Cornbread Zucchini Muffins are incredibly moist and tender with an irresistible sweet corn flavor. Perfect for a quick breakfast, snack or dunking in a bowl of vegetarian chili.
You may have noticed, we’ve got a thing for zucchini lately.
First, there was this super quick and easy no-cook Southwestern Zucchini Noodle Bowl. Then, we used the toaster oven to broil snackable zucchini rounds and bake cheesy zucchini and lemon ricotta flatbreads.
But the zucchini love doesn’t stop there because we’ve saved THE BEST zucchini recipe for last…Cornbread Zucchini Muffins!
They’re everything you want in a good corn muffin: Lightly sweetened. Tender middles. Crispy edges.
The gorgeous bright green shredded zucchini isn’t just for looks either. It (along with a little yogurt) make the muffins moist without being soggy.
Though my favorite ingredient has to be the whole corn kernels. When you bite into one, there’s an unexpected crunch and then the kernel bursts delivering even more delicious sweet corn flavor.
Best of all, the recipe couldn’t be easier. It uses simple pantry ingredients and just ONE BOWL!
~ Keep scrolling for helpful baking tips after the recipe ~
Cornbread Zucchini Muffins
These tender muffins have a savory-sweet flavor that tastes great paired with butter and honey or a hearty bowl of vegetarian chili.
Ingredients
- 1 medium Zucchini Squash, (6 to 7-inches long, about 7 ounces or 1 cup shredded)
- 1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 1/2 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/8 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 large Egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup Whole Milk
- 1/4 cup Plain Low Fat Yogurt
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup Canned Corn, drained
Instructions
- Adjust the toaster oven cooking rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F. Grease a 6-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or oil.
- Slice ends off the zucchini and grate using a box grater. Gather shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and twist to squeeze out excess water. You should have around 1 cup of shredded zucchini.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the egg, milk, yogurt, and butter. Add the zucchini and corn kernels, stir just until combined.
- Divide batter evenly among cups in the prepared muffin pan.
- Bake muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean, about 14 to 15 minutes.
- Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm with salted butter and strawberry preserves.
Notes
For cornbread muffins with a heartier crumb omit the yogurt.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 MuffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 5.8gSaturated Fat: 3.1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 280mgCarbohydrates: 22.6gFiber: 2.6gSugar: 4.6gProtein: 5.1g
Quick Tips
Tip #1: Squeezing the water out of your shredded zucchini is A MUST. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mushy soggy mess.
Tip #2: For the lightest and most tender muffins use a plain yogurt that has some fat in it.
Tip #3: For a denser cornbread muffin, skip the yogurt. They’ll still be tender but with a heartier crumb.
Tip #4: Don’t be worried if the batter is a little on the thick side. It’s okay, you’re making corn muffins, not cupcakes!
Tip #5: The muffins won’t be browned when they are ready. Instead look for the tops to be springy and dry to the touch. A toothpick inserted in the center of one should come out clean or with a few crumbs attached.
If you see wet batter, keep baking.
Tip #6: After the first day, store leftover muffins in the fridge or freeze them for later.
There’s no need for butter on these zucchini cornbread muffins. They’re tender and tasty served plain.
But there’s no reason you can’t make your little muffin even more delicious with a smear of salted butter and strawberry preserves!
Looking for more small-batch muffin inspiration?
Check out these easy Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins from Food With Feeling. They’re light, fluffy, and you can whip up a batch in less than 30 minutes!
These decadent Small Batch Coffee Cake Muffins from Dessert For Two are high on my must-try list. Honestly, how can you go wrong with a cinnamon streusel topping?
If you’re new to baking muffins in a toaster oven take a peek at Our Big Fat Toaster Oven Muffin Experiment. It’s got everything you need to know for baking full-sized and mini muffins in a toaster oven or countertop convection oven.
Happy Baking!
Michele says
I would like to make these for a celiac guest of ours. Can I use all cornmeal? Or would another gluten free alternative work better in this recipe? I want to serve them with the Burrito Stuffed Spaghetti Squash. (As an aside: I would add into the stuffing, Trader Joe’s “Beefless Beef”–a soy product– which would amp up the protein and make the texture more “meaty” for my meat loving guests.
Brie says
Hi Michelle!
I’m thinking all cornmeal would be super grainy. We haven’t tried making this recipe with anything but the flour. You might do okay substituting a gluten-free flour blend for it? If you give it a try I’d love to hear how it goes!
Thanks for the great suggestion on the beefless crumbles for the burrito bowls , that sounds delicious 🙂
Diana says
Hi Brie, I haven’t tried these yet but the recipe looks great. Thank you for a recipe with low sugar and fat, so hard to find. Looking forward to checking out your other recipes.
Brie says
Thanks so much Diana! It’s great to hear that not everyone is looking for keto, lol. I hope you enjoy the recipes and if you’ve got a craving for something special that you don’t see, let me know we’re always looking for recipe suggestions 🙂
Diana says
Hi Brie, I did make them and they were wonderful. I used the regular oven as I stretched it out to make 12 muffins (just so my husband wouldn’t eat them so quick). Very tasty and easy to do. Maybe you could add in the ingredients the 1 cup of zucchini alternative. I wasn’t going to read the instructions and was trying to figure out how much zucchini to add. You know, think we know it all and don’t need to read. Always love finding recipes that are healthier and with lower fat and sugar. Can’t wait to check out your other recipes. thanks and well done, Diana
Brie says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins, Diana! Sounds like you nailed it and I love your idea of making the recipe as 12 smaller muffins, Tim goes through them quickly too, lol 🙂
fareeda Mehta says
I would love to try this recipe for cornbread zucchini muffins. Since this is supposed to be a savory muffin, Is the sugar necessary?
Thanks
Brie says
Hi Fareeda,
If you mean baking-wise, the sugar isn’t necessary. You can leave it out and the muffins will bake up fine though they might dry out faster as sugar adds moisture to baked goods.
Flavorwise, it depends on your preference.
I like a little sweetness in my corn muffins. It highlights the flavors of the other ingredients and is a nice balance to the salt.
Without the sugar, you may find the muffins a bit bland and too salty. I’d recommend trying it with the sugar first.
Also, we have made these successfully using a sugar-replacement called Swerve. If you’re trying to avoid regular sugar you might want to check it out.
Thanks for stopping by and happy baking!
grace says
those flecks of green are so appealing! love this twist on cornbread.