BEST Zucchini Muffins Cinnamon Sugar
Updated Feb 21, 2025, Published Aug 23, 2021
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Zucchini! I love them in every way. These extra cinnamon and vanilla zucchini muffins are top of my list of sweet zucchini recipes. If you have some extra garden zucchini, here is an easy one-bowl recipe!
You’ll also love our Italian zucchini fritters.
You will love the sweet vanilla cinnamon taste of these muffins packed with healthy grated zucchini. They are soft, fluffy, and moist, making a great breakfast or after-school snack! It is a one-bowl recipe you can’t go without this time of year.
I make this in the summer and fall with all the fresh in-season zucchini. My children love coming home to these after returning to school after a long and fun summer. Did I mention your house will smell amazing when you bake these?
Make these Italian donuts, too!
What makes the BEST Zucchini Muffins
The best zucchini breads and muffins are packed with zucchini with just the right spice, not too much, to complement the subtle taste of the zucchini. Not overly sweet or dense, these zucchini muffins will have you reaching for more. Here are a few things that make these muffins the BEST:
- Moist crumb.
- Chewy texture.
- Uneven crumb grain with holes or tunnels throughout.
- Peaked (bell-type) or flat tops.
- Lots of cinnamon and vanilla flavor (not overpowering)
- Easy to make and delightful to eat
How to freeze Zucchini Muffins
Cool muffins completely before wrapping and freezing. To freeze, wrap individual muffins with plastic wrap, then place them in freezer bags. Label all packages with the name of the recipe and the date. To reheat frozen muffins, place muffins in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or in the oven (or toaster oven) for 5-10 minutes at 350°F.
One Bowl Zucchini Muffin Recipe
I like to sift my dry ingredients on top of my prepared wet ingredients when making quick bread. This saves me a bowl to wash and a smidge of time. I don’t own a sifter! I use a fine strainer/ colander.
This is the one I love and use regularly. I love making sweet, quick bread and muffins but don’t want the mess or worry about a complicated recipe. I like to get it done and keep it simple! This one-bowl muffin recipe is exactly that kind of easy sweet treat.
If you prefer Zucchini Bread check out this recipe.
Zucchini Bread Story (inspiration behind these cinnamon zucchini muffins)
These muffins are inspired by the zucchini bread my mother-in-law makes. Here is the sweet story about this iconic Davis family recipe.
When I make this recipe, Jordan, my husband, takes his first bite of the tender warm sugar cinnamon-y bread, closes his eyes, and says: this is my childhood. I’m always fascinated by how our senses take us back in time like a time machine. We transport to a different decade, another place, and we experience a piece of our past. I love that food can do that.
My sweet mother-in-law made this recipe in her house every week for her three hungry boys. Jordan remembers eating this sandwich style with butter in the middle for lunch and grabbing a slice after school before running to the backyard. It is truly the best zucchini bread I’ve ever tasted.
Really, the Best! The cinnamon spice with the perfect sweetness complements the zucchini’s mild flavor. I always feel good eating it and giving it to my children since there is a vegetable in it!
I know you and your family will fall in love with this bread. Make two batches when I have a lot of zucchini and keep a loaf in the freezer for a rainy day. Enjoy and create a taste of home with your family today.
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LEMON YOGURT LOAF CAKE (blueberries)
Easy Italian Pear Cake (Torta con le Pere) Easy
Italian Crumble Cake Pastry Cream Filling
Easy Almond Sponge Cake with Italian Cream
Vanilla Cake Roll with Cream and Berries
Italian Crumble Cake with Jam Filling
BEST Zucchini Muffins Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3 eggs, 170 g
- 1 cup oil, 226 g
- 1 cup sugar, 198 g
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, yes, that much!
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups flour, 301 g
- 3 tsp cinnamon, yes, that much!
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups grated zucchini
Cinnamon Sugar Topping – Combine in a small bowl and whisk to combine. You will have extra.
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with paper muffin/cupcake holders
- With an electric mixer or hand whisk – beat eggs and sugar until foamy, about 5 minutes (this helps in the rising of the bread). Add the oil and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Place a sifter over the top of the bowl and add the dry ingredients. Mix until combined (do not overmix). Fold in grated zucchini until incorporated.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of prepared mixture into each prepared muffin cup (if you have extra batter make an extra couple!). Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with cinnamon sugar topping about 1/4 teaspoon each. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these for my daughters birthday because she does not like cake. They were a hit! Thanks!
So happy she loved them. They are so easy and yummy!
So yummy! I didn’t tell my kid that it was zucchini, and he never asked.
Ha! Great way to get them to eat zucchini 🙂