These zucchini muffins are a light and refreshing muffin with lemon zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg, for the perfect summer time muffin! They’re so good for breakfast or a snack!

I was late to get a garden going this year, so hopefully by next year this time I’ll finally have a garden full of fresh zucchini. But even if you don’t have your own garden full of zucchini you’ll likely have a neighbor or friend who has some extra growing, or you can grab some from a local farmers market, or even grocery store.

Are you a cookbook junkie like me? I love cookbooks, I even collect cookbooks (even if there is only 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 recipes I typically use in each of them) and I even read cookbooks. Some of them are homemade favorites from family and friends, others are specialty books like mini donuts or salads for every day (it’s all about balance right? 😉 ), some are from my favorite restaurants. And I even have 2 or 3 that I received as a wedding present (over 29 years ago!)

I discovered a zucchini bread recipe in my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook and adapted it to make these yummy zucchini muffins. Instead of oil I used applesauce to make these a little lighter, and of course I had to adjust the baking time for muffins instead of a loaf of bread.

I am so glad I found this zucchini muffin recipe, because it has an extra ingredient I might not have ever thought to add – LEMON ZEST! I know I have my lemon zucchini bread recipe, but I love that these muffins have lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s such a delicious combination and so fresh for these zucchini muffins.

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I like adding walnuts or pecans to my muffins for a nice crunch, but you can leave them out if you prefer.

These zucchini muffins are so easy to make, and of course even easier to eat. They’re a little sweet, and can be gobbled up as they are, or with some yummy butter spread all over them.

How to make Zucchini Muffins?

First preheat your oven and grease a muffin tin, or line it with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl combine your flour cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl mix together the sugar, egg, and zucchini. Add the applesauce and lemon zest to the zucchini mixture. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture. Fold the chopped nuts into the batter.

Scoop about 1/3 cup of batter into each of the muffin spots, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. Bake in the oven until the muffins are a golden brown on top, and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove the muffins from the pan to enjoy warm, or let cool completely.

How to store Zucchini Muffins?

If you happen to have some zucchini muffins leftover you can store them for up to 3 days at room temperature in in a container with a loose fitting lid (Too tight of a lid and the muffins will get too soggy with extra moisture)

You can also freeze the muffins for up to 3 months. Once they are completely cooled wrap them in plastic wrap individually, then place them all in a freezer safe bag and freeze. you can thaw them at room temperature, or in the microwave till they’re warm.

Looking for more zucchini recipes?

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These zucchini muffins were first posted on April 17, 2015. Photos updated on July 8, 2020.

Zucchini Muffins

These zucchini muffins are a light and refreshing muffin with lemon zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg, for the perfect summer time muffin! They’re so good for breakfast or a snack!