Low-Sugar Zucchini Carrot Muffin
intro
Moist, tender low-sugar muffins packed with grated summer veggies, warm cinnamon, and whole grains: a light, not-too-sweet grab-and-go baked treat.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and muffin tin
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) with a rack positioned in the middle. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners, or lightly grease each cup with non-stick spray to prevent sticking.
Prep and squeeze veggies
Grate unpeeled zucchini and carrot using the small holes of a box grater. Place grated zucchini in a clean cotton kitchen towel, wrap tightly, and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove 60-80 ml of excess liquid (this prevents soggy muffins). Combine squeezed zucchini and grated carrot in a small bowl.
Whisk dry ingredients
In a medium mixing bowl, combine whole wheat pastry flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and fine sea salt. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds until all ingredients are evenly distributed, with no clumps of leavening or spice left.
Mix wet ingredient base
In a separate large mixing bowl, crack the room-temperature large eggs and whisk lightly for 10 seconds to blend yolks and whites. Add unsweetened applesauce, cooled melted butter, and pure vanilla extract, then whisk for 20 more seconds until the mixture is smooth and pale golden.
Fold batter and portion
Add the dry ingredient mix and squeezed zucchini-carrot mixture to the wet ingredient bowl. Use a silicone spatula to fold gently for 15-20 seconds, stopping as soon as no dry flour streaks remain (do not overmix, as this creates tough muffins). Divide batter evenly between 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
Bake and cool muffins
Place the filled muffin tin on the middle oven rack and bake for 20-22 minutes, until tops are domed and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into a center muffin comes out with 1-2 moist crumbs (no wet batter). Let muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes before serving.
Tips
2.Stop folding the batter as soon as dry flour disappears; overmixing develops gluten in whole wheat flour, resulting in tough, dense muffins instead of tender ones.
3.For a tiny crunchy topping without added sugar, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of rolled oats over each muffin batter cup before baking for a toasty, textured top.
OMG these are SO good! I’ve been searching for a low-sugar muffin recipe that doesn’t taste like cardboard for my weekly meal prep, and this one hits every mark. The zucchini and carrot keep them so moist, I didn’t even miss the extra sugar! Baked a batch Sunday and they held up all week for quick breakfasts on my commute.
My kids devoured these after school yesterday! I was worried they’d turn their noses up at veggies in muffins, but they kept asking for seconds. I added a tiny handful of mini chocolate chips to half the batch for the pickiest eater and he didn’t even notice the difference between the regular and chip versions. Total win for school lunches this week.
Game changer for early gym mornings! I make 2 batches a month, toss them in the freezer, and grab one on my way out the door. 10g of protein if you add a scoop of vanilla protein powder to the dry mix, fyi for anyone tracking macros. No weird aftertaste from the low sugar either, which is my biggest pet peeve with healthy baked goods.
Super easy recipe! I swapped the eggs for flax eggs and used oat milk instead of dairy, and they turned out perfectly moist. Only giving 4 stars because I wish there was a note about squeezing the excess water out of the zucchini first — my first batch was a little soggy because I skipped that step. Second batch was chef’s kiss though!
Brought these to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and they were gone in 10 minutes! Multiple people asked for the recipe, even the neighbors who swear they hate “healthy food.” The warm cinnamon spice is such a nice cozy touch, I can tell I’ll be making these all fall.
Made these for our team break room this week and everyone kept raving about them! It’s so hard to find snacks that work for people watching their sugar intake and people who just want a tasty treat, and these hit the sweet spot (pun intended). Super quick to throw together even on a busy weeknight, which is a huge plus for me.
I’ve been baking muffins for 60 years and I have to say, this is one of the best veggie muffin recipes I’ve ever tried! I cut the sugar even a little more than the recipe calls for and added a dash of nutmeg, and my book club ladies all begged for the recipe. Nice and tender crumb, no weird gritty texture from whole wheat flour like some recipes.
Wait, is this actually easy for someone who’s never baked anything before? I can barely make toast without burning it, but my girlfriend loves low-sugar zucchini muffins and I want to surprise her for our anniversary. How bad can I mess this up, be honest lol. Giving 5 stars in advance because the comments all look amazing.
Perfect for dorm baking! I made these in my tiny countertop oven, didn’t even need a fancy mixer, just a bowl and a spoon. Way cheaper and healthier than buying muffins from the campus coffee shop every morning, and they taste way better too. I added some raisins to half the batch and it slapped.
These were really tasty, but mine stuck really bad to the paper liners! Did I do something wrong? I followed the bake time exactly, let them cool for 10 minutes like the recipe said, but half the muffin stayed stuck to the paper when I peeled it. Flavor was 10/10 though, I’ll definitely make them again.
Does anyone know if these work with gluten free all purpose flour? My youngest has a wheat allergy and we’ve been looking for low-sugar muffin recipes he can take to preschool for snack time. The veggie boost is a huge plus because he refuses to eat carrots or zucchini any other way! Already giving 5 stars because the ingredient list looks perfect.
Tossed two of these in my pack for a day hike last weekend and they were the perfect trail snack! Not too heavy, gave me steady energy instead of the sugar crash I get from regular granola bars, and they didn’t get all squished in my pack the way some muffins do. Will be a staple on all my hikes from now on.
These are perfect for my husband who’s been told to cut back on added sugar for his blood pressure. He has such a sweet tooth I was worried he’d complain, but he says these are his new favorite snack. I love that I can sneak extra veggies into his diet without him noticing, too.
Made these for my weekend brunch spread and they were such a hit! I topped them with a tiny little drizzle of cream cheese glaze (just a tiny bit, to keep the sugar low) and it was the perfect pairing. The recipe is so easy to customize, I already want to test adding walnuts or shredded apple next time.
Tried these after seeing Jake’s comment about adding protein powder! I added one scoop of vanilla whey protein and an extra 2 tbsp of almond milk to keep the batter from getting too dry, and they turned out amazing. Way better than the dry protein muffins I’ve been forcing myself to eat after workouts.
As someone who bakes gluten free 90% of the time, I can confirm these work perfectly with a 1:1 GF flour blend. I also swapped the brown sugar for coconut sugar and it added such a nice warm, caramel-y flavor without adding extra sugar. My toddler ate two in one sitting, which is the highest possible praise in my book.
Made these with my 7 year old daughter last night for her class snack day. She loved helping shred the zucchini and carrots, and she was so proud to tell her classmates she helped make the muffins. The recipe was simple enough for her to help with every step, no fancy techniques or confusing steps. Total dad win.