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Carrot Zucchini Spice Muffins

Carrot zucchini spice muffins with warm amber-golden tops and shreds of carrot and zucchini in every bite. Fragrant ginger, clove, and cinnamon bake into a tender crumb that stays moist.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.25 tsp cloves
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.3333333333 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup molasses or honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Vegetables
  • 1 cup carrots, grated
  • 0.75 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the oven and muffin tin
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Set out the tin so the batter can go in right after mixing.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until the spices and leaveners are evenly distributed.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Beat eggs, brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses or honey, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until combined. Beat just until smooth and cohesive.
Combine wet and dry
  1. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain to keep the crumb tender.
Add the vegetables
  1. Fold in grated carrots and zucchini, ensuring they’re dispersed throughout the batter. Fold gently so you keep visible shreds in the crumb.
Fill and bake
  1. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Aim for even tops so they finish baking at the same time.
Cool
  1. Bake for 20–22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops are deep golden. Let the aroma be your cue, then cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
Finish cooling
  1. Transfer muffins to a wire rack after 5 minutes in the pan. Cool until they’re warm, or to room temperature for clean slicing.

Notes

For best texture, squeeze the grated zucchini well so the batter bakes up without excess moisture. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months. To make them dairy-free, use a honey-based version of the sweetener (skip any dairy additives, keeping the recipe as written).