Irresistible Banana Zucchini Muffins

Here are my favorite banana zucchini muffins, with perfectly ripe bananas, shredded zucchini, warm cinnamon, and just the right amount of sweetness baked into soft, moist muffins.

These muffins are a lifesaver in my house when I have overripe bananas on the counter and extra zucchini from the garden. My kids don’t even realize they’re eating vegetables for breakfast, and I love that I can sneak in some extra nutrition without any complaints!

What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?

For these muffins, you’ll want to use fresh zucchini rather than frozen, since frozen zucchini releases too much water and can make your muffins soggy. Medium-sized zucchini are your best bet – they’re tender and have fewer seeds than the larger ones, which means better texture in your baked goods. You don’t need to peel the zucchini before shredding it, and actually, leaving the skin on adds nice flecks of green color throughout the muffins. After you shred your zucchini, give it a gentle squeeze in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to remove excess moisture, but don’t go overboard – you want it damp, not bone dry.

Options for Substitutions

These muffins are pretty forgiving, so here are some swaps you can make if needed:

• Light butter: Regular melted butter works perfectly fine here. You can also use coconut oil or vegetable oil if that’s what you have on hand – just stick with the same measurement.
• Sugar: Feel free to use brown sugar instead of white sugar for a slightly deeper flavor. You could also try coconut sugar or reduce it to ¼ cup if you prefer less sweetness.
• All purpose flour: Whole wheat flour can replace half of the all purpose flour for a heartier muffin. If you go this route, you might need to add a tablespoon or two of milk since whole wheat absorbs more liquid.
• Banana: Make sure your bananas are really ripe – the browner the better. In a pinch, you could use applesauce, but the banana flavor is kind of the star here, so I’d recommend keeping it.
• Zucchini: Yellow squash works just as well as zucchini. Just shred it the same way and squeeze out any excess moisture with a paper towel before adding it to the batter.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making these muffins is overmixing the batter once you combine the wet and dry ingredients – stir just until the flour disappears, even if there are a few lumps, because overmixing leads to tough, dense muffins instead of light and fluffy ones.

Another common error is forgetting to squeeze out excess moisture from the shredded zucchini, which can make your muffins too wet and prevent them from rising properly – just wrap the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and give it a good squeeze over the sink.

Make sure your bananas are truly ripe with lots of brown spots, as underripe bananas won’t mash easily and won’t give you that sweet banana flavor you’re looking for.

Finally, don’t skip greasing your muffin tin well (or use paper liners), and start checking for doneness at 18 minutes with a toothpick – overbaking will dry out these naturally moist muffins.

What to Serve With Banana Zucchini Muffins?

These muffins are perfect for breakfast or as a snack throughout the day, and they pair really well with your morning coffee or a cold glass of milk. I love serving them warm with a little pat of butter melted on top, or you can spread on some cream cheese for extra richness. They also make a great addition to a brunch spread alongside scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and yogurt. If you’re packing them for lunch or an afternoon snack, they go nicely with some apple slices and a handful of almonds for a balanced treat.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your banana zucchini muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. I like to grab one for a quick breakfast on busy mornings, and they taste great with a cup of coffee or alongside some scrambled eggs.

Freeze: These muffins are perfect for freezing! Let them cool completely, then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. It’s so nice having a stash ready to go whenever you need a quick snack or breakfast.

Thaw: Just leave a frozen muffin on the counter for about an hour to thaw, or pop it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. If you want it warm and fresh-tasting, you can also heat it in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes after thawing.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 900-1000
• Protein: 17-21 g
• Fat: 15-20 g
• Carbohydrates: 180-200 g

Ingredients

For the wet components:

• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup zucchini (finely shredded and squeezed dry)

For the dry components:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Zucchini

• 1 cup zucchini

Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with butter or cooking spray.

While the oven heats, finely shred the zucchini and squeeze it firmly in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture—this is crucial because wet zucchini will make your muffins soggy.

I always squeeze it twice to make sure I’ve removed as much liquid as possible, which gives you a better texture in the final muffin.

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• shredded zucchini from Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, mashed banana, sugar, vanilla extract, and melted butter until well combined and smooth.

The mixture should look homogeneous with no visible lumps of banana remaining.

Fold in the squeezed zucchini gently until evenly distributed throughout the wet mixture.

Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.

Make sure everything is evenly distributed so the leavening agents and cinnamon are spread throughout—this prevents pockets of bitterness from concentrated baking soda and ensures consistent flavor in every muffin.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

• wet ingredient mixture from Step 2
• dry ingredient mixture from Step 3

Pour the dry ingredient mixture from Step 3 into the wet mixture from Step 2 and fold together gently with a spatula until just combined.

Stop mixing as soon as you don’t see any visible streaks of flour—overmixing develops gluten and creates tough, dense muffins.

A few small lumps are perfectly fine and actually desirable.

Step 5: Fill and Bake the Muffins

• batter from Step 4

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 greased muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.

Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

The tops should be lightly golden brown when finished.

Irresistible Banana Zucchini Muffins

Delicious Irresistible Banana Zucchini Muffins recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories: 950

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the wet components:

• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup zucchini (finely shredded and squeezed dry)

For the dry components:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with butter or cooking spray. While the oven heats, finely shred the zucchini and squeeze it firmly in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture—this is crucial because wet zucchini will make your muffins soggy. I always squeeze it twice to make sure I've removed as much liquid as possible, which gives you a better texture in the final muffin.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, mashed banana, sugar, vanilla extract, and melted butter until well combined and smooth. The mixture should look homogeneous with no visible lumps of banana remaining. Fold in the squeezed zucchini gently until evenly distributed throughout the wet mixture.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Make sure everything is evenly distributed so the leavening agents and cinnamon are spread throughout—this prevents pockets of bitterness from concentrated baking soda and ensures consistent flavor in every muffin.
4. Pour the dry ingredient mixture from Step 3 into the wet mixture from Step 2 and fold together gently with a spatula until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as you don't see any visible streaks of flour—overmixing develops gluten and creates tough, dense muffins. A few small lumps are perfectly fine and actually desirable.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 greased muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The tops should be lightly golden brown when finished.