These Maple Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Vegan Zucchini Muffins will blow you away! Super soft, filled with spices, and you can never taste the zucchini!
If you love vegan zucchini bread, then you will love these Maple Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Vegan Zucchini Muffins.
They are full of delicious spices and sweet flavor with a little hidden green vegetable that you would never expect.
This delicious and easy zucchini bread recipe is:
- dairy free
- egg free
- vegan
- can be Top 8 Allergen Free
- Made in just one bowl!
It’s such a quick recipe to make that once you devour all of these, you’ll be ready to make a second batch ASAP!
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Why put zucchini in muffins?
If you’ve never made zucchini bread or muffins before, you may be wondering who in their right mind would ever add zucchini, a vegetable, to a quick bread recipe that is supposed to be sweet.
But just remember that it’s probably the same people that thought to add carrots to vegan carrot cake and that tastes amazing too!
There’s actually a few reasons why one may add zucchini to their muffins.
- Zucchini is mostly liquid so it adds a ton of moisture to your recipe with overpowering the muffins like say the taste of bananas does to a vegan banana bread.
- You get to hid vegetables. Whether you have picky children or a picky significant other, sometimes you will do anything to get more vegetables in them. This dairy free zucchini bread helps aid in that!
- It gives you a way to use up extra zucchini from the garden. Zucchini is a vegetable that usually grows like crazy and people end up with way more the expected, so adding to muffins helps use it up.
- People love believing they are eating something healthier. I wish I could tell you that these zucchini muffins is actually “healthy”, but it still has sugar in it, so it’s not as good as say, eating roasted zucchini on it’s own
Okay, so maybe one of the first three reasons are better than the last, but you know the last reason for making dairy free zucchini muffins is true too!
Frequently Asked Questions for Maple Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Vegan Zucchini Muffins
Can I make this Top 8 Allergen Free Vegan Zucchini Muffins?
In the United States, the Top 8 Allergen are: eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, wheat (gluten), shellfish, and fish. The allergen ingredients list that we use for this vegan zucchini muffins would include the butter, nuts, and flour.
Butter (Soy) – Many dairy free butters use soybean oil. We always recommend Earth Balance soy free butter in the red tub. We think it tastes better than almost any dairy free butter on the market, plus it’s soy free.
Nuts – You can omit the nuts with no additional changes to the recipe.
Wheat (flour) – We have found that King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour works best when switching out a gluten flour. Please note they also have a gluten free all purpose flour that is not the same.
If you made those 3 swaps, then you would have a Top 8 Allergen friendly vegan zucchini muffins.
Can I prep these vegan zucchini muffins ahead of time?
Yes! These will last one week store in an air tight container at room temperature. You could also store in the refrigerator if preferred.
Can you freeze vegan zucchini muffins?
Yes! Let cool completely and then leave in the muffin tray or baking sheet and flash freeze by placing in the freezer for 20 minutes.
This helps ensure that the tops won’t stick to each other because of the moisture.
Then, place in a freezer safe bag or container. Best if used within 3 months.
Should I peel zucchini for muffins?
Nope! While you could, it’s just wasteful since it’s not necessary. Plus, it’s an added step and no one likes added steps.
Zucchini, including the skin, is edible and it all softens the same in the muffins so it’s just not needed.
Do vegan zucchini muffins need to be refrigerated?
No. If wrapped tightly or placed in an airtight container, then it is find storing at room temperature on your counter. This helps prevent it from getting stale.
Can I make this into vegan zucchini bread?
Of course. Just make and place it in a bread pan instead.
If easier you can just follow our instructions for vegan zucchini bread.
The muffins have maple syrup added which the zucchini bread does not, so if you’d like that flavor then you can add 1/4 cup maple syrup to the bread recipe
You don’t need to make any other changes, just cook until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
What are other vegan breakfast muffins that are great for on the go?
Once you try these Maple Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Vegan Zucchini Muffins, you may want to learn what are some other options. All of these dairy free muffins listed below are vegan, so they are also egg free and many are gluten free.
- Vegan Apple Muffins
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Vegan Strawberry Muffins
- Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Banana Muffins
Pin these Maple Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Vegan Zucchini Muffins for later:
Maple Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Vegan Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini (about 1 small zucchini)
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp dairy free butter, softened
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups flour (use GF if needed – see post for details)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
Optional Add-ins
- 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries or raisins or chocolate chips, pick one
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Liberally spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or grease with coconut oil.
- Grate zucchini. Squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, applesauce, softened butter, and vanilla.
- Add zucchini and fold in with a spatula.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir just until no dry ingredients remains.
- If adding, walnuts, or any optional ingredients, add now. Fold to combine. Do not over mix.
- Pour batter into greased muffin tins until 3/4 full.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the tins and transfer to cool completely.
- Store in an air tight container.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hello! This looks amazing, can’t wait to try. Can I sub flax eggs (if so, how much flax?) or mashed banana for the applesauce? Thank you!
Yes, the same amount of mashed banana or 3 flax egg (3 tbsp ground flax seed and 9 tbsp water – let sit 5-10 minutes until it becomes gelatinous)