The Best Easy Apple Spice Muffins with Zucchini for Breakfast
These apple spice muffins with zucchini are a delicious way to use up the fall harvest. Made with no added sugar, they’re a healthy breakfast for the whole family or perfect for snack time and lunches for the kids at school. They’re a hearty homemade treat and everything you love about a bakery-style muffin.
There’s nothing quite like the cozy taste of a warm homemade baked good straight from your own oven. Paired with a piping hot cup of coffee and the quintessential orchard fresh autumn flavor, these apple spice muffins are sure to be a staple in your fall baking lineup.
If your kitchen counters look anything like mine this time of year, you’ve got an abundance of zucchini and apples to use up. With the freezers full and jars all used up for canning, baking up a batch of muffins is the perfect way to use up the abundance of each before they go bad.
Why You’ll Love These Apple Spice Muffins
Homemade and healthy – As a homemade baked good, these apple spice muffins don’t contain any added chemicals, preservatives or seed oils, unlike store-bought or pre-packaged items. With no added sugar and full of fiber and nutrients, these muffins are a much healthier alternative for kids to take to school verses what’s offered through breakfast and lunch programs.
Easy to make – In an hour or less, these muffins are cooling off, ready for eager hands to enjoy. To make the process even quicker, shred the zucchini with a food processor and slice and dice the apples with a peeler/corer device.
Preserve the harvest – Instead of freezing or canning, use up zucchini and apples inside this cozy fall recipe. These muffins are easy enough to make that you could make a big batch and store in the freezer for quick grab-and-go occasions.
Helpful Hints for Bakery-Style Muffins
- The amount of flour called for is enough to account for the extra moisture that both the apples and zucchini supply to the batter. I recommend using this amount for the best results.
- I use regular all-purpose flour in this recipe, but feel free to use any variety of wheat flour as a substitute. Although most gluten-free flours should work for this muffin recipe, it is not tested for them. Results could vary.
- For an even distribution of the apples and zucchini throughout the batter and while baking, it’s important to coat them with the flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients.
- If you prefer a little sweetener inside your muffins, add a 1/4-1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup. Or when they’re eaten individually, spread with a little honey or jam.
- The sugar sprinkled on top is for a little crunch and presentation, but omit this step if you’re looking to keep your muffins completely sugar-free.
- Before baking, let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes while you cut the parchment paper squares for each muffin holder. The batter gets thick and bakes up bigger, fuller size muffins seen in bakeries and coffee shops.
- Use an oversize parchment paper square to assist the muffin in baking up big and fluffy instead of a fitted muffin liner. Cut a slit in all four corners of each piece of paper to better fit each holder.
For more tips on how to make the best bakery-style muffins, visit my post for Bakery Style Berry Muffins.
Ingredients for Apple Spice Muffins
Apples – Any variety will do! Organic is always the best option, but locally picked from an orchard bakes up beautifully too.
Zucchini – Shred up those large overgrown zucchini’s for this recipe or grab a bag of frozen from the freezer. If you use frozen zucchini, double the amount called for in the recipe.
Flour – The recipe calls for regular all-purpose flour, but use your preferred type of flour or what you have on hand. I tend to use einkorn from Jovial Foods.
Applesauce – To keep this recipe truly no sugar, use a no-sugar added applesauce.
Apple Spice – If you don’t have any on hand, mix 2 parts cinnamon, 1part nutmeg and 1/2 parts ginger and cloves. Use 1/2 tablespoon of that mix for this recipe.
A full list of ingredients is in the recipe card down below.
Equipment Needed
Muffin pan
Mixing bowls, whisk and stir spoon
Parchment paper and scissors
How to Make Apple Spice Muffins with Zucchini
Step-by-Step Instructions
1.) In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Use a whisk and stir together for 30 seconds to a minute to fully mix the ingredients.
2.) In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Let the butter cool before adding it to the other wet ingredients.
3.) Add shredded zucchini and diced apples to the dry ingredients.
Mix together until they are fully coated with flour.
4.) Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stir together just until they are combined. Do not over mix. It’s okay to have spots of flour not mixed in.
Set batter aside for 15-20 minutes.
5.) Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Fill muffin pan with cupcake liners or pieces of parchment paper. Scoop batter into each liner and sprinkle with sugar and apple spice, if desired.
Bake for 30 minutes.
6.) Remove from oven and set aside to cool before eating.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week or place in the freezer. Enjoy!
FAQ’s for Apple Spice Muffins with Zucchini
Do both the apples and zucchini need to be peeled?
It’s a personal preference, but I do not peel either one and the recipe turns out perfectly.
How do I get high tops on my muffins?
Let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes before baking to thicken. Then scoop into parchment paper lined muffin holders all the way to the top. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 15 minutes.
Is there a fat substitute for butter?
I only recommend ghee or coconut oil as a substitute for butter because they keep the best soft texture.
More Recipes From Becky’s Kitchen
The Best Pasta Sauce for Canning with Fresh Garden Herbs
The Best Homemade Pumpkin Sausage Soup for Fall
Simple Bakery Style Berry Orange Muffins with Discard
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Hand Pies with Honey Icing
The Best Christmas Sourdough Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
If you make this recipe and love it, come on back and leave it a 5-star review! Tag me with your photos on Instagram @beckybuttlesamericana
Thank you for stopping by my blog! –Becky
Easy Apple Spice Muffins with Zucchini
These apple spice muffins with zucchini are a delicious way to use up the fall harvest. Made with no added sugar, they're a healthy breakfast for the whole family or perfect for snack time and lunches for the kids at school. They're a hearty homemade treat and everything you love about a bakery-style muffin.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup (350g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon (4g) apple spice
- 1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup (120g) milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (140g) shredded zucchini
- 2 cups (130g) finely diced apples
Equipment Needed
- Muffin pan
- Mixing bowls, whisk, stir spoon
- Parchment paper and scissors
Instructions
1.) In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Use a whisk and stir together for 30 seconds to a minute to fully mix the ingredients.
2.) In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Let the butter cool before adding it to the other wet ingredients.
3.) Add shredded zucchini and diced apples to the dry ingredients. Mix together until they are fully coated with flour.
4.) Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Stir together just until they are combined. Do not over mix. It's okay to have spots of flour not mixed in. Set batter aside for 15-20 minutes.
5.) Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Fill muffin pan with cupcake liners or pieces of parchment paper. Scoop batter into each liner and sprinkle with sugar and apple spice, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes.
6.) Remove from oven and set aside to cool before eating.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week or place in the freezer. Enjoy!
Notes
1.) The amount of flour called for is enough to account for the extra moisture that both the apples and zucchini supply to the batter. I recommend using this amount for the best results.
2.) I use regular all-purpose flour in this recipe, but feel free to use any variety of wheat flour as a substitute. Although most gluten-free flours should work for this muffin recipe, it is not tested for them. Results could vary.
3.) For an even distribution of the apples and zucchini throughout the batter and while baking, it's important to coat them with the flour mixture before adding the wet ingredients.
4.) If you prefer a little sweetener inside your muffins, add a 1/4-1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup. Or when they're eaten individually, spread with a little honey or jam.
5.) The sugar sprinkled on top is for a little crunch and presentation, but omit this step if you're looking to keep your muffins completely sugar-free.
6.) Before baking, let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes while you cut the parchment paper squares for each muffin holder. The batter gets thick and bakes up bigger, fuller size muffins seen in bakeries and coffee shops.
7.) Use an oversize parchment paper square to assist the muffin in baking up big and fluffy instead of a fitted muffin liner. Cut a slit in all four corners of each piece of paper to better fit each holder.
I’m a wife and homemaker inspiring old-fashioned skills for a homemade, self-sufficient lifestyle, always with a warm beverage in hand. Homemade Recipes. Gardening. Preserving. Healthy Living.
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