Banana Zucchini Muffins with Walnuts
Pack a little veggie and fruit into a tender, lightly sweet and spiced package that everyone will devour. Easy to make with a one-bowl batter and quick baking time. Freezer-friendly for make-ahead breakfasts. We love adding walnuts, but they're optional. (Or add chocolate chips for a real treat!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini from one medium-large plant
- 3 small or 2 medium bananas very ripe
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour see note
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1-2 cups walnut halves and pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat a muffin tin with baking spray or line with paper cups. (This recipe usually yields 16 regular-sized muffins for me.)
- Grate zucchini on the side of a box grater, then place in a small bowl lined with a double layer of paper towels. Set aside.
- Place peeled bananas in a large bowl or in your stand mixer. Beat until very well mashed, then add the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix into an even batter, then sprinkle flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on top. Mix on low speed, again until evenly combined.
- Wrap the paper towels tightly around the shredded zucchini, hold over the sink, and press all over with your hands to squeeze out a good amount of the excess water. Once you’re getting only small drips, fold back the paper towels and shake the zucchini out over the batter.
- Add walnuts and fold gently until the batter is evenly mixed.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each just over 3/4 of the way to the top. (I like to use a large dough scoop, or you can fill them with a scant 1/3 cup each.) If desired, scatter a few walnut pieces on top of each muffin. (This is just for looks.)
- Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then, without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 12-15 minutes. When done, the muffins will be lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the centers will come out with moist crumbs, but no large streaks of batter.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Notes
- Flour: You can replace all or part of the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat.
- Extra Zucchini? Don’t throw it out! You can toss it into pesto, a pasta sauce, meatballs, a casserole, or another batch of muffins!
- Chocolate or other Mix-Ins: Feel free to add chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, shredded coconut, pecans, another type of nut, or any other mix-in you love, in addition to or in place of the walnuts. Just aim to keep the total volume of mix-ins around 1-2 cups for the best texture and dispersion.
- Storage: Muffins keep well at room temperature at least 2-3 days. I usually store them in an airtight container, leaving the zipper or lid slightly cracked, because they are very moist and this prevents any build-up of water droplets.
- Freezer: Yes, these can be frozen! Store in a freezer-safe ziplock or plastic storage container for 2-3 months. You can defrost as a batch on the counter overnight – crack the container to avoid excess condensation inside – or individually by warming in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 137 kcal, Carbohydrates: 30 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 1 g, Saturated Fat: 0.2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2 g, Trans Fat: 0.002 g, Cholesterol: 20 mg, Sodium: 117 mg, Potassium: 171 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 16 g, Vitamin A: 76 IU, Vitamin C: 5 mg, Calcium: 23 mg, Iron: 1 mg