Whether you are looking for a quick breakfast on the go or a satisfying snack, these fluffy gluten free zucchini muffins will satisfy your cravings while providing you with a nutritious and delicious treat. These muffins are also dairy-free. Make a batch in under 40 minutes.
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Do your kids like zucchini? Mine don’t, and unfortunately, Mr. Fearless Dining is no help. He hates it, too. (Blame his mother, who used to make zucchini soggy and mushy.) I am hoping these gluten free zucchini muffins will change his mind.
I am also open to any tips to help my family overcome their dislike of zucchini. Our markets are flooded with zucchini, and I would love to be able to use it more!! Drop a comment below with any ideas!!
These muffins are the perfect way to use up extra zucchini from your garden and are a great option for those who follow a gluten-free diet. If you love muffins, I have a lot of incredible gluten-free muffin recipes to try! You may also want to try these gluten-free orange marmalade muffins.
Why I love these gluten-free zucchini muffins:
- One of the things I love about zucchini is that it is a moist vegetable. Zucchini adds moisture to baked goods, making them more tender and delicious. This is helpful in gluten free baking, where achieving moist and tender baked goods can be challenging. Of course, you don’t want to overdo the moisture, so read below for tips to dry your zucchini.
- Zucchini is awesome in sweet and savory dishes, making it a versatile ingredient. You can use zucchini muffins for breakfast, as a snack, or even as a dessert. If you are a child’s parent, these muffins are a great way to sneak in those veggies!
- My zucchini muffin recipe is easy to make and requires only a few basic ingredients. I also created this recipe so that there are no refined sugars.
These came out amazing. I followed the recipe but added a small amount of fresh blueberries tossed in GF flour. They are delish! The cinnamon comes thru right near the end. I will definitely make these again. Thank you!
kristin, blog comment
Allergen Information:
These homemade zucchini muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, oat-free, and soy-free. See the Ingredient Swaps below for directions on how to make them nut-free.
Tips For Fluffy Gluten-Free Muffins
1. Use a large scoop to fill your muffin cups with batter so each cup is the same size. This will ensure your muffins turn out the same size.
2. Do NOT overmix your batter. You want to mix the wet and dry ingredients until they are just barely mixed. I also do not recommend a stand or electric mixer.
3. Let the batter sit for 15-20 minutes so the rice flour in the gluten-free flour blend can soften. This will ensure your muffins are not gritty.
4. Need help with your muffins? I have a great gluten free muffin troubleshooting guide, and here are my favorite tools for making muffins.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour blend. Other blends should work, but some may need more or less liquid, depending on the starch-to-grain ratio.
- Almond Flour – I recommend Anthony’s Almond Flour because they mill it finely. For nut-free directions, see the recipe FAQ.
- Baking Powder and Soda – Use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Coconut Sugar – I use this, but regular brown sugar also works.
- Cinnamon – Any ground cinnamon is okay.
- Zucchini – Use fresh zucchini, not frozen.
- Eggs – Use size large.
- Coconut Oil – You can also use other light vegetable oil, but do not use one with a strong flavor.
- Non-Dairy Milk – I used almond milk, but any plant milk will work well. Regular milk is also fine to use in this recipe.
Ingredient Swaps:
- Make them sugar-free! One reader wrote that she swapped the sugar for monk fruit sweetener, making these sugar-free.
- Swap brown sugar for the coconut sugar.
- Make them 50-50 with butter and coconut oil.
- See the FAQ below for instructions on making gluten-free zucchini muffins nut-free.
- Add blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter!
Tips to dry shredded zucchini:
When you grate the zucchini for this recipe, it is very important to dry the shredded zucchini to eliminate some of the excess moisture. Here are some tips for drying your grated zucchini:
- Put the shredded zucchini on a clean kitchen towel and wrap the towel around the zucchini shreds. Squeeze out the excess moisture over the sink.
- Pat the zucchini shreds down with a paper towel.
- Put the shredded zucchini in a strainer, push the zucchini down, and allow the moisture to drain out.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
👀 Sandi Says: I have the best results when I shred my zucchini and dry it as described above. You can shred zucchini in a few ways. I tend to use either my box grater or food processor. Using my food processor is definitely the easiest and fastest way to shred the zucchini! Either way, patting it dry to remove the moisture is very important to avoid soggy muffins.
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a large
Step 2: Add all of the wet ingredients and dried zucchini and mix well.
👀 Sandi Says: If you use coconut oil, warm it for 20 seconds in the microwave oven so it is liquid and not hard and lumpy.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently. Again, you do not want to overmix this batter. This is one of my biggest secrets to making big fluffy muffins.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 4: Line your muffin pan with parchment paper liners or spray a non-stick gluten free baking spray in each muffin cup. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full of batter.
Step 5: Bake the muffins at 350º F for 22 minutes. You can test to see if your muffins are done baking by inserting a toothpick into a muffin. If the toothpick comes back dry, your muffins are ready. If you see crumbs or batter, your muffins must be baked longer.
💡 Sandi Says: If you want a big dome top on the muffins, preheat the oven to 425ºF instead of 350º F. Bake the muffins for 6-8 minutes at 425º F, then turn the oven temperature down to 350º F (without opening the oven door!!)
Step 6: Remove the muffins from the oven and let the pan sit for five minutes. Carefully remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a wire cooling rack. Do not let the muffins sit in the hot pan too long, or they will dry and crumble.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can easily make these gluten free zucchini muffins nut-free. Omit the almond flour and add 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour blend.
Store these muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days.
I recommend freezing the muffins to keep them fresh for longer—freeze room-temperature muffins in a freezer bag. To freeze, ensure your muffins are cooled to room temperature. Add them one by one to a freezer-safe zipper bag. Lay them flat so the bag is easier to store in the freezer.
To thaw the muffins, remove one from the freezer and microwave it for 20-25 seconds.
Yes, if you put the batter into a greased loaf pan, it makes a fantastic quick bread. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Do a toothpick test to ensure the loaf is fully baked.
More Gluten Free Muffin Recipes:
- These Gluten Free Oatmeal Muffins make a delicious, kid-friendly, healthy breakfast.
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins – These muffins get rave reviews!
- Gluten Free Black Sesame Mochi Muffins – These have an incredible chewy texture. They are popular in Japan.
- Gluten Free Banana Muffins – These fluffy muffins are full of ripe banana flavor!
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
The Best Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour * See notes
- 1 cup almond flour * See nnotes
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum-free
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ⅓ cups coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
- 1 ½ cups almond milk or another plant-based milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini pat dry
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup coconut oil melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Place the oven rack to the middle position. If you want a dome top on the muffins, preheat the oven to 425º F.
- Use a grater to shred your zucchini. Make sure to pat it dry with paper towels.
- Add wet ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Add zucchini shreds and mix.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently until the batter is just mixed. Over mixing can take out the fluffiness of these muffins.
- Drop paper muffin liners into a muffin tin and fill 3/4 the way with the zucchini batter. Optional, sprinkle the tops of the muffins with shredded coconut.
- For a dome top: Bake the muffins for 6-8 minutes at 425º F, then turn down the oven temperature down to 350º F for the rest of the bake time.
- For regular muffins, bake at 350º F for 22-25 minutes until done.
- Remove the muffins from the oven. Let them sit in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan to a cooling rack.
Notes
- I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 blends. Other blends should work, but you may need to adjust the moisture level.
- Yes, you can easily make these gluten free zucchini muffins nut-free. Omit the almond flour and add 1/2 cup of additional gluten-free flour blend.
- Shredded zucchini has a LOT of moisture. It is important to dry your shredded zucchini with paper towels. You do not want that extra moisture to make your muffins mushy.
- If you want your zucchini muffins to be light, fluffy, and not dense, the secret is to mix the wet and dry ingredients until they are barely mixed. Overmixing muffin batter leads to heavy, dense muffins.
- Store the muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, or freeze in a freezer-safe bag.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an old July 2019 post with more detailed recipe instructions.
These came out amazing. I followed the recipe but added a small amount of fresh blueberries tossed in GF flour. They are delish! The cinnamon comes thru right near the end. I will definitely make these again. Thank you:)
I am so glad you loved these muffins. Zucchini is all over the farmer’s market right now, so these muffins are a great way to use some.
THE BEST Zucchini Muffins!!
You won’t be able to tell that these are GF!
Today I made your zucchini muffins and also made some with my donut pan.
My only substitution – I didn’t have coconut oil so I used what I had. A combination butter and extra virgin olive oil.
These are DELICIOUS!!!!❤️
My son hates zucchini but ate two muffins (knowing they were zucchini) and said they were great!❤️
Thank You!!!!
I am so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you so much for coming back to let everyone know a butter/oil combo works well.
Hands down the very best gluten free zucchini muffins I’ve ever baked. I’m an experienced baker and my family is so impressed by these muffins that today I’m making up a double batch; 12 muffins just aren’t enough. The instructions are precise and well written. Thank you for an excellent way to use up zucchini.
Wow Sheridan, you made my day!!
Simply awesome! I reduced the pecans to 1/2 cup and added 1 cup fresh blueberries. So delicious and the texture is almost identical to non-GF. My family would not have known if I hadn’t told them. I used a cupcake pans so I ended up with 2 dozen.
Apologies if I missed this in the post but do you know if they freezer well?
I am so glad you liked them Erica 🙂 These will freeze very easily.
I just made these today. They are very good. I made 12 standard size muffins and 36 mini muffins from this recipe. I made the mistake of getting a 6 pack of zucchini plants in the spring. So much zucchini! I give away as much as I can find homes for (even Freecycle!) I am trying every recipe I come across that has zucchini in it. My husband liked this recipe the best out of the zucchini breads I have done so far.
You made my day Joan. Thank you so much for letting me know you liked these. I am jealous you have so much zucchini. I am going to restart our garden next year now that our drought is finished.
Could I cut back on the sugar? Maybe even just a 1/2 cup? Thanks.
Hi Halle, I haven’t tested this recipe with less sugar so I am not sure how it would turn out. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
I had enough batter to make 2 dozen regular size muffins. I followed the recipe!
Wow!