make wonderful zucchini breakfast muffins.
Give Your Muffins A Bakehouse Look
If you want to give your muffins a bakehouse look, consider saving some of the add-ins like chocolate chips, coconut, and walnut pieces and add those to the top of the muffin rather than mixing them in. It will give your muffins a professional bakery appearance that’s visually attractive.
Why Adjust the Temperature as The Muffins Bake?
You might prefer to adjust the oven temperature as your muffins bake. For example, if you start out at 400F degrees for the first 5 minutes and then decrease the temperature as instructed in the recipe, this does two things for your muffins.
It creates a nice dome on top of the muffin because the muffin rises quickly from the heat. And it creates a nice crispy crust on the top of your muffin.
Why this Recipe Works
Zucchini Banana Bread Muffins Recipe is a healthy recipe that includes vitamins, minerals, along with added moisture from the zucchini and the bananas used as ingredients. It works well because it’s versatile and can be used as banana muffins, bread, mini muffins and has so many limitless options for add-ins.
To make small batch zucchini muffins, cut the recipe in half and bake them that way.
Let’s Talk Ingredients in These Chocolate Zucchini Banana Muffins
Let’s take a few moments and talk about specific ingredients for these muffins. In the Ingredient Notes and Substitutes section below, we’ll give you some recommended ingredient swaps.
For example, for vegan sweetener you can use maple syrup instead of honey and 1 flax egg instead of an egg.
For a gluten free muffin, you can use a 1 to 1 all-purpose gluten free flour, plus we have more suggestions.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutes
Following are notes about each of the ingredients you’ll need for making these deliciously moist banana zucchini nut muffins. These notes will help you choose the best substitute if you need one as well as to know how to prepare your zucchini before you grate it.
Bananas. We suggest using very ripe bananas to add a sweet flavor to your muffins. Your bananas should have some nice, brown spots on them and are likely ones that most kids wouldn’t eat off the counter because they’re too ripe.
Can I use frozen bananas? Yes, thaw them completely and drain off any excess liquid before adding them to the mix.
And for the best results, mash your bananas with a fork before adding them to the batter.
Zucchini. If you’re using a zucchini that’s gotten a little out of hand and is fresh from your garden, you’ll want to slice it open length wise and remove the tough seeds before grating it. Shred your zucchini using a box grater or a setting in your food processor. Once it’s shredded, you’ll want to drain any of the excess liquid by pressing it between paper towels.
Egg. Not a fan of eggs, or just plain don’t eat them for dietary reasons? No problem, why not use a flax egg as a substitute for your zucchini muffins no eggs, or check out our list of recommended substitutes for eggs when baking here.
Sugar. We use sugar in this recipe, but to make it healthier you can use honey or maple syrup instead and cut back on the sugar content.
And if you want to make this recipe vegan, you can use maple syrup as a one-to-one substitute for honey. For diabetic zucchini muffins, use your favorite sugar free substitute.
Baking soda & Baking powder. Baking soda and baking powder is an important ingredient because it’s what causes the muffins to rise. If you don’t have it or it’s old and expired, you’ll want to replace it with some new for the best results.
Cinnamon. Cinnamon helps to give your banana zucchini muffins and nice warm flavor. If you don’t like cinnamon, you don’t have to add it. It doesn’t make or break the recipe, it’s just an added bonus. It’s what makes them zucchini cinnamon muffins.
Salt. Salt helps to provide the correct enhancement to the flavor profile for these muffins. It’s an important part of the recipe and the outcome of the flavor as a whole.
Flour. We use regular all-purpose flour, but if you want to make gluten free banana zucchini muffins then substitute your favorite one to one all-purpose gluten free flour in its place.
Cooking oil. We use canola oil or olive oil, but any of your favorite low flavor profile cooking oil such as canola oil or vegetable oil will do the job. If you need to substitute out the oil use applesauce, to make zucchini muffins no oil or zucchini muffins low fat, you’ll then have zucchini nut muffins with applesauce.
Coconut. Our recipe doesn’t call for shredded coconut, but you can use it as an add-in. You can use the sweetened version, the unsweetened version, or leave it out completely. Using it just provides added texture and flavor. It’s what makes them zucchini coconut muffins.
Pecans. Heart healthy pecans are a delicious addition if you like nuts. You could also use walnuts for a similar outcome or just leave them out completely if you don’t care for nuts.
Chocolate chips. Ah yes, chocolate. You can’t forget the chocolate if you want to make a true chunky monkey muffin. And chocolate can add such sweetness of flavor as well. It can help to entice your eaters who aren’t so fond of eating zucchini. They probably won’t even know the zucchini is there when you use chocolate.
How to Make Zucchini Banana Muffins: Step-by-Step Instructions
To make zucchini banana muffins, preheat your oven, gather the ingredients to make zucchini banana bread muffins, then sift together the dry ingredients. In another mixing bowl, Combine the wet ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients and mix them into the wet ingredients. Add any add-ins and, bake and enjoy.
Ingredients for Zucchini Banana Muffins
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups zucchini, shredded and drained
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup cooking oil
1 tsp salt
Streusel Topping:
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp butter
⅓ cup chopped pecans
Chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees and prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl sift together dry ingredients including flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a large bowl, add smashed bananas. Add eggs, sugar, oil, and stir until fully incorporated.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
5. Grate the zucchini. If you’re using an extra-large zucchini, you’ll want to remove the tough seeds first. Drain any excess liquid from the zucchini before adding it to the batter.
6. Scoop the batter filling each cupcake liner about 3/4 full.
7. Mix together the ingredients for the streusel topping and sprinkle over the top of the muffin batter. Add chocolate chips if desired.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Chocolate Recommendations
To make these officially Chunky Monkey Banana Zucchini Muffins, you’ll want to add some chocolate. And when it comes to selecting the chocolate you use, the sky’s the limit. Here are some possibilities.
Chocolate bars. You can use any flavor of chocolate bar that you like. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate with caramel in the middle, chocolate with toffee, or whatever your heart’s desire are all possibilities. Just chop it into the desired bite sized pieces and add it to the mix.
Chocolate chips. Chocolate chips work well for baking because they’re already individual pieces. Consider using milk chocolate, dark chocolate, light chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter chips or whatever flavor is your favorite.
Semi-sweet chocolate chunks. For a not too sweet flavor, semi-sweet chocolate is a great option. Consider using chunks, chips, bars that have been chopped or any other option that can be made to the appropriate bite size pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Following are frequently asked questions that relate to banana zucchini muffins. If you have a question that’s not answered. Here, feel free to post it in the comments box below and we’ll be happy to answer it.
Do you need to peel zucchini for muffins?
There’s no need to peel zucchini for your banana zucchini muffins. The soft skins of the zucchini are fully edible and contain a lot of nutrients that you won’t want to miss. And the beautiful green color of the skins is a lovely addition to your delicious muffins.
How do you squeeze zucchini dry?
Our recipe instructions direct that you should squeeze the zucchini dry before adding it to the batter. This helps to eliminate excess moisture that could otherwise cause the better to be too runny.
To squeeze zucchini dry, you can place it between two paper towels and press them together with your hands until the excess moisture is removed. You can also use a clean tea towel instead of paper towels if preferred.
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes, to make these banana zucchini muffins gluten free, simply use your favorite one to one all-purpose gluten free flour in place of the regular flour called for in the recipe. Your gluten free flour should be an exact substitute, using the same ratio.
Do these work as dairy-free muffins?
Yes, you can use our recipe below as a dairy free option for muffins. Just use plain, unsweetened dairy free milk such as almond milk as a one-to-one substitute for the milk called for in the recipe.
Can I make them egg-free?
Yes, Chunky monkey zucchini banana muffins can be made egg free. The flax egg provides great results. But if you want to know about other egg substitutes for baking, you can see our post here.
Can I omit the sugar?
Our recipe calls for the use of sugar. And we recommend using very ripe bananas to add to the sweetness of the flavor. If you want to use honey or maple syrup instead of sugar, you can do that. We recommend ½ cup of honey or syrup.
Can I use frozen blueberries in this recipe?
Blueberries can be a delicious add-in to your banana zucchini muffins. You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. Just stir them gently by hand into batter to keep from breaking them apart and making your batter turn purple.
Can I substitute whole wheat flour in baking?
Yes, you can use whole wheat flour in the recipe if desired instead of the all-purpose flour or as a partial substitute to add whole wheat flour to the mix.
One of the biggest tips for baking with whole wheat flour is that it tends to dry out the baked good more than using all-purpose flour. So, if you’re using whole wheat flour use less than the recipe calls for or do only a partial substitute using some of the all-purpose flour that is called for.
Can muffins be healthy?
Yes, muffins can be both delicious and healthy. And that’s our goal with this recipe.
How to make banana zucchini mini muffins?
To make mini muffins, just use mini muffin pans and mini cupcake papers if desired. You’ll want to decrease the bake time for these little guys so they don’t burn. We recommend with setting your timer for 10-12 minutes to begin with and then add more time if they’re not done yet.
More Zucchini Recipes You’ll Love:
Air Fryer Zucchini
Ultimate Sourdough Zucchini Bread
Delicious Grilled Zucchini
What’s the difference between a zucchini and a cucumber
What’s the difference between a zucchini and a yellow squash
Banana Zucchini Muffins
Equipment
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls
- mixing spoon
- muffin tin
- Cupcake Liners
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 2 mashed bananas
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine
Streusel Crumb Topping
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees and prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl sift together dry ingredients including flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, add smashed bananas. Add eggs, sugar, oil, and stir until fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Grate the zucchini. If you’re using an extra-large zucchini, you’ll want to remove the tough seeds first. Drain any excess liquid from the zucchini before adding it to the batter.
- Scoop the batter filling each cupcake liner about 3/4 full.
- Mix together the ingredients for the streusel topping and sprinkle over the top of the muffin batter. Add chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
To make these officially Chunky Monkey Banana Zucchini Muffins, you’ll want to add some chocolate. And when it comes to selecting the chocolate you use, the sky’s the limit. Here are some possibilities. Chocolate bars. You can use any flavor of chocolate bar that you like. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate with caramel in the middle, chocolate with toffee, or whatever your heart’s desire are all possibilities. Just chop it into the desired bite sized pieces and add it to the mix. Chocolate chips. Chocolate chips work well for baking because they’re already individual pieces. Consider using milk chocolate, dark chocolate, light chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter chips or whatever flavor is your favorite. Semi-sweet chocolate chunks. For a not too sweet flavor, semi-sweet chocolate is a great option. Consider using chunks, chips, bars that have been chopped or any other option that can be made to the appropriate bite size pieces.
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so moist and delicious.