Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins (How to Make Zucchini Muffins)

These Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins are perfect for the transition space between summer and fall. You can use up the loads of summer zucchini that are laying around in your garden, the grocery store, or at the farmer’s marker, while savoring the fall spice flavors and a hint of apple.

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Creating this Recipe for Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins

I had some zucchini that was sitting in the fridge for slightly longer than necessary.

The zucchini’s original purpose had already been forgotten, but I decided that I had better use it for something before it went bad and ended up in the trash.

I haven’t made muffins for the kids in a while, so I decided to make this recipe for Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins that I originally posted 12 YEARS AGO.

Sometimes it seems a little crazy that I have recipes old enough on this old blog of mine to have been posted 12 years ago. Madeline almost 14 and she was around 1 when I posted my very first recipe on Good Life Eats.

The very first recipe that I posted didn’t even have pictures of the actual food, just a photo of Logan while we were out raspberry picking. That seems like just yesterday and forever ago at the same time.

Updating this Recipe for Zucchini Muffins

It has been a goal of mine to slowly go through some of the older recipes on this site and refresh the post. Especially the ones that we really still do love and make all the time.

I can update the recipe if I’ve made any changes from the original, whether it is something that makes it taste better or something that makes it easier to prepare, a new way that I might be making the recipe, or even update the photos.

In this Zucchini Apple Spice recipe, sometimes I opt to use pre-made Chai Spice Seasoning rather than measuring out the individual spices. The recipe has also had the applesauce increased, the butter decreased, and cardamom swapped for allspice.

Another update that I did was to make the muffins larger. Rather than making 3 dozen, the updated recipe makes 2 dozen. I fill the standard muffin tins all the way to the top rather than only 2/3 full.

I think the changes really improved the recipe flavor and I love that that each muffin is a tad bigger.

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Ingredients to Make Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins

Here’s what you’ll need to make these spiced zucchini muffins:

• Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Grated Zucchini
• Grated Apple
• Butter
• Flour
• Baking Soda
• Baking Flour
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Cardamom
• Ginger

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Can I Use Frozen Zucchini to Make Muffins?

I haven’t personally tested this, so I can’t say for certain how they will turn out. In my experience, vegetables with high water content (like zucchini) often release a lot of water once they thaw from their frozen state.

If I were to experiment with using frozen zucchini to make these spiced zucchini muffins, at minimum I would completely thaw the zucchini first and it would then squeeze out any excess moisture.

If you try this, please leave a comment and let others know how it went!

What is the Best Way to Grate Zucchini for Muffins?

There are a few different ways you can prepare your zucchini for this muffin recipe:

• Use the grating attachment function on your food processor. This is my favorite way because the grating goes quickly. If your zucchini are large, you may need to slice them in half so they fit in the food shoot.
• Use a box grater and hand grate the muffins just like you would grate a block of cheese. I recommend doing this over a bowl.
• You don’t need to peel the zucchini first. However, if you don’t like green flecks in your muffins or you are trying to hide the zucchini from picky eaters then you may want to peel (and discard the peels) before grating your zucchini.

How to Make Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl you will combine most of the wet ingredients with the sugars and whisk well. Then, you’ll add the grated zucchini, apple, and melted butter.
3. Separately you combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and sift well.
4. Then, combine the two mixtures and stir until combined, but don’t beat. Its ok if there are some small lumps.
5. Divide batter evenly among 2 dozen standard sized muffin cups – I fill each cup completely to the top.
6. Bake until done.
7. Allow muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin.
8. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 10-20 minutes.

Can I Double This Recipe for Zucchini Muffins?

Yes! If you want to make a few extra zucchini muffins, doubling this recipe is a great idea! The bake time will remain the same.

If you plan to make mini muffins or jumbo muffins, however, the bake time will change. I’m sorry but I don’t have the numbers for this because I always make them standard size.

Click HERE to save this recipe for Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins to Pinterest!

How to Store Zucchini Muffins

These Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins will last for 2-4 days when stored properly. Here are my muffin storage tips:

STEP ONE: Transfer the baked muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. If you store warm muffins, you’ll end up with a lot of excess moisture on your muffins due to condensation (and this causes them to go soggy AND mold).

STEP TWO: Place a sheet of paper towels on the bottom of a large, lidded storage container. You can also use gallon sized ziptop bags with a sheet of paper towel inside.

The paper towels will help absorb any excess moisture that is released from the zucchini muffins.

STEP THREE: Transfer the muffins to the paper towel lined container or bag.

STEP FOUR: Lay another paper towel on top of the muffins.

Depending on how deep your container is, you may be able to fit more than one layer of muffins. In this case, repeat the process – always end with a paper towel on top of the last layer of spiced zucchini muffins. A bag will likely fit only one layer.

STEP FIVE: Place the lid on the container (or zip the bag) and store at room temperature.

Click HERE to save this recipe for Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins to Pinterest!

Can You Freeze Zucchini Muffins?

Yes, you can definitely freeze these zucchini muffins – it is something that I love to do! Freeze these Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. When ready to eat, place on the counter to thaw or gently reheat in the microwave.

For detailed freezing instructions, check out this post: How to Freeze Muffins (+15 Easy Muffin Recipes to Try!).

Tips for the Best Ever Zucchini Muffins

• When measuring flour, make sure to lightly scoop and then level your measuring cup with a knife. Don’t pack the flour tightly.
• Measure the dry ingredients together first and whisk well so the baking soda & powder and the spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
• Tip: Instead of measuring out so many individual spices, you can use 3 – 5 teaspoons of this pre-blended Chai Spice Seasoning.
• Use unsweetened applesauce so your batter isn’t overly sweet.
• Want to make these muffins over the top amazing? Try adding some streusel to the top. I love the streusel in this recipe for Zucchini Cherry Muffins.
• Rotate the pans halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots. This will help them brown evenly.

More Zucchini Recipes to Make

Looking for more tasty recipes to use up that garden zucchini before zucchini season is over? Check out some of these favorite zucchini recipes, or browse the recipe index archives for even more great recipe ideas:

Pesto Pork Chop and Summer Vegetable Foil Dinners – Fresh, summertime vegetables are tossed in pesto and balsamic and cooked with boneless pork chops in this makeover version of the classic foil dinners from childhood.

Ricotta is mixed with a combination of primavera style vegetables, parmesan, and fresh herbs to create a tasty primavera stuffing to fill manicotti pasta. The manicotti primavera is then baked smothered in homemade marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese for a comforting meal

Italian Chicken, Mushroom, and Zucchini Skillet is a super easy dinner recipe for busy school nights. It features pan seared chicken tenderloins, zucchini and sliced mushrooms in garlicky herbed tomato sauce.

This Fresh Zucchini Corn Salsa would make a great appetizer or snack, but with the added protein from the black beans, it also makes a perfect light and healthy lunch.

Zucchini is stuffed with a mixture of salsa and ground turkey and topped with cheese and avocado salsa for a quick, easy and healthy dinner in this recipe Tex-Mex Stuffed Zucchini with Avocado Salsa.

Grilled Summer Squash Crostini with Goat Cheese and Pesto is a great way to savor the abundance of zucchini and yellow squash during the summer months.

This Zucchini Tomato Basil Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette is a light and refreshing summertime salad and perfect when your garden is exploding with tomatoes, basil, and zucchini in the later summer months.

Try this recipe for No-Bake Grilled Vegetable Lasagna when it is still too hot to turn the oven on.

What are your favorite zucchini recipes?

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Original post Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins – A Zucchini Muffin Recipe from Jul 13, 2009 follows:

This morning I was up quite a bit before Logan.

I took the opportunity to get a few things done, like work on emptying the dishwasher and loading the things that  didn’t make it in last night.

Getting things accomplished in the morning is not a regular occurrence in our house because Logan is usually up pretty early.

After a bit, Logan came down and saw me in the kitchen. He wanted to know what I was making.

He already had muffins in mind for breakfast. I already had a bowl of freshly grated garden zucchini. It looked like a plan to me. Time to get going on a zucchini muffin recipe – Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins!

I love that he had a request for me. I love that it was something we could enjoy together.

There isn’t a lot of that with him being such a picky eater. I love that he knows that he can ask me to make him something special and that I love to do it for him. I love that I used zucchini I grew myself.