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    Home » Dessert » Vegan Zucchini Muffins with Raisins

    Vegan Zucchini Muffins with Raisins

    Published: Sep 3, 2021 · Modified: Nov 15, 2022 by Jessica

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    These wholesome vegan zucchini muffins are very simple to make, but super moist, nicely spiced and great for breakfast, snack, dessert or to add in kid's lunch boxes. They taste like zucchini bread and are filled with good-for-you ingredients.

    Overhead view on a few vegan zucchini raisin muffins that are placed on a wooden board. There are a few raisin around the muffins and a zucchini as well as a blue hand towel.

    It's officially zucchini season! I hope you have been taking advantage of all the abundance of this extra versatile veggie.

    You can use zucchini in so many ways and add it to pretty much everything. You can turn them into noodles, chips or pickle them. You can even blend them to make a raw zucchini salad dressing!

    But one fun & unusual classic way to use zucchini is definitively to include them in sweet baked goods. Zucchini is a fairly tasteless vegetable that's filled with water. Adding zucchini to baked goods not only adds beneficial nutrients, but also maintains moisture to preserve texture in cake-like recipes. Muffins and breads are then moist and tender in such a healthy way.

    I know that vegan zucchini muffins might not be the most exciting recipe out there, but obviously, this one is special. The combination of raisins, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg makes them very flavorful and sweeter too. Every time I make a batch of these, our kids devour them without even realizing one bit that there is a green veggie hiding in there.

    Hope you give them a try! 💚

    Overhead view on a few vegan zucchini raisin muffins that are placed on a wooden board. There are a few raisin around the muffins and a zucchini as well as a blue hand towel.

    Why you'll love these vegan zucchini raisin muffins

    • Secretly healthy and fiber-rich
    • Kid-friendly
    • Soft, fluffy and super moist
    • Easy and quick to prepare
    • Free of refined white sugar, eggs and dairy
    • Slightly spiced and perfect to enjoy in the fall

    Ingredients you'll need and recipe variation

    • Flour: I used a white whole wheat flour from King Arthur to make them a little healthier.
    • Baking powder: Use fresh and aluminum-free for best result.
    • Cinnamon and nutmeg: They make for such a great combo with the raisins, but feel free to swap for cardamom, pumpkin spice mix or vanilla extract.
    • Vegan milk: Choose plain and unsweetened, any kind will work well.
    • Maple syrup: You can also swap for agave nectar, but do not use granulated sugar as it would change the texture.
    • Coconut oil: Melt it first so it blends better and use refined coconut oil if you want to avoid a coconut flavor.
    • Chia seeds: They help bind the batter, a little like eggs would. Also adds extra omega-3, fiber and protein to the muffins.
    • Lemon zest: You can omit it, but try not to! The subtle zesty flavor is not obvious, but really boosts the flavor and add some freshness.
    • Zucchini: I love green zucchini, but the yellow kind would work as well.
    • Raisins: swap for cranberries or chocolate chips. Chopped dates would also work great and add lots of natural sweetness.

    If you love nuts, then feel free to add a few chopped walnuts or pecans (not too much as it could weigh down the muffins).

    Showing are the ingredients needed to make this recipe: green vegetable, flour, spices, maple syrup, raisins, lemon, vegan milk, coconut oil and baking powder.

    Step-by-Step instructions

    Making these is so simple! Start by pre-heating the oven and cover a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

    Step 1- Combine the dry ingredients

    Start by combining the flour with the baking powder and spices.

    Step 2 - Combine the wet ingredients

    Then, combine the milk, maple syrup and melted coconut oil. The warm oil might clump slightly when in contact with the cold milk and syrup, that's fine. Also, add the chia seeds and lemon zest and stir well.

    Step 3 - Make the batter

    Pour the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. You do not want to over stir so you don't end up with hard muffins, stir until there are almost no dry pockets anymore.

    Then, add the zucchini and raisins, and stir.

    Step 4 - Then bake!

    Divide the batter in between the 12 prepared muffin tins and bake. Enjoy!

    • In process picture: there are the dry ingredients in a large bowl to make the muffins.
    • In process picture: There is a combination of wet ingredients in a bowl.
    • In process picture: There are wet ingredients that were poured over dry ingredients in a bowl and there is a spatula that's stirring.
    • In process picture: There is a spatula that's stirring as batter to make muffins.
    • In process picture: There is a muffin batter topped with shredded zucchini and raisins in a bowl with a spatula on the side.
    • In process picture: There are muffin liners filled with muffins batter ready to be bake.

    Watch how to make them

    A few baking tips

    • The batter will look thicker and drier then a classic muffin batter, but that's what you are looking for. The shredded zucchini will release a fair amount of moisture that will blend into the batter as it cooks.
    • The consistency of the batter won't allow you to pour the batter inside the muffin tins. Instead, I recommend you to use an ice cream spoon to divide the batter. Plus, it makes beautiful rounded shaped muffins! No ice cream scoops? Then, simply use a regular spoon!
    • To be sure you incorporate the right amount of flour, then I recommend you to use a spoon and level method to measure the flour - method described by Love and Lemons).
    Front angle view on a few vegan zucchini raisin muffins that are placed on a wooden board surrounded by raisins and fresh zucchini. There is a blue hand towel in the background.

    How to prepare the zucchini

    Simply clean them, remove their extremities and shred them. You do not have to peel them at all!

    To shred them, I like to use a simple cheese grater and I use the larger holes side. You can also chop them a little more after shredded with your knife if you don't want longer strings of veggies in the muffins.

    You could also use the shredding option on your food processor, but I'll do anything so I don't have to clean a food processor, so I prefer the by-hand method.

    You also DON'T have to squeeze their water out, their natural water content will make them tender and super moist!

    Can I make these vegan zucchini raisin muffins gluten-free?

    I haven't tried it, but heard great things about this 1:1 gluten-free flour from King Arthur. Do not substitute for other kind of gluten-free flour, such as almond or oat flour, as these might be too heavy for this recipe.

    Close up on a vegan zucchini muffin still in his paper tin and placed on a wooden board. There are fresh zucchinis in the background as well.

    Serving suggestions

    These healthy muffins make for a great paring with milky teas or chocolate milk, my kid's favorite.

    They are great as is, but spread some healthy blueberry jam, date caramel or the less-healthy-but-ultimate-treat, a layer of vegan butter.

    Storage tips

    Let the muffins completely cool down and then transfer them to an air-tight container. You can keep them at room temperature for a day or two, but for longer storage, keep them in the freezer.

    Simply let them thaw at room temperature before enjoying and warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave to revive them!

    To freeze them, you can use parchment paper to keep them apart from each and make sure they don't stick together while freezing.

    Overhead view on a vegan zucchini riasin muffins that was opened up and placed on a plate. There is a close up on its interior to shows texture and there are more muffins beside the plate as well.

    Other healthy muffin recipes you might like

    • Beet and chocolate muffins
    • Strawberry whole wheat muffins
    • Simple vegan banana muffins
    • Peach oatmeal muffins
    • Vegan carrot cupcakes
    • Vegan cranberry orange muffins

    Other zucchini recipes you might like

    • Vegan Italian dressing
    • Vegan zucchini fritters
    • Vegan chickpea burgers
    • Hummus pasta with roasted veggies
    • Vegan white zucchini lasagna
    • Zucchini potato soup

    I hope you enjoy these vegan zucchini muffins as much as we do! If you try them, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how they were. Your feedback is so helpful!

    Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.

    Close up on a vegan zucchini muffin still in his paper tin and placed on a wooden board. There are fresh zucchinis in the background as well.

    Vegan Zucchini Raisin Muffins

    These wholesome vegan zucchini raisin muffins are very simple to make, but super moist, nicely spiced and great for breakfast, snack, dessert or to add in kid's lunch boxes. They taste like zucchini bread and are filled with good-for-you ingredients.
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time19 mins
    Total Time29 mins
    Servings 12 muffins
    Author Jessica Laroche

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups flour - all-purpose or white whole wheat
    • 1 tbsp baking powder - (not tsp)
    • ½ tsp cinnamon
    • ⅛ tsp nutmeg
    • ½ cup plain vegan milk
    • ½ cup maple syrup
    • ⅓ cup coconut oil - refined and melted
    • 1 tsp lemon zest
    • 1 tbsp chia seeds
    • 1 ½ cups zucchini - unpeeled and shredded
    • ½ cup raisins

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat the oven to 400º. Line a muffin pan with paper liner.
    • Start by combining the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, combine the milk, maple syrup, melted coconut oil (I simply melt it for about 30-60 seconds in the microwave), chia seeds and lemon zest. Stir well.
    • Pour the milk mixture over the dried ingredients and combine (do not overmix). Then, add the shredded zucchini and raisins and stir (the batter might look thick, that's normal).
    • Divide the batter in between the 12 muffin tins and bake for 19 minutes. Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    • The batter will look thicker and drier then a classic muffin batter, but that's what you are looking for. The shredded zucchini will release a fair amount of moisture that will blend into the batter as it cooks.
    • The consistency of the batter won't allow you to pour the batter inside the muffin tins. Instead, I recommend you to use an ice cream spoon to divide the batter. Plus, it makes beautiful rounded shaped muffins! No ice cream scoops? Then, simply use a regular spoon!
    • To be sure you incorporate the right amount of flour, then I recommend you to use a spoon and level method to measure the flour - method described by Love and Lemons).
    • Storage: Let them cool down completely, then transfer to a air-tight container so they don't dry. Keep at room temperature for 1-2 days, but for longer storage keep them in the freezer. Let them thaw at room temperature.
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    Hi there! I’m Jessica, a pasta obsessed French Canadian now living in beautiful Maine. I’m a mom of two, experienced foodie and ninja meal planner. I believe everyone can make stress-free plant-based meals with wholesome ingredients that your family and friends will love. 

    Join me in my kitchen to discover fun and creative recipes or click to find out more. Welcome!

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