Easy Zucchini Breakfast Muffins with Greek Yogurt

Bake soft and moist zucchini breakfast muffins with Greek yogurt. Mix up the batter the night before and bake 12 fresh muffins in the morning.

Muffins freeze and reheat perfectly for an easy everyday breakfast.

If you have an abundance of zucchini, wake up to fresh zucchini breakfast muffins. You will love this zucchini muffin recipe, which lets you mix the batter the night before and bake fresh muffins right before breakfast.

These soft, tender muffins bake tall when the batter is refrigerated overnight. The fluffy muffins are filled with zucchini shreds and delicious spices. They are a healthy breakfast you'll make again and again each zucchini season.

The muffins freeze superbly well! So, they are the perfect breakfast for busy mornings. Pull one out of the freezer and microwave it for a healthy breakfast the whole family will love.

Homemade zucchini muffins are so tasty that they will be a huge hit as a snack or dessert.

So, bring on that summer zucchini. 

RELATED: Check out this delicious recipe for mini chocolate chip zucchini bread.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Recommended Equipment
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Directions for Easy Zucchini Muffins
• Tasty Tips
• How to Serve Zucchini Muffins
• How to Store Leftover Muffins
• Hungry for More Muffins
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Zucchini. Finely shred the zucchini so it blends easily into the batter. Then press as much liquid out as possible.

• Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt adds tang and moisture just like sour cream or buttermilk.

• Unsalted butter, melted. Cut the butter before melting it in the microwave so it melts faster.

• Vegetable oil. Olive oil or canola oil can be used instead of vegetable oil.

• Large eggs. Use room-temperature eggs.

• Vanilla extract

• Dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder

• White and brown sugar. The combination of sugars adds a delicious flavor combination.

• Spices: Cinnamon, allspice, ginger. If possible, use fresh ginger. It adds a wonderful flavor. However, you can use ground ginger instead if you like.

Substitutions

• Substitute regular or white whole wheat flour for some or all of the all-purpose flour. The muffins will be heavier and not rise as high, but they will still be good.

• Use sour cream or buttermilk instead of Greek yogurt for a similar flavor and texture.

• If you want vegan zucchini muffins, try a flax egg (ground flax seed mixed with water) in place of the eggs.

Variations

• Chocolate zucchini muffins. Reduce the flour by ¼ cup and add ¼ cup of cocoa powder.

• Chocolate chip zucchini muffins. Stir in ½ to 1 cup of chocolate chips with a wooden spoon into the muffin batter. I recommend using mini chocolate chips.

• Carrot zucchini muffins recipe. Use half each of grated zucchini and carrot for a veggie-filled muffin.

• Sparkling muffins. Sprinkle sparkling sugar or turbinado raw sugar on the tops of the muffins before they bake.
  
  This makes a delicious zucchini muffin that is more of a light dessert than a breakfast.

• Mini muffins. Use the same recipe in a mini muffin pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 to 20 minutes.

Directions for Easy Zucchini Muffins

• Wash a medium-sized zucchini (or two small zucchini) and dry it.

• Shred the zucchini with a zester, box grater, or food processor.
  
  Grate using the smallest holes for a finer texture. This will produce tiny, more delicate shreds that blend effortlessly into the batter.
  
  You will get 1 to 1½ cups of zucchini.

• Use a paper towel to press the liquid out of the zucchini shreds. Add the zucchini to a wire mesh strainer and gently press with paper towels. The liquid should squeeze out while the zucchini stays in the strainer.
  
  No strainer? Sandwich the zucchini shreds between two paper towels on a plate and press out the excess liquid.
  
  If the zucchini has a lot of moisture, you may need to swap out the wet paper towels for dry ones. 
  
  The volume of squeezed zucchini will now be about ¾ to 1 cup (140 to 165 grams).
  
  You can use less zucchini without a change in the muffin texture. Adding much more zucchini may make the muffin heavier.

• Peel and grate the ginger.

• Sift the flour and then measure it. Weighing it with a kitchen scale is the perfect way to ensure precise measurements. 

• Whisk in the salt, baking powder, and the spices. If you are using fresh ginger, wait to add it until later. Set the dry ingredients aside.

• Cut the butter into pieces. Then, melt it in the microwave on high in a microwave-safe container for about 45 seconds or until melted. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl.

• Stir the oil into the melted butter. Add the white and brown sugar and mix until smooth. I like to use an electric hand mixer, but you can use a whisk or wooden spoon if you prefer.

• Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and Greek yogurt. Mix for about 30 seconds until smooth. Add the fresh ginger (if using) and the zucchini shreds and mix until combined.

• Fold the flour into the wet ingredients with a spatula or wooden spoon. Do not overmix.

• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and pull the muffin mix from the fridge.

• Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Or, use nonstick cooking spray on your pan.

• Use a muffin scoop to fill the muffin cups ¾ of the way full. This recipe should make 12 regular-sized muffins.

• Bake in the oven at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) (without opening the oven).
  
  Continue to bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are golden brown. Don't overbake, or you may end up with dry muffins.

• Remove the muffin pan from the oven and cool it on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
  
  Then, remove the muffins from the pan and cool them for 5 minutes before serving them. Serve with a pat of butter and a cold glass of milk.

Tasty Tips

• Shred the zucchini as finely as possible. Using a food processor is the easiest. However, the small side of a box grater works too.
  
  Finely shredded zucchini gives the muffins a lighter texture. And it is a better way to disguise the veggie if you have zucchini haters in the family. 

• For best results, use a paper towel to press the excess moisture out of the zucchini shreds. This prevents the muffins from getting too mushy.

• If you are pressed for time, you don't have to refrigerate the batter before baking. However, the chilling gives the flavors a chance to meld together and makes the zucchini muffins bake taller.

• Make a double batch of muffins to freeze for an always-ready breakfast or snack. Freezing muffins is one of my favorite ways to ensure a homemade breakfast any morning.

How to Serve Zucchini Muffins

The best zucchini muffins are served warm with a cold glass of milk.

They are also an excellent side dish to go with fruit salad. Or serve with cinnamon rolls for a brunch party.

How to Store Leftover Muffins

Muffins are best eaten the day they are baked. However, they will remain fresh for another day or two when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

However, freezing leftover muffins is a great way to always have fresh muffins. Be sure they have cooled completely before freezing.

Place the cooled muffins in a freezer bag or container. Label and freeze for 3 or 4 months.

Pull a muffin out of the freezer when you want a quick breakfast or snack. Heat in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds and enjoy.

Hungry for More Muffins

If muffins are your family favorites, you'll want to check out these muffin recipes.

• Sparkling buttermilk blueberry muffins (Jumbo)

• Banana muffins

Recipe

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