Fuel your morning with these easy keto zucchini muffins. Moist and tender, with a hint of warm spice, they’re a perfect quick breakfast or a grab-and-go snack. You won’t believe that anything made with coconut flour can be this light, fluffy, and delicious.
Don’t be intimidated by baking with coconut flour, it’s far easier than you think. And making a batch of these keto muffins will help you get the hang of it!
One reader says…
“I made these last night to go with our frittata. They were delicious. It was the first time I have made anything with just coconut flour….won’t be the last time..Thank you, Carolyn, for this wonderful recipe and for all your hard work developing recipes so we can make deliciousness all the time.” — Jennifer
I love the moisture and tenderness that zucchini adds to baked goods. And in the summer, I am well known to bake multiple batches of Keto Zucchini Bread or Keto Chocolate Zucchini Cake.
I grow my own zucchini and by mid-July, we are usually drowning in the stuff. I give as much of it away as I can, but we find ourselves eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So any delicious recipes I can make with it help the cause tremendously.
This easy zucchini muffin recipe has long been one of my favorites. And they always get devoured when I make them!
Why we love this recipe
- Super easy: The batter comes together quickly, no mixer required.
- Moist and fluffy: Many people think coconut flour is too dry, but zucchini keeps the muffins moist and tender.
- Comforting flavor: Remember the cinnamon-scented baked goods your mom used to make? These muffins smell and taste divine!
- Nut-free option: I like the crunch of walnuts in my muffins, but you can skip them and make these entirely nut-free.
- Low in carbs and gluten-free: Each muffin has only 5 grams total carbs.
- Great for meal prep: You can make a big batch and freeze them for whenever you need a quick breakfast or snack.
Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini: You can’t have zucchini muffins without zucchini!
- Coconut flour: I love using coconut flour for this recipe. It makes them low in carbs and high in fiber.
- Sweetener: A brown sugar replacement brings out that special zucchini bread flavor.
- Protein powder: Just a little whey or egg white protein helps give them a lighter, fluffier consistency.
- Melted butter: You could also use avocado oil or coconut oil.
- Chopped nuts: You don’t have to add chopped nuts but they give the muffins some delicious texture. Use walnuts, pecans, or even chocolate chips!
- Spices: Warm spices like cinnamon and cloves (or nutmeg) add a comforting flavor to these muffins.
- Pantry staples: Eggs, baking powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt.
Overview: How to Make This Recipe
- Shred and salt the zucchini: You can do this in a food processor or on a box grater. 2 cups of shredded zucchini is about 1 medium zucchini. Let the salted zucchini sit in a sieve in the sink for at least an hour to release the water.
- Squeeze the heck out of it! Some people put it into a dish towel and squeeze the water out this way. I don’t like to dirty a dish towel so I press on it over and over in the sieve. Then I ball it all up in my hands and keep squeezing as the green juice runs out into the sink.
- Prepare the muffin batter: Whisk together all the dry ingredients first. Then add the zucchini and the wet ingredients and mix well. Add just enough water so that the batter is isn’t too thick, and is easily scooped into the muffin cups. It shouldn’t be pourable.
- Add any extras: Stir in chopped nuts after it’s all mixed. Or try sugar-free chocolate chips instead! My kids love them that way.
- Bake the muffins: Divide between muffins cups, bake, and enjoy! They are oh so good with a smear of butter.
Tips for Success
Coconut flour might just be one of the strangest ingredients you will ever use. It requires plenty of eggs to have structure, and it can absorb liquids with astonishingly alacrity. The trickiest part about it is that different brands can differ in absorbency, so you have to be ready to adjust.
That’s why this recipe doesn’t specify an exact amount of water to add. It will depend on your coconut flour and how well you squeeze the zucchini. Make sure you read the visual and tactile cues in the recipe.
Sweetener Options
In a recipe like this, I recommend an erythritol based sweetener. Allulose can cause the muffins to become overly brown during baking. If you want to cut down on erythritol, try using some high intensity sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit extract.
Frequently Asked Questions
Zucchini is an excellent choice for keto and low carb diets. According to the USDA database, 100 grams of zucchini has only 3.1 grams of carbs and 1 gram of fiber. This recipe uses a medium zucchini, which is about 196 grams, so it adds only 6 grams of carbs to the entire recipe or 0.5 grams to each muffin.
These keto muffins keep well on the counter in a covered container for up to 4 days. They can also be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days. They also freeze very well, as long as you let them cool properly first.
This keto zucchini muffin recipe has 5.2g of carbs and 2.8g of fiber per serving. If you count net carbs, that comes to 2.4g net carbs per muffin.
Keto Zucchini Muffins Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (196 g) shredded zucchini , about 1 medium zucchini (196g)
- 2/3 cup (71 g) coconut flour, (71g)
- 1/2 cup (91 g) brown sugar replacement
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder, or egg white protein
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp) cloves
- 5 large (5) eggs
- 1/3 cup (75.67 g) butter, melted, or melted coconut oil
- 3 to 4 tbsp (3 tbsp) water
- 1/2 cup (118.29 g) chopped walnuts or pecans , or chocolate chips!
Instructions
- Set the shredded zucchini in a sieve in the sink and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let drain one hour, then squeeze as much liquid from the zucchini as possible.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 parchment or silicone liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, spices, and salt.
- Stir in the zucchini, eggs, butter, and 3 tablespoons of the water. Add additional water if the batter is overly thick. It should be easily scoopable but not pourable.
- Stir in the nuts, if using. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and bake about 25 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned and firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool in the pan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Your recipes are amazing!
I was wondering if I could substitute collagen powder for the whey protein powder
I have tried this a number of times and no, it makes things gummy and hard to cook through. You need whey or egg white protein. Hemp or pea protein might also work.
Thank you so much for including an almond flour version! I usually prefer almond flour recipes and have no issues with dairy. It’s great that you support dairy-free people too!!
Also love that you usually give options to use a slow cooker for instant pot recipes. I have no room for an instant pot in our condo.
How do you think these will do in a mini muffin size?
I think they would be fine, I just don’t know how long they would take to bake so watch them carefully.
Is melted butter ok to sub for the coconut oil?
Sure!
Thanks. I can’t wait to make them.
These were great especially with sugar free chocolate chips (made from your recipe)! I ate one right after taking them from the oven (just couldn’t wait to try them) and then once they cooled. I really liked the texture after they cooled. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
You can never have too much zucchini
Such a tasty sounding ingredient list! Looking forward to trying this out!
So perfect for all the zucchini I have in my fridge right now!
This is a great reason to pick up some coconut flour. I miss zucchini bread and muffins and now I can even have seconds!!!!
Love these guilt free muffins. Gonna have to get some more zucchini from the farmer’s market or grocery store – had no friends trying to get rid of them this year 🙁
I can never say no to such a healthy muffin recipe.. Especially when it is made with my favorite summer vegetable. Aaand thanks for all the helpful information.
Another delicious recipe that turned out perfectly! I got about 15 muffins and used silicone liners in my muffin tins – the muffins came out beautifully. You are my rock-solid, go-to recipe guru, Carolyn! Thank you for all of the deliciousness you provide me and my family!!
I have a question about the protein or whey powder. Can that be substituted for something else?
I’ve never used it before because I am not supposed to have whey. Would love to make them.
Thanks
You can use egg white protein. Or if you skip it altogether, you may find that the muffins don’t rise as well.
Two words: Potato ricer. I’d almost donated it to charity, since it doesn’t work with not very starchy purees like cauliflower. But then I tried smushing spinach in it to get rid of excess liquid. Easy peasy! No messy towel. No messy hands. Way easier to clean than a fine mesh sieve.
Great idea!
Brilliant, Linda! I’m putting that item on my Amazon wish list!
Thank you so much for the recipe!! I love these muffins..
Are there substitutes for these two ingredients? I hate to go out and buy packages of things I might not use again. whey protein powder, granulated erythritol,. Would it be possible to post all the ingredients and substitutions. I know Sour cream can be substituted for Yougart from reading the comments.
A list like this would be soooo helpful especially to us newbies.
I just love Zucchini Muffins. I carry them with me when our group of friends meet at the bread or donut store. I order coffee and eat my own muffin!
I can’t wait to try them. The Carrot Scones are also on my list.
What a wonderful website. Thank you for all the great recipes.
No subs. You will use the erythritol, believe me. If you like to bake, it is the best low carb sweetener. You can skip the protein powder but they may not rise as well.