Soft Zucchini Muffin Recipe with Cinnamon and Walnuts

These zucchini muffins are what I make when I need a snack that holds up for a few days and still tastes fresh. The shredded zucchini all but disappears, leaving behind a gentle moisture and just enough earthy sweetness to make them feel like a proper treat.

The cinnamon and toasted walnuts give them a warm, nutty bite, and a simple streusel on top adds crunch without turning them into cupcakes. They come together fast in one bowl and bake up golden in under half an hour.

Why These Muffins Stay in the Lunchbox Rotation

I have made too many zucchini breads that promised moisture and delivered a heavy, gummy brick. These are different. Squeezing the zucchini just enough wrings out the excess water, so the crumb stays tender and light, never soggy.

The cinnamon and walnuts do the heavy lifting for flavor, and the buttery streusel adds texture without being too sweet. They stay soft on the counter for days and pack neatly into lunchboxes without falling apart.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs: room temperature
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini: squeezed to remove excess water, about 1 ½ cups packed
• ½ cup chopped walnuts: toasted if you like

Streusel topping

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Variations / Substitutions

• Swap walnuts for pecans: toast them first for a deeper flavor, or leave them out altogether.
• Use white whole wheat flour for half the flour: adds a little nuttiness and extra fiber.
• Add ½ cup chocolate chips: for a sweeter, more dessert-like muffin.
• Make them dairy-free: use melted coconut oil in the streusel instead of butter.
• Add a pinch of nutmeg and cloves: gives the muffins a warmer spice note.

If you love this in loaf form, my classic zucchini bread recipe is just as reliable.

How to Make Zucchini Muffins

Step 1: Shred and Squeeze the Zucchini

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Shred 2 cups of zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Gather the shreds in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly over the sink until you have about 1 ½ packed cups; the towel should feel barely damp afterward.

Do not skip the squeeze. Too much water trapped in the batter will make the muffins gummy instead of tender. The zucchini will look much reduced, and that is exactly what you want.

Step 2: Whisk the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups flour, baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt. A quick whisk now distributes the leavening and spice evenly so every muffin rises properly.

You will see fine cinnamon specks throughout the flour. That is normal, and it will blend in once the wet ingredients hit the bowl.

Step 3: Beat the Wet Ingredients

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in the squeezed zucchini. The batter will look a little curdled from the oil and egg, which is fine.

As you beat, the sugars will start to dissolve and give the mixture a glossy sheen. The zucchini will settle into the liquid, so give it one more stir right before you add it to the dry ingredients.

Step 4: Fold the Batter Together

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold them together gently, scraping the bottom, just until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the chopped walnuts with the same light hand.

Stop the second the flour disappears. Overworking at this stage builds gluten and makes the muffins tough. A few small lumps in the batter are perfectly okay.

Step 5: Portion and Streusel the Muffins

In a small bowl, mix the streusel by rubbing the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter together with your fingers until it looks like damp sand and clumps when squeezed. Divide the muffin batter evenly among the 12 cups, about 3 tbsp per cup. Sprinkle a heaping teaspoon of streusel over each one and press it very lightly so it adheres.

The batter will be thick, so a spring-loaded ice cream scoop makes portioning clean and fast. Do not flatten the mounds; they will dome up nicely in the oven.

Step 6: Bake and Cool the Muffins

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift them out and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

The tops will be domed and golden brown, with the streusel looking crisp and crumbly. Serve the muffins warm or at room temperature, whichever you prefer.

Tips for Tender Zucchini Muffins

• Use room temperature eggs: cold eggs can make the oil seize up and give a denser crumb.
• Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet: for 2 to 3 minutes before chopping to bring out their flavor.
• Fill the cups nearly to the top: the batter should mound slightly in the liners for a tall, round dome.
• Check for doneness early: every oven runs a little differently, so start testing at 18 minutes.
• These freeze beautifully: wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature.

Bake times by muffin size:

Keeping Muffins Fresh

• Refrigerate: store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The crumb stays soft and the streusel keeps some of its crunch.
• Reheating: a few seconds in the microwave or 5 minutes in a 300°F oven brings back that just-baked warmth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen zucchini?

Yes. Thaw it completely and squeeze out the excess liquid just as you would with fresh. Measure the squeezed amount for the recipe.

Do I need to peel the zucchini?

No, the skin nearly disappears while baking and adds a little extra moisture. If you prefer a lighter crumb or your zucchini has a very tough skin, peel it first.

My muffins turned out dense and gummy. What went wrong?

Either the zucchini held too much water or the batter was overmixed. Squeeze the shreds until they feel barely damp and stop folding as soon as the flour disappears.

Can I make these ahead for a gathering?

Yes. Bake them the day before and keep them in an airtight container, or freeze them a week ahead and thaw overnight on the counter. The muffins taste great at room temperature.

Zucchini Muffin Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 240

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini, squeezed dry to about 1 ½ cups packed
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (streusel)
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (streusel)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon (streusel)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (streusel)

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Shred 2 cups zucchini, then squeeze firmly in a towel until you have about 1 ½ packed cups.
2. Whisk together the 1 ½ cups flour, baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Beat the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in the squeezed zucchini.
4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry just until no flour streaks remain. Gently fold in the walnuts.
5. Make the streusel by rubbing the remaining flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter together until crumbly. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and top with streusel, pressing it lightly.
6. Bake 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

If the streusel starts to brown too fast, tent the muffins loosely with foil during the last 5 minutes of baking.