Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

Published on September 06, 2024

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Quick Summary

These Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins are moist, tender, slightly sweet, and filled with warm spices that bring out the best fall flavors. Enjoy for breakfast, brunch, or a satisfying snack.

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I am still trying to use up the garden zucchini, but I am also in the mood for fall, so I made Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins to merge my two favorite seasons together. Plus, I've already made a million chocolate zucchini bread loaves and lemon zucchini bread loaves. It was time to make something new:)

I love that you get a taste of summer and fall in ONE delicious muffin! The pumpkin zucchini combo is fabulous!

Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

Pumpkin: The pumpkin gives these muffins a warm, slightly sweet, and earthy flavor. It also adds moisture, making the muffins tender and soft.
Zucchini: The zucchini makes the muffins extra moist and a bit fluffy. The zucchini flavor is subtle and doesn't overpower the pumpkin. A great way to add in veggies!
Spices: The muffins are spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. The spices provide a cozy fall-inspired taste that complements the pumpkin and zucchini beautifully.
Sweetness: The muffins are naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup. If you want, you can stir in a handful of chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
Texture: The muffins are soft, moist, and have a tender crumb. If you add nuts or chocolate chips, they'll give the muffins extra crunch and richness. The turbinado sugar also adds a nice sugary crunch.

The muffins make a great breakfast, snack, or even healthy dessert. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea, or grab and go! The muffins are also freezer friendly, so make an extra batch for the freezer, you will thank yourself later.

Table of Contents

Why You'll Love These Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
Muffin Ingredients
How to Make Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
Variations
How to Store
More Muffin Recipes
Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins Recipe

Muffin Ingredients

Flour– spoon and level when measuring.
Spices– cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Baking powder & baking soda
Salt
Pumpkin– use canned pumpkin puree!
Pure maple syrup– to sweeten the muffins.
Avocado oil– avocado oil works well in baking!
Eggs– at room temperature
Vanilla extract
Zucchini– I don't peel the zucchini. Use a box grater or food processor to shred it.
Chocolate chips– optional, but so good!
Turbinado sugar– to sprinkle on top of the muffins for a sugary crunch!

How to Make Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners and spray them with nonstick cooking spray to make sure the muffins don't stick. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, maple syrup, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, don't over mix.

Gently fold in the zucchini. If you are adding chocolate chips, stir them in too!

Divide the batter equally amongst the muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and the tops of the muffins bounce back when you gently press on them. You can also insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin, if it comes out clean, they are done.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 15 minutes.

Variations

You can use regular all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour. Gluten-free all-purpose flour will also work.
Instead of avocado oil, you can use vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted and slightly cooled coconut oil.
The muffins are delicious plain, but you can stir in chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
Stir in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for a little crunch.
Add dried cranberries or raisins.
Top the muffins with a simple streusel topping or sweet glaze.

How to Store

Storing at Room Temperature:

Allow the muffins to cool completely before storing them.
Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. This helps to maintain their moisture and prevent them from drying out.
For added freshness, place a paper towel in the bottom of the container to absorb any excess moisture, which can help prevent sogginess.

Freezing:

Cool completely cool before freezing.
Wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap. This prevents freezer burn and keeps them from sticking together. Store in a freezer bag or freezer container.

Muffins