You’ll enjoy these simple, one-bowl Banana Zucchini Muffins! Lightly spiced with cinnamon, they’re made with whole wheat flour, oats, grated zucchini, mashed banana, and optional walnuts and chocolate chips. Ready in just 22 minutes, they’re perfect for a healthy breakfast or a nutritious mid-day snack.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup grated zucchini (measure before squeezing out moisture)
- ¼ cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup milk of your choice
- 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (or a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with liners or lightly grease with oil.
- Place the grated zucchini in the center of a clean dish towel or a large paper towel. Wrap it up and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mash the very ripe bananas until smooth.
- Add the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, honey (or maple syrup), and milk to the mashed bananas. Mix well.
- Stir in the whole wheat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix to keep the muffins fluffy.
- Gently fold in the squeezed zucchini, walnuts, and chocolate chips, again avoiding overmixing.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin. If desired, top with extra walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Tip: If you have a kitchen thermometer, bake until the muffins reach an internal temperature of 200°F (93°C) to ensure they’re cooked through but not overbaked, which can lead to dryness.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 15 minutes before enjoying.
- Once completely cooled, store in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze for up to a month.
NOTES
Original Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup mashed banana
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions for Original Recipe:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with liners or grease with oil.
- Squeeze the moisture from the grated zucchini as mentioned above and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, mashed banana, honey (or maple syrup), and milk. Mix well.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except for the zucchini, and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the muffins fluffy. The batter will be thicker than traditional muffin recipes, but it should be easily scoopable.
- Fold the drained zucchini into the batter.
- Portion the batter into the prepared muffin tin, adding extra banana slices on top if desired.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before enjoying.
- Store in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze for up to a month.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (PER MUFFIN):
- Calories: 226 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Cholesterol: 38 mg
- Sodium: 233 mg
- Potassium: 211 mg
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Vitamin A: 97 IU
- Vitamin C: 4 mg
- Calcium: 56 mg
- Iron: 1 mg
