With four kinds of produce, including two fruits and two veggies, these healthy Zucchini Carrot Muffins are a perfect kids breakfast or snack. They store well in the fridge and freezer so you can make a batch and have it on hand for easy meals!
My kids aren’t super into zucchini…unless it’s tucked into a baked good. So each year when we have too much zucchini (or we get bags of it left by our front door…) I bake it up into muffins.
I love this easy toddler muffin recipe since it has zucchini and carrot, plus simple pantry staples. They’re moist, tender, and easy to make and store.
These are sweetened with ripe banana and maple syrup and taste like classic zucchini bread…only they’re in a really fun-to-eat mini muffin size!
(You may also like Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins, Carrot Cake Muffins, and Healthy Zucchini Muffins.)
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients that you’ll need to make this Zucchini Carrot Muffin recipe so you know what to pick up at the store:
- Carrot: We’ll grate this so it blends right into the muffin batter.
- Zucchini: This veggie gets grated, then squeezed really dry before adding it to the batter.
- Eggs or an egg substitute.
- Very ripe banana (about 1 large banana): This adds nice flavor and sweetness.
- Melted and slightly cooled butter (or neutral oil like canola)
- Maple syrup (or honey): To add a little more sweetness.
- Whole wheat flour: I use this flour here since it helps absorb moisture from the produce in the recipe so the muffins bake through nicely.
- Raisins or chocolate chips: You can pick one or other, or do a mix of both.
- Cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda to round things out.
TIP: I prefer to grate a whole carrot, rather than buying it already grated, since it tends to have a finer texture that blends more easily into a muffin when you do it at home.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a quick look at the steps in this Zucchini Carrot Muffin recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Grate the carrot and zucchini. Mash the banana until very smooth.
- Squeeze the zucchini really well and dry in a towel.
- Add all of the wet ingredients to a medium-size bowl. Stir.
- Stir the ingredients rest of the ingredients to make an even batter.
- Portion into a mini muffin pan.
- Bake and serve or store.
TIP: Be sure to squeeze your zucchini very dry to ensure the best final texture in these muffins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are very easy to make without eggs if there’s an allergy in your house by omitting the eggs and adding a little milk and additional baking soda. See the Notes below the recipe for the specifics.
TIP: You can also make them dairy-free and gluten-free. They are naturally nut-free.
You can trade in applesauce if that works better for your family.
We usually have these healthy muffins with a side of fruit. They’d also pair well with soup, scrambled eggs, or diced cheese. I like them as a quick snack or lunch for myself with coffee or a smoothie.
Other Muffins for Kids You May Like
I love making muffins and I have so many that are chock full of goodness. Here are a few favorites.
- Applesauce Muffins
- Spinach Banana Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Savory Veggie Muffins
- Vegan Zucchini Muffins
TIP: You can find all of my muffin recipes here.
How to Store
Store Zucchini Carrot Muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. Warm slightly to serve if desired.
Best Tips for Success
- Egg-Free: Omit the eggs. Add ¼ cup milk and increase the baking soda to 1 teaspoon. Continue with the recipe.
- Dairy-Free: Use oil instead of butter.
- Gluten-Free: Use a GF cup for cup flour instead of the whole wheat.
- You can use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat if desired.
- I prefer to grate my own carrots to ensure that the texture is finer and isn’t very noticeable in the baked muffins.
Related Recipes
If you make these muffins, I’d love to hear your feedback. Please comment and rate the recipe below!
Easy Zucchini Carrot Muffins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini squeezed very, very dry
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana about 1 large banana
- 1/4 cup melted and slightly cooled butter or neutral oil like canola
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup raisins or chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. (I use regular Pam as I find it’s very reliable.)
- Add the carrot, zucchini, eggs, banana, butter, and maple syrup to a medium bowl.
- Gently stir in the flour, raisins (or chocolate chips) cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Divide the batter among the prepared pan, using about 1 ½ tablespoons batter in each cup.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 2 minutes. Use a paring knife, if needed, to help remove the muffins to a wire rack. Let cool and serve or store.
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. Warm slightly to serve if desired.
- Egg-Free: Omit the eggs. Add ¼ cup milk and increase the baking soda to 1 teaspoon. Continue with the recipe.
- Dairy-Free: Use oil instead of butter.
- Gluten-Free: Use a GF cup for cup flour instead of the whole wheat.
- Banana-Free: Use applesauce instead.
- You can use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat if desired.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published July 2020.
I think these are the most moist and delicious muffins we’ve ever had. We are obsessed!! My 2yr old say “more muffin, more muffin”. And she’s eating her veggies! Thank you!
Yum! Although ours didn’t come out as dry.
Anyone have recommendations for adding more zucchini and carrot and also maybe oats?
These are a big hit! I added about 1/4 Cup or less of homemade applesauce instead of maple syrup and to add some apple to the recipe and it’s so good and perfectly moist! Both of our toddler girls (and us) love these! Thanks for sharing!
Preaching to choir here but so moist & yummy. Hubby, sitter & I ate them up & 18 mo. ate them too! It’s the reason i bought a mini muffin pan & i’m glad i did. just makes them easier to serve. i grated my veggies day before to make it easier .
Would these be moist enough for my 11th month old? I know it doesn’t specifically mention babies, like the ABC & spinach banana muffins did. But should I try it?
They should be!
Are these moist enough for my 11th month old? I know they didn’t specifically mention serving them to babies (like the ABC or banana spinach muffins) but I’ve got extra of these ingredients. Should I try it?
These are really yummy, not super sweet and my toddler couldn’t stop eating them. Yay for getting some veggies in!
Absolutely delicious and perfect for school snack. These will be in our regular rotation. Thanks, Amy!
I just made this, I added a few TBS of chia seeds and did both chocolate and raisins. They are delicious!
What would be oven setting and time for making this recipe in a regular muffin tray? Thanks
Standard size muffins are usually about 16 minutes. Enjoy!
These came out light and fluffy. I added some ground walnuts, used naturally sweetened dried cranberries instead of raisins, and date syrup instead of maple. 2 year old approved!
Could I use Greek yogurt instead of butter/oil?
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure but it might work. Let me know if you try it!
Hello, Would coconut oil work well here instead of butter? Thank you.
Yes, that works.
Love this recipe! Very forgiving – I’ve forgotten eggs before and they didn’t turn out bad (not great but me and my kid still ate them!). Just made them again doubling the recipe and using pumpkin instead of banana and added pumpkin spices – turned out fluffy and delicious!
These ones are my absolute favourites! The texture comes out soft, and the taste is awesome. You could never tell you are eating a zucchini))
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Hi, if I don’t know raisins or chocolate chips on hand, what can I use instead? Can I omit altogether? Or should I use something like blueberries?
You can omit or you can top with a few berries
These muffins are super delicious and easy/quick to make! Perfect way to sneak in some veggies for my toddler who is going through a picky phase with vegetables. Thanks for another great recipe.
I’m so glad!
OMG. Perfection. These are so good, especially warm. I second the user who said this recipe is forgiving. I eyeballed the shredded veg and the muffins came out fine. I also made a second batch where I forgot the butter and those were still delicious. I’m so glad I bought a mini muffin pan for this recipe. Can’t wait to try other muffin recipes on this website.
I’m so glad to hear it!
A favorite of my toddler (& I enjoy them too). So tasty and nutritious. Also the recipe is forgiving; I’ve used different fruit (applesauce) and varying amounts of the vegetables to equally delicious results.
These muffins were so easy to make with my preschooler, and so delicious that the whole family can’t stop eating them. With the wholesome ingredients we also don’t feel like we have to! We used homemade applesauce in place of banana and it worked great.
Delish! My two year old helped me make them and he approved! 🙂
Will it mess up the recipe if I completely omit the sugar and I’m making it egg and dairy free?
They just will be a little less sweet
Made this with as regular sized muffins, with AP flour by accident, but tastes amazing!! For regular muffins, I added about 10 mins of extra bake time (my oven usually needs 3-4 mins extra on anything) I also added a bit of applesauce since one banana was less than the amount needed, and it tastes great. Can’t wait to make these regularly.
Thank you for this recipe! These are my twins favorite muffins and mine too! Love love love that there are veggies in this, my one is a very picky eater. Also, sometimes I sub blueberries for raisins/chocolate chips and still come out amazing!
Delish! Can you use frozen spinach? Would you recommend defrosting and squeezing the water out?
Are you wanting to use spinach to replace one of the ingredients in the recipe since there isn’t any in this one?
Hi!
I make a lot of your Muffins and they’re always a hit with my VERY picky 18 m/o. I noticed alot of your recipes are for mini Muffins. This may be a silly question – but is there a difference in cooking time/temp if you’re using a normal size muffin pan?
Hi- usually you’ll need to bake for about 4 more minutes. It depends a little on the recipe and I usually note if I don’t recommend a particular recipe to be made as a standard size muffin. I hope that helps!
Thank you for sharing this recipe, my picky eater toddler loved these. He calls them cupcakes but I’m happy as long as he eats them😁
Another great recipe by you! Thank you this was delicious, nutritious, and just the right amount of sweetness! My 2 year old isn’t feeling well and haven’t been eating much but he eat 4 of these fresh out the oven.
My dairy free toddler loves these!! Thank you! My other kids enjoyed them with chocolate chips. I’m thrilled to have a recipe to get zucchini in them!
Have made these several times and keep coming back to the recipe! My 1yr old twins love them (as do I!) thanks for the recipe!
These are delicious! I eliminated the raisins because I didn’t have any on hand, but I’ll get some for next time. I may also try adding in nut pieces. My 2 year old is all about muffins lately, so these are a great healthy option to have on hand.
Made a triple batch of regular sized for prep for school starting and my kinder and 2 yo love them! Thank you!!! Plan on freezing some. What’s your advice for best thawing or eating after freezing??
Thanks!!
Hi- This post has all the info and I’m so glad they enjoy them! https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/how-to-freeze-muffins/
Love this recipe for all the zucchini we have grown! Toddler loves it too!
These mini muffins were a HUGE hit with my 3 year old today! We baked them together for the first time, and she loved helping dump the ingredients in the bowl and mix things together. She was so excited to try them fresh out of the oven, that she inhaled the first one and even ate a second! Her eyes opened wide and while chomping away she said “these are really good!” I used what I had on hand- GF flour, honey, butter, and chocolate chips- and they turned out perfectly fluffy. Will definitely keep this recipe and make it often! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad to hear it!
I was hesitant to make these as my family is used to sugar packed muffins and other baked goods with all purpose flour. However, I decided to make them for my 10 month old and I’m SO happy I did! My husband and I both tried them as well and I love the flavor! We added mini chocolate chips to ours and it’s a huge hit! Definitely making more and adding them to the freezer!
Incredibly moist, subtly sweet. Don’t skip the drying of zucchini. Perfect treat for any age. Used chocolate chips as suggested, added 1/2 c walnuts, used half oat flour half whole wheat. Divine.
In case anyone is looking to make this into a cake, I tried it with success! I made a two-layer (9 inch pan) cake by making the recipe two separate times (I wasn’t confident to double it in one batch but I think it would work). I baked for 22 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a convection oven (European-style so smaller oven than the typical American ones).
I then frosted the two-layer ‘cake’ with a double batch of the cream cheese frosting from this recipe: https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/healthy-banana-cupcakes/#wprm-recipe-container-3229 It was just enough to fill and cover the cake so next time I would probably make 2.5 or 3 times the frosting.
I have also made these as muffins and they are great. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing that!
In case anyone is looking to make this into a cake, I tried it with success! I made a two-layer (9 inch pan) cake by making the recipe two separate times (I wasn’t confident to double it in one batch but I think it would work). I baked for 22 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a convention oven (European-style so smaller oven than the typical American ones).
I then frosted the two-layer ‘cake’ with a double batch of the cream cheese frosting from this recipe: https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/healthy-banana-cupcakes/#wprm-recipe-container-3229
It was just enough to fill and cover the cake so next time I would probably make 2.5 or 3 times the frosting.
I have also made these as muffins and they are great. Thank you for the recipe!
Just made a double batch of these and omitted the butter on accident.🤦♀️ But they’re still good somehow! That’s a win.
Yay!
Love this recipe! (Like all your muffin recipes!) Delicious and store great in the freezer. Both my 3 year old and 11 month old ate and loved them! Making them again for our freezer stash this week.
Very tasty, thank you. Followed recipe and came out perfect. My three year old had three in a row and then stole another one when I wasn’t looking.
Great!
Is the serving size two mini muffins or two regular muffins for those nutrition facts?
Two minis
Have made these so many times. With the chocolate chips they become a treat that my 3 year old is super excited to eat at any meal! Thanks Amy!
I’m so glad!
Can you use almond flour instead of while wheat flour? All of the muffin recipes call for whole wheat flour and using almond flour would make it even more nutritious!
Hi- Almond flour is almost never a good substitute for wheat flour as they absorb moisture really differently. I personally don’t like baking with it and it’s not that most inclusive flour due to price, so most of my recipes use regular flour or oats. Feel free to seek out an almond flour recipe if that’s what you prefer!
Amy hi, second time I’m trying these and they’re wet inside, could you please let me know what you think I might be doing wrong? I’m not using eggs, but used your milk tip. And I’m using a large 12 muffin tin,so have been cooking them for longer. How long could they take as larger muffins? Or is it not possible at all? Had it in the oven for 25mins now and they’re still wet. Very yummy though!
Hi- I honestly haven’t made these as full size muffins. I would say that if this is happening, make sure the zucchini is fully squeezed dry and you could reduce the milk. Usually that timing would be enough for a standard size muffin.
I made this recipe as 12 regular size muffins, I lowered the temp to 350 and they set in about 17 minutes.
Squeezing as much liquid as possible out of the zucchini is very important.
If you are trying to make very large muffins (like Costco size) it could take well over 30 minutes of baking at 350 to set. (375 would most likely cause them to over-brown on the outside but not set on the inside)
*advice from a professional baker*
Hi! Making these now. Squeezed all the excess out of the zucchini but was wondering if it’s going to make a difference that I didn’t do the same with the carrots. I grated them both extra small and the carrots have started to release quite a bit. Wish me luck!
You don’t need to do it with the carrot so hopefully they worked out fine!
I LOVE these! And more importantly, my 4 year old, 2 year old, and hubby eat them up! I make a HUGE batch and freeze them so we don’t eat all of them at once. Great for on the go! Thank you for this, Amy!!!
I’m so glad to hear that!
My daughter loves these. I love that you provided an egg substitute too!
My 2 yo loves these! He eats a ton of them a day though which worries me. I did leave the butter/oil out and they turned out just fine and he still loves them.
I’m glad he’s enjoying them!
Made these this morning for my DF EF one year old. They are absolutely delicious.
I used oil and oat milk to replace the egg and dairy. They’ve turned out really nice and fluffy.
I left the chocolate chips out and used diced dates instead of sultanas because I didn’t have any.
These are also super easy, I whipped these up at 5am half asleep!
You’re amazing!
Will these still taste as good if I omit the raisins/chocolate chips? I don’t have raisins and would rather not give chocolate to my one year old.
We are gluten free and egg free – thank you for the substitution options, trying to find good recipes with our needs can be tough.
I don’t have any raisins or chocolate chips on hand, do you think chopped dates or dried berries would work?
Sure, that’s probably just fine!
Really great healthy yummy muffins!
I substituted 1/4 cup + 1 TBS applesauce for butter and 2 TBS honey. baked it for 9 min at 350F for mini muffins. It was just a hint of sweet and it was moist! Thank you for the recipe!
Awesome!
Another win for my son who doesn’t eat veggies! And I don’t feel bad serving a muffin for breakfast! Love these. Tossed in a few chocolate chips and used apple sauce instead of banana.
These were so good for everyone! They barely lasted past day two. Yummy for breakfast, and, made a yummy dinner with these and some scrambled tofu. Thanks for this great recipe!
Mom, Dad and 3 year old love these muffins. Made them into full size muffins, we baked for 15 minutes and they came out perfect. Thank you! Love your recipes!
My toddler absolutely devoured these!
..and so did we 😉
We try our best to minimize sugars, so reduced the honey/maple syrup by 50%.
Great recipe, thank you ?
sorry, I did not reduce the sweetness.. did that for a different recipe.. this ones’s perfect..
After searching for healthy carrot, apple and zucchini muffins that my 16 month could eat I came across your recipe which ticked most of the boxes so I used 1/2 cup homemade unsweetened applesauce instead of the mashed banana. Then realised I wouldn’t have enough sweetness I added 1/2 cup coconut sugar instead of the raisins. The muffins turned out so soft and tasty. The family really liked them! Great adaptable base recipe which I’m sure I’ll bake again. Thank you!
Started making this recipe before I realized I was out of carrots! Whoops! Substituted grated sweet potato in its place and it worked great!
I’m glad that worked!
Made these today for my toddler and she can’t get enough of them! Thank you!
Another fav in our house… Sunday healthy snack baking for lunchboxes – these are for our 18 month old darling (super fussy) but our 11 yr. old and I love them too
Thanks for the recipe, it is very easy and quick to prepare. And it is also very tasty. Greetings from Romania!
Made these several times now and they’ve become our fave muffins. I make them into full size muffins and always double the recipe. My hubby calls them, Bazuca muffins. Bananas, zucchini, carrots. Sooo yummy!
Love that name and I’m glad your family enjoys them!
Hey there 🙂 I used Bob’s Red Mill GF flour and Ghee instead of butter so I could have along with the kiddos – they helped me bake them AND loved them! Thank you 🙂
Hi! I’m so glad that worked out and that they helped make them!
Another great recipe!!!
I used yellow zucchini because i didnt have green and used chocolate chips. Otherwise i followed the recipe.
They were delicious and perfect soft! My 2 year old son ate two as soon as they were cool enough!
Thank you SO much for these! Fast, easy, healthy and they freeze beautifully. My 13 month old loves them and I’m so excited to send them along for daycare.
Can I add almond flour or coconut flour instead?
I haven’t tried them with either and usually they don’t bake the same as flours with wheat so I don’t recommend substituting them directly.
My 1 year old loved these! I used self-raising flour as didn’t have whole wheat and it worked out well. Am about to make another batch as it is a winner!
I’m so glad to know they worked with that type of flour!
My toddler loved them, great way to get some veggies into them!
Any tips for doing with less sugar/maple syrup? Is there a substitute you’d recommend?
I haven’t tried it, but I think you can omit the honey and add 2 more tbsp of the banana. Just make sure it’s super, super ripe for sweetness. Please let me know how it goes!
How does this recipe do as normal sized muffins? Any tips on how to best dry zucchini? Thank you!
For the zucchini, simply grate it and squeeze it with your hands until no more liquid comes out. I haven’t made them as full size muffins, but I think they’d be fine baked for 18-22 minutes. Test with a cake tester inserted into the center to test for doneness. It should come out clean.
‘Yummy treat’- said 2 year old (admittedly used half choc chips/half raisins). Another great recipe from from YTF! We have several of your muffin recipes in heavy rotation, and now we will add this one as well. Note: we made these in regular muffin size not the minis, took them out exactly at 16 mins, and they were perfectly moist and fluffy. Thanks!
I’m so glad and thanks for the timing feedback on full size muffins!
Could you substitute yellow squash for the zucchini?
Absolutely!
Made these with my 2.5 year old twins and they were so good! Great way to use up the zucchini people have been bringing over. I should’ve followed your directions on spraying the muffin pan though. I used paper baking cups instead and they stuck to the paper pretty good. A little easier to get off once they cooled completely but of course we couldn’t wait that long 🙂
I’m so glad! Yes, I never have good luck with paper liners and muffins (I think they always stick since there isn’t a ton of fat in the muffins?) but I’m glad you got to eat them anyway!
Just made the vegan version tonight and they are delicious! Really moist and just the right level of sweetness. ?
I’m so glad and thanks for letting me know! (We’ve been eating the vegan ones this week and I love that they are so easy and good!)
You gave us lots of recipes! Nice to try. Thanks for sharing.