Carrot Zucchini Spice Muffins

Published September 3, 2017. Updated October 27, 2018

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Carrot Zucchini Spice Muffins are the perfect muffins to finish up summer with! They’re perfectly spiced, deliciously sweet, incredibly moist and just simply irresistible!

Muffins with Zucchini Carrots and Spices

Zucchini Muffins with Carrots Too!

Yes please to this combo! It’s been far too long since I’ve shared a batch of muffins. The last muffins I shared were these Healthier Whole Wheat Honey Banana Muffins.

And yes of course those muffins are the perfect use for overripe bananas but when you’ve got an abundance of that end of summer zucchini and carrots around these are the muffins you’ll want to make!

I’ve already made these muffins three times this summer and I just made them again to put in my kids school lunches. Because we are all crazy about these muffins!

Carrot Zucchini Spice Muffins

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder and baking soda
  • Salt
  • Spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves
  • Granulated sugar and brown sugar
  • Canola oil
  • Unsweetened applesauce
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla
  • Carrots
  • Zucchini

Is There a Substitute for All the Spices?

If you don’t have all the spices listed here you can actually just use 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice since it has the same spices (with a little allspice too).

Muffins mixture with shredded zucchini and carrots in a mixing bowl.

White or Whole Wheat Flour?

I’ve made them with white all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour, and both work really well here.

So if you are going the healthier route and using white whole wheat flour you could also cut back on the sugar some and maybe even replace a little bit of the sugar with real maple syrup.

But I personally prefer them just as they are, more of like a treat.

Because they remind me of one of my favorite cake – CARROT CAKE! And carrot cake is sweet.

Muffins with Zucchini Carrots and Spices

How to Make Zucchini Muffins

  • Preheat oven and line muffin cups.
  • In a bowl whisk dry ingredients.
  • In another bowl whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, canola oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla.
  • Stir in carrots and zucchini.
  • Add in flour mixture and walnuts if using then stir and fold batter with a rubber spatula just until combined.
  • Divide batter among prepared muffin cups filling each cup nearly full.
  • Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean then let cool.

Can I Make Them into Cupcakes?

But here I’m sacrificing and leaving off a cream cheese frosting, but if you wanted to turn these into cupcakes that would be perfectly acceptable.

These could totally pass for cupcakes too.

And if you need to hide the fact that there’s zucchini in them from your kids, just peel the zucchini first. Because some kids hate “that green stuff.”

Carrot Zucchini Spice Muffins

Whip a batch of these up this week! You won’t regret it!

Easy to make, no mixer required and brimming with flavor. That’s my kind of breakfast or midday treat!

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Carrot Zucchini Spice Muffins
4.80 from 15 votes

Carrot Zucchini Spice Muffins

These zucchini and carrot swirled muffins are deliciously spiced and perfectly sweet, plus they're soft incredibly moist. A great way to use up zucchini and such a tasty treat!
Servings: 12 muffins
Prep15 minutes
Cook23 minutes
Ready in: 38 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper muffin cups. 
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves for 20 seconds. Set aside.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar, canola oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla.
  • Stir in carrots and zucchini. Add in flour mixture and walnuts if using then stir and fold batter with a rubber spatula just until combined.
  • Divide batter among prepared muffin cups filling each cup nearly full. 
  • Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 - 24 minutes. 
  • Cool in muffin pan several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store muffins in an airtight container.
  • Recipe source: Cooking Classy

Notes

Nutritional information based on white flour and does not include nuts.
Nutrition Facts
Carrot Zucchini Spice Muffins
Amount Per Serving
Calories 246 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Cholesterol 31mg10%
Sodium 173mg8%
Potassium 165mg5%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 19g21%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 1880IU38%
Vitamin C 3.1mg4%
Calcium 44mg4%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.