Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

This easy pumpkin zucchini muffins recipe is the best, and a perfect Fall breakfast. Shredded zucchini and pumpkin bread together are the perfect pairing. These are Delicious!! Like our Grandma’s moist zucchini bread recipe but with pumpkin puree!

We planted two zucchini plants this year and that meant we had A LOT and needed to come up with tasty zucchini recipes. So these pumpkin zucchini muffins were born. One of the best muffin recipes we have.

I was told that they were even featured on the Hallmark channel last month! That was really exciting so if you are here because you saw them there and couldn’t wait to make them then welcome. If not well we love that you are here too. You won’t be disappointed y’all.

Homemade zucchini bread or muffins are one of my favorite snacks / breakfasts so the combination of the two just had to be good, and they were! Of course you could make a loaf of pumpkin zucchini bread but we love making muffins because they cook a bit faster, are already portioned out.

What size zucchini are best for baking?

I prefer to use medium size zucchinis. I have a garden out back so many times I don’t even buy them. The larger they get the more moisture they will have. At times I have had to squeeze the paper towel you see here over the sink because it is so wet.

How do you grate zucchini for muffins?

You could use a mini muffin pan, standard size, or mini bundt pan like we did here (then flipped them over so you can see the bottom here) it is really up to you. The timing would just need to be adjusted depending on what size pumpkin zucchini muffins you made.

Should I peel zucchini for muffins?

I never do. The inside has a lot of moisture so you kinda’ want to leave it all in tact so it can be shredded and stay together. Just make sure to roll the shreds in paper towels to remove water before baking with it.

Moisture is your enemy when it comes to using vegetable inside muffins for sure. You don’t want added water in the batter, that makes sense right? This is how to get rid of that. Gentle is key too. You don’t need to force anything. Just the weight of your hand will get all the extras out of it as you can see here.

If they are really large you may need to press over the sink because there may be a lot of water that comes out. This step is important so you aren’t adding water into your batter, it won’t come out as well if you skip this step.

Here are the ingredients we used. I like medium size veggies because there isn’t quite as much water inside. You’re going to want to absorb all of that anyway so stay away from the huge types.

Ingredient Notes

You are going to want a few medium sized Zucchini that have been shredded and pressed with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.

As for the Pumpkin puree you can use canned or this is how to make homemade pumpkin puree if you want to start from scratch.

As for the dry ingredients you are going to use All purpose flour for the base of them.

You want some salted Butter or you could use plant based butter product if you need these to be dairy free. I have used that for my husband so he can enjoy them too.

White granulated Sugar is used for sweetness, could you half brown sugar for more of a molasses flavor.

Large Eggs should be added at room temperature if at all possible and whisked before adding in with other ingredients.

Use both Baking powder and some baking soda as leavening agents to make them as fluffy and light as possible.

Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Pumpkin Pie Spice add to the wow of the Fall flavors that you would expect.

If you want to add add ins like nuts or chips I would stick to the amount of about 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips semi-sweet style. Muffin tin to fill 3/4 full, I used a mini bundt pan for the ones you see here. Mixer – I have a NutriMill Artiste you see in the video, it’s fabulous. Wire rack for cooling is handy.

Baking Tips

Make sure to measure flour properly. You always want to spoon dry ingredients it into your measuring cup and kinda’ fluff it when filling it up. Last Christmas I got a KitchenAid so I use that now but any hand held works to make this and our Pumpkin angel food cake to get the batter smooth.

If you want to know how to half a recipe to make less, read this post. Tip: Spray your pan with non stick spray to clean a pot.

How Long to Bake Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

How Long to Bake Mini Muffins at 350 is here, those are fun and fastest If making regular size muffins they should take approx 18-20 minutes, we made mini bundts that were rather full (in the pics) and they took 35 minutes. Regular size loaf pans take closer to 45 minutes.

Is muffin batter supposed to be thick?

This one is. I have had many comments below worried because it is denser than others, do NOT worry about it. Trust me and these instructions because they work. Many will come back and share how they were wrong and how wonderful they turned out. Yes, it is thicker than “normal”, keep going…..

Video

Other easy muffin recipes you’ll love

Sometimes we like a little butter on these or our apple zucchini muffins but not necessary. Then try our Easy pumpkin apple bread is amazing too. I like peeled Fuji that brings moisture and a bit of texture to your loaf.