These moist Zucchini Blueberry Muffins are soft, tender, and packed with fresh blueberries, grated zucchini, unsweetened applesauce, and warm cinnamon. An easy, healthy muffin recipe with a buttery crumb topping – the perfect healthier snack!
These Zucchini Blueberry Muffins are everything you want in a homemade muffin: soft, tender, lightly sweet, and bursting with juicy blueberries in every single bite. The grated zucchini melts right into the batter, adding tons of moisture without making the muffins heavy, and the applesauce keeps them light and fluffy with less oil and sugar. Finished off with a crispy buttery cinnamon crumb topping, they are simple enough for everyday baking but just as delicious as a bakery muffin!
This is the kind of recipe that makes the most of fresh zucchini. Whether you’re using freshly grated zucchini from the garden or frozen shredded zucchini from your freezer stash, this muffin recipe is absolutely forgiving, completely reliable, and it’s perfect for breakfast, snacks, or lunches for work or school.
This muffin recipe works because it balances moisture and structure carefully. Zucchini contains a high amount of water which helps keeps baked goods soft and tender. Instead of squeezing it completely dry, this recipe relies on that natural moisture to hydrate the flour and create a soft texture.
The applesauce plays an important role too because it replaces part of the fat while adding natural sweetness and extra moisture. Because applesauce contains pectin and natural sugars, it helps keep the muffins moist and tender for a longer period of time without making them greasy and heavy.
The combination of baking powder and baking soda gives these muffins a nice lift as they bake. The lemon zest adds a bright flavour, which balances the sweetness of the blueberries and sugar.
And coating the blueberries in the dry ingredients before mixing isn’t for no reason — it helps prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins and stops the berry juices from streaking the batter purple as you incorporate the berries. It’s a small step that makes a noticeable difference in the final texture and appearance of these muffins!
Fresh zucchini has better structure and distributes moisture more evenly. If using frozen shredded zucchini, thaw it fully and gently squeeze out excess liquid before using it so the batter doesn’t become too wet.
Fine shreds disappear into the batter and create a softer crumb. Large shreds can create uneven texture pockets and mess with the appearance of the muffins.
Once the wet and dry ingredients meet, mix just until combined. Overmixing develops gluten and leads to dense muffins.
This prevents the blueberries from sinking and minimizes the colour from bleeding into the batter. It also protects the structure of the batter.
Frozen blueberries release more moisture and can slightly tint the batter. If using frozen, do not thaw them before adding.
Cold butter is key. Visible little butter pieces create that bakery-style streusel texture on top of the muffins.
Even distribution of the batter ensures consistent baking and prevents over-browning in some muffins while others stay under-baked.
Time needed: 40 minutes
- Prep the blueberries properly.
Rinse and dry the blueberries thoroughly. Excess moisture can affect the batter. If you’re using frozen berries, keep them frozen until the last moment.
- Mix the wet ingredients smoothly.
Whisk the eggs, applesauce, oil, and vanilla until fully combined. This creates the base that will evenly distribute moisture through the flour.
- Fold in the zucchini.
Switch to a spatula when adding zucchini. The strands can catch in a whisk and won’t incorporate properly. Don’t peel the zucchini unless you prefer to — the skin adds fibre and nutrients.
- Don’t skip sifting the dry ingredients.
Sifting prevents clumps and evenly distributes leavening agents, which ensures consistent rise.
- Coat the blueberries in flour.
Adding them to the dry mixture prevents sinking and keeps your batter from turning purple.
- Mix just until combined.
When combining wet and dry, stop mixing as soon as no large streaks of flour remain. The batter should look slightly thick but soft.
- Make the crumb topping with cold butter.
Keep the butter cold and crumbly. Small visible chunks create texture once baked.
- Avoid over-baking.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Over-baking will dry them out, especially since zucchini-based batters are naturally moist.
- Use frozen shredded zucchini. Thaw completely and gently squeeze out excess water. If it seems very wet, measure after squeezing to avoid excess moisture in the batter.
- Swap blueberries for other fruit. Raspberries work beautifully but are more delicate. Chopped strawberries can work but release more moisture. Diced apples create a firmer texture and add less moisture to the batter.
- Add shredded carrots. Carrots add sweetness and slightly firmer texture. You can replace up to half the zucchini with carrots.
- Use grated apple instead of zucchini. Apple creates more structure and less moisture than zucchini, but it still works in this recipe.
- Make them whole wheat. Substitute up to half the flour with whole wheat flour. Expect a slightly denser crumb.
- Reduce the sugar. You can reduce the sugar by 1–2 tablespoons without affecting structure significantly, but avoid cutting it drastically since sugar contributes to moisture retention and structure.
- Make them dairy-free. This recipe is naturally dairy-free except for the butter in the crumb topping. Use plant-based butter instead.
Store at Room temperature – Store loosely covered for up to 2 days. Avoid fully airtight containers if you want to keep the crumb topping crisp.
Store in the Refrigerator – Store up to 4 days, but note the crumb topping may soften.
Store in the Freezer – Freeze without the crumb topping for best results. Wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Can I use frozen zucchini?
Yes. Thaw completely and gently squeeze out excess moisture before measuring.
Do I need to peel zucchini?
No. The skin softens during baking and adds fibre and nutrients.
Why are my muffins dense?
Over-mixing or over-measuring flour can cause density. Spoon and level flour rather than scooping directly.
Why did my blueberries sink?
They weren’t coated in flour or the batter was too thin, likely from mis-measuring.
Can I make mini muffins with this recipe?
Yes. Reduce the baking time to 12–15 minutes and monitor closely.
Why did the crumb topping turn soggy?
Storing muffins in an airtight container traps steam. Let them cool completely and store them loosely covered.
Can I reduce the oil?
The applesauce already reduces the oil content significantly. Reducing oil further may make them slightly drier and they’ll likely stick to the paper liners.
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Zucchini Blueberry Muffins
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Recipe: Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 muffin tins with 18 paper muffin cups.
- In a large liquid measuring cup, mix together the eggs, applesauce, oil, and vanilla using a wire whisk or a fork.
- Add the zucchini and lemon zest, and switch to a wooden spoon or spatula to incorporate them into the mixture (the strands of zucchini get caught on the wire whisk and don't get incorporated properly).
- Using a sieve or flour sifter, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon into a mixing bowl.
- Once the dry ingredients have been sifted to prevent lumps, add the blueberries to the dry ingredients.
- At this point, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula only until they're just incorporated. Spoon the batter into the 18 muffin cups, distributing it as evenly as possible.
- Grab another smaller bowl and add to it the 1/4 cup sugar, the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 3 tbsp cold butter.
- Roughly mix these ingredients together with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture becomes crumbly. Spoon a little bit of this mixture over each of the cups full of muffin batter. It’s okay if you can see some small chunks of butter.
- Bake these muffins at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 23-25 minutes. You'll know they're done when a toothpick inserted in the centre of one comes out clean.
Recipe: Notes
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
l just posted a photo, but cat see it here. wheredid it go?
anyway, l like the recipe.
We can’t see it either but we’re glad to hear that you like our recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback.
Great recipe!! I substituted Pamela’s GF flour and used coconut oil/butter mixed for the oil and lemon extract since I didn’t have lemon zest. They came out quite glat but, these were GREAT!! Thank you. Definitely making these again and aagain!! Again!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I had extra blueberries and zucchini so I gave these a try today! These muffins are so dang good! The only thing I did different is I made my own topping to put on them instead of what the recipe called for. Super delicious!
We’re so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Great way to use 2cups of zucchini. I did squeeze mine out a bit because of past experiences that breads are too wet/ dense. Delicious! Love the zing of lemon zest! Because of it having less oil they do stick a bit to muffin papers but if you have silicone ones they would come out fine.
Thanks for your feedback Tina!!
Super dense, did not turn out good had to throw them all away!
Is it possible that you maybe didn’t add the correct amount of baking powder or baking soda? Or maybe you used frozen and undrained zucchini and/or blueberries? These things can lead to dense muffins. Also, over-mixing can be a cause. Hope this helps! Happy baking ☺️
Can you freeze these muffins then reheat in microwave?
I’d recommend freezing and then thawing at room temperature, uncovered.
Any ideas for a substitute for the zucchini? My zukes didn’t come with my grocery order. I was thinking of either using squash, beets or spinach.
I made them with carrots and spinach instead of zucchini and they’re pretty good! Not as good as the zucchini ones but not bad.
Thank you for the feedback Gwyn!!
Hello Gwyn! I wouldn’t recommend any of those because they will change the composition completely. However, you could try this recipe that my family loves just as much. https://thebusybaker.ca/best-ever-blueberry-muffins/
The recipe says to use 2 muffin tins for 18 muffins, so obviously I need both a 12 piece tin and a 6 piece tin. If I don’t have a 6 piece tin, can I use the extra batter to make a small loaf?
Yes, or you can just use another 12-piece tin and only fill 6 of the cups.
Wanted to love these but….cut recipe in half and made 6 large muffins. They looked nice when removed from pan but they were heavy and very dense. I did not over mix, not sure why this happened?
I found the same thing, very heavy and doughy. Not sure if the baking powder and soda measurements are right and missing salt.
These are fairly dense muffins, thanks to the zucchini and the applesauce. 🙂
These blueberry zucchini muffins are the best ever! They turn out perfect every time I make them which is a lot.Always a hit!
So glad you like the recipe!! 🙂
Do you squeeze the moisture from the zucchini for this recipe if you are using fresh zucchini or just use freshly grated zucchini as is?
I squeeze the moisture only from grated zucchini that I’ve defrosted from frozen. If I’m using fresh, I use it as it is 🙂
These are good but they really stuck the muffin liners which was disappointing
Any substitute for the lemon zest? Juice perhaps? Also would the liquid need to be adjusted if I used thawed frozen zucchini?
Lemon zest is what gives the best lemon flavour, and lemon juice would add too much acid to the recipe. I’d suggest draining the thawed zucchini as best you can before adding to the recipe. I use frozen (thawed) zucchini in this recipe all the time!
I made these without the crumble topping because I wanted to freeze them. I also, found out my applesauce was moldy, so I swapped equal amount of mashed bananas! These muffins are SO GOOD!!!!
So glad you liked them!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!!
Do you peel the zucchini before grating? Cant wait to try these!
I never do, but you can. The peel contains nutrients and fibre, and it’s pretty 🙂