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.
I’m trying to make this recipe more healthy. Has anyone tried using only whole wheat flour? (I try to avoid all purpose flour whenever possible.). Also thinking about adding up to 1/2 cup of unflavored protein powder. For a sugar substitute….has anyone tried using less sugar? Or using honey , etc instead in the muffin part? I don’t think it’s avoidable in the crumb topping unless I just sprinkle some cinnamon on top. Thanks for any advice!
Thanks for your questions. I’ve only ever made this recipe with all purpose flour, but I have reduced the sugar and added applesauce in place of the sugar I removed and it worked very well. I can’t comment on the protein powder either. Hope that helps!
I just tried these with Whole wheat flour and they did not turn out well at all- straight to the bin:(
I’m sorry these didn’t work out for you. I’ve used a mix of white and whole wheat flour with this recipe and that has worked well, but never only whole wheat. I hope you’ll give them another try!
I have been looking for healthier options, and hopefully low carb muffin recipes. Do you know the nutrition information on this recipe?
Also, a lot of the healthier muffin recipes call for whole wheat pastry flour. I tried regular in one recipe and they were dense and dry. I then read about using half whole wheat and half regular flour if you don’t have the whole wheat pastry flour. It turned out much better that way.
I am going to try this recipe using the half and half flour mixture, but would love to get the nutritional breakdown if you have it.
Thanks!
The nutritional information is in the recipe card 🙂
These are sooo good! Made them this morning & oh man they’re tasty! 😀 We didn’t have unsweetened applesauce so I used regular but reduced the amount of sugar in the muffins by 2 Tbsp and they seem perfectly sweet enough. 😊 Trying to get the 5 year old to eat better so I’ve been trying out recipes that sneak in veggies & these are perfect. 😉👍
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
These turned out really good, I didnt have any blueberries so I subbed dried cherries.
Sounds like a great substitution!! Glad you enjoyed them!
How can I substitute the eggs? One of my kids is vegan and I would like to make this recipe.
Thank you so much.
I’ve never made this recipe without eggs, so I’m not able to guarantee the recipe will work. However, you could try adding a vegan flaxseed egg-like mixture (recipes for this are readily available online).
I made them with raspberries, they were AMAZING
Good to know! Thanks for the feedback!
I substituted coconut oil and butter for the vegetable oil. I only had frozen blueberries so I used those. Then I measured the flour wrong (trying to bake with a 6-month-old is challenging!) and added coconut milk to get a wetter consistency. I put them in the oven and then realized there was a crumb topping I forgot to make. But regardless, They turned out delicious! 🙂
Glad to know you liked them! And it sounds like you made some great substitutions! I hear you on the baking with kids around!! So challenging!
This recipe turned out perfectly! I used spelt flour with great success. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe.
Thanks for letting me know! I’m so glad you loved the recipe 🙂
Hi
Do I remove the excess moisture from the zucchini – before adding the zucchini?
Thanks, Barb
You can try squeezing out the liquid from the grated zucchini by pressing it a little bit between your hands, or pressing it down in a colander with a spoon.
Nice recipe Thank you so muchhhhh. We enjoyed with this. It was too Delicious!!!!
So glad you liked them! 🙂
Am I supposed to measure the dry ingredients after I sift or measure then sift. 3 cups seems like a lot of flour the batter was very dry.
How did you measure the flour? If you scooped it so it was 3 packed cups then it would be too much. I’d suggest sifting it first and then spooning the flour into your measuring cup to measure. The batter is a little bit dry, but the muffins turn out very moist from the zucchini.
Will be making these today for my kiddos! Do you know how time will change if I make mini muffins? And have you ever froze them?
Thanks!
I haven’t made them as mini muffins, but I’d recommend halving the baking time and watching them carefully so they don’t over-bake. These muffins freeze very well, but it’s important to let them thaw uncovered (open to the air) since the crumb topping may get soggy otherwise. They’re really the best the day they’re made or the day or two after that 🙂 I hope you enjoy them!!
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes, absolutely! Just make sure you add the frozen blueberries to the dry ingredients to prevent the batter from becoming purple!
I just made these muffins and they are the best I ever tasted. Do you have the nutritional value for them? Thank you for sharing your recipe. They are delicious.
You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
This sounds delicious and making them tomorrow. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy them!
These were quite possibly the BEST muffins I have ever made! Thanks for such a terrific recipe, definitely in the permanent rotation.
Cynthia
Thanks so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!
I'm so happy to have found this recipe! They are in the oven now and smell great. I have just a formatting comment though–this recipe was very hard to read because I had to keep scrolling up and down. You included the ingredient list at the beginning, but then when you were narrating the recipe, you did not include amounts again, or summarize the steps at the bottom of the page. I found it cumbersome to have to keep scrolling past text and pictures in order to see how much of something I needed. Hopefully that is an easy fix and something you'll include on your other recipes too!
Thanks Lindsay! This is an older recipe of mine and so the format is a little dated. I'll add it to my list of things to revise! Glad you liked the muffins!! 🙂
just made these with my 3 year old. seriously the best! the crumb top made about 2x what i needed, or I didnt put enough on, i dont know!
theyre SO delicious
Thanks from Ontario Canada for the amazing recipe!
That's great!! Thanks so much for sharing that! I always have a little bit too much topping too, but the crumb topping is the best part so I pile it on! 🙂
Can I substitute the oil and applesauce for butter?
You should be able to do that. I've never done it in this recipe, and it might change the texture a bit. Good luck!
why do you not substitute all the oil for applesauce? Is it a taste or density thing? thanks! They look amazing and I will be trying them soon.
Thanks so much! It's both a taste and a density thing. A little bit of oil makes them lighter and it makes them taste just a little bit richer 🙂
So pretty!! I don't know why I don't make muffins. My kids would flip if I made these for breakfast this week!
Thanks Erin! I'm sure they would! 🙂
Love the look of this recipe.. any idea of carb count?