These zucchini muffins with carrots will turn out incredibly moist with a perfectly balanced sweetness. The batter has a hefty dose of both vegetables. They're ready in 45 minutes, and freeze beautifully. As one reader said, 'Probably the best muffin I've ever had, so moist and I loved the hint of cinnamon!'
Soft and flavorful
This muffin recipe is our go-to because it never fails if you follow the instructions.
Not only do they come out moist and golden brown, but it's a great way to add vegetables for those picky eaters at home. You can even make them with your kids, that's how simple they are!
You can make a double batch and freeze them for hectic mornings where you only need to warm them slightly before eating. They're also wonderful as a snack, for winding down in the afternoon with a cup of your favorite beverage.
They make fantastic breakfast bites, and join the ranks with other unique muffin recipes (I love to mix flavors!), like the banana carrot muffins, these very moist pumpkin muffins with zucchini, and these popular ones I've been making lately, the blueberry oats banana muffins.
- Vivien ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We loved this recipe so much! My 2.5-year-old is going through a picky phase of not liking many veggies, and this is a hit! She doesn't want to share 🙂
- Marti ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely Delicious! I added raisins and iced some with a light cream cheese frosting...My Friends asked for the recipe! FIVE STARS PLUS!
- Pam ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love these. Turned out perfect - moist & delicious! I used organic zucchini & carrots & canola oil. Thank you, Paula!
- Gill ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (gluten-free muffins option!)
Hello Paula, thank you so much for this muffin recipe. It is FABULOUS.
I used GF flour & it worked perfectly.
Testing notes
Don't beat the wet ingredients. Simply whisk or stir them until fully incorporated, especially the egg whites.
Using ingredients at room temperature is essential unless otherwise specified in the recipe. Using cold ingredients can cause the batter to not mix well and be lumpy.
Don't overmix the batter! This is key to soft muffins. When you combine both preparations (wet and dry), simply mix them with a spatula *just* until no dry spots remain.
Vegetables: depending on how much you pack the cups when you measure the grated veggies, you'll have more than 12 muffins.
Overbaking the muffins can cause them to become dry and hard. Check the muffins a few minutes before the end of the suggested baking time with a cake tester or toothpick, and remove them from the oven as soon as they are cooked through.
Ingredients
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Unpeeled zucchini: Use fresh ones that are firm without bruised skins. If they're bruised, peel off those parts.
- Carrots: I don't peel them, but you can, especially if the skin is tough or darkened.
- Vegetable oil: a neutral one, like sunflower oil or canola oil, is my first choice. Coconut oil and light olive oil also work well, but they might add another layer of flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda: make sure they aren't expired.
Variations & substitutions
- Flour: substitute between half and ¾ cup of the all-purpose flour for fine whole wheat flour and almond flour. And make sure you break up the clumps that might form (especially with the almond flour) when you incorporate it into the batter. The muffins will be denser and may not rise as much.
- More wholesome zucchini carrot muffins: use coconut sugar and coconut oil, and substitute half the white flour with finely ground whole wheat flour. The texture of these muffins will be more rustic and earthy.
- Butter: These are also amazing with melted butter instead of oil, the same amount.
How to make carrot zucchini muffins
- Use a whisk to incorporate the wet ingredients. But don't beat, just make sure the egg white is mixed.
- Sift the dry ingredients so they integrate well, especially the baking soda, which can clump during storage.
- Grate the carrots and zucchini at the last moment so they don't start to release liquid, and use a large-holed grater (coarse grater).
- Divide the batter as equally as possible so the muffins bake more evenly. Using cookie scoops makes this easier.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
You mustn't over-mix or beat the batter after adding the flour, so you get soft and fluffy muffins (as opposed to dense muffins). Use a whisk and a spatula; there's no need for an electric mixer.
Baking muffins
Not greasing the muffin tin properly or not using paper liners can cause the muffins to stick to the pan and be difficult to remove.
Preparing the muffin pan
- Paper liners: also called paper cups or cupcake liners. This is the easiest way, but the muffin tops are the only part that will be crusty.
- Butter or baking spray: it's messier, and you have to wash the pan afterward, but the crust forms all around the muffins because the whole metal surface is in contact with the batter.
When are they done?
Zucchini and carrots add moisture to these, so consider that when you insert a tester or toothpick. It will be shiny and moist, but you should not have wet dough or crumbs clinging to it.
If you made this recipe and loved it, you can comment below and leave a 5-star ⭐️ review. Also, if you had issues, let me know so we can troubleshoot together.
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Easy Zucchini Carrot Muffins (super moist)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini
- 1 ½ cups grated carrots
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup sunflower or canola oil, see Notes below
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, cake flour also works
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Have a 12-muffin tin lined with paper cups (paper liners) or buttered. Using liners is very convenient because you hardly have to wash the muffin tin, and the muffins are easier to transport if necessary.
- Grate or shred 1 ½ cups grated zucchini and 1 ½ cups grated carrots (lightly packed) with a large-holed grater at the last moment when you have the rest of the ingredients ready so they don't release extra liquid. If watery, blot them with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before adding them.
- Whisk together 2 eggs and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl.
- Add ¾ cup sunflower or canola oil in a thin stream as you continue whisking. Incorporate it well, but there's no need to beat much.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients (2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon) and stir a little. It doesn't need to be fully incorporated before you add the rest of the ingredients. Change to a spatula for easier folding. You can have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the oil batter (like I do) or sift them in a medium bowl first and then add them to the muffin batter.
- Fold in the grated carrots and zucchini. You will see that the moisture in the vegetables loosens up the batter. You mustn't over-mix or beat the dough after adding the flour to keep the muffins as soft and fluffy as possible.
- Scoop portions into the paper liners dividing as evenly as possible.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown, domed, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack (cooling rack).
- Store at room temperature for two days and then refrigerate or freeze, always well wrapped.
Amy says
As someone who is basically trash in the kitchen, I can say these are genuinely so easy to make and turned out the way it looks in the picture. I used 1 zucchini, 4 medium carrots, and added 1/4 cup of raisins (will probably double this in the future).
Paula Montenegro says
Love the raisin option Amy! Will use them in the future for sure. Have a great week!
Becky Hall says
I made these once and my family couldn't get enough. Probably the best muffin I've ever had, so moist and I loved the hint of cinnamon!! I'm making again in a few days and this time will hide myself a few for later!! Perfect muffins.
Susannah Couch says
Hi! I’ve made these twice now and they are fantastic! Just wondering if there’s a substitute for the sugar or if I can use less and it will still have the same consistency? Thanks!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Susannah! I think reducing the sugar by 1/4 cup will not change the consistency that much and they will still have a good structure and be tender. So I would try them using 3/4 cup sugar. You can make half the recipe to try, just in case.
Heather Hatton says
Can you use just almond flour for this recipe please, looks delicious
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Heather, using only almond flour will make them denser and not airy, as it has no gluten and is heavier than all-purpose. I would substitute no more than half of the regular flour. The texture will be different but not as dense.
Marti Dolfi says
Absolutely Delicious! I added raisins and honey roasted pecans and coconut! Iced some with a light cream cheese frosting...My Friends asked for the recipe! FIVE STARS PLUS!
Vivien says
Hi Paula!!!
We loved this recipe so much! My 2.5 year old is going through a picky phase of not liking many veggies and this is a hit! She doesn’t want to share 🙂 I use a little less oil (1/2 cup coconut) and a small grated apple added too! Love it!!!
Paula Montenegro says
So happy to know they turned out so well Vivien!
Pam F says
Love these. Turned out perfect - moist & delicious! I used organic zucchini & carrots & canola oil. Thank you, Paula! Happy 2025!
Paula Montenegro says
So happy to know that Pam! You too have the best year!
Gill Morris says
Hello Paula
I used this recipe but substituted gluten free flour. I was delighted with the result. They possibly did not rise as much as regular flour but the taste & texture was great. Many thanks for sharing this recipe. Kind regards
Gill
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks for letting me know Gill! I'll add it in the notes for those wanting to make them GF.
Flavie says
The recipe turned out amazing! I doubled the batter and accidentally left out ½ the oil bit I did put in some applesauce because I find it yummy. They were still moist and really good. I froze them for lunches and they stay moist. I also added chia seeds for a crunch. They taste better cold. Will make again!
MA says
The recipe is amazing! Any idea why I ended up with so much extra batter? My muffins were hugeeee but no complaints from my household hah. I wonder if maybe I measured too loosely? Should the vegetables be packed or loose to make the 1 1/2 cup each? Definitely going to try to make them again, AND, they were so delicious. Just trying to figure out why I ended up with so much batter!!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Mara, I'm so happy you loved them! As for the batter, it might be that you packed the cups of veggies too much and that adds a lot of volume. They should be lightly packed and I will add that to the instructions. But, since you like them the way you made them, I recommend you halve the recipe or simply make more muffins and freeze them. Happy baking.
Sandy says
Yes, I made this recipe. I got 12 nice sized muffins & also 1 mini loaf pan from this recipe. Followed the recipe as written. Basic ingredient's, easy to make & muffins came out very moist. Will definitely keep this recipe & make again.
Thanks
gill says
Hello Paula thank you so much for this muffin recipe. It is FABULOUS.
I used gluten free flour & it worked perfectly. Next time I may substitute some gluten free flour for almond flour but only to enrich it but not essential at all.
Gill in S A
Paula Montenegro says
Happy to know it worked out so well Gill!
gill says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I used gluten free flour as a substitute & the muffins were a treat. Kind regards Gill Morris SA
Paula Montenegro says
Happy to know they work well with GF flour! Have a great week Gill.
Pia Marschall says
I made these today!! Super easy and extremely tasty! I used turbinado sugar, couldn't stop eating...
Paula Montenegro says
SO happy to know you loved them Pia!