You will love these Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins. They are so quickly and easily prepared. Perfect for brunch, a great addition to a lunch box or serve on the side of a warm bowl of soup.
As much as I love sweet muffins for breakfast or brunch, there are times when my preference is for a savoury muffin. These savoury Zucchini Muffins are extremely versatile; whilst they are delicious for breakfast or brunch, they are also ideal to enjoy in other ways and I have some suggestions listed below.
Why we love this recipe:
These muffins are delicious. The buttermilk gives them a light, tender crumb and they are beautifully moist due to the ricotta and zucchini. As well, they are an excellent addition to almost any meal.
When zucchinis are in season, many people are looking for new ways to use them. People who grow zucchini will be accustomed to having an abundance of this fruit. Yes, technically, it is a fruit. These muffins are another delicious way to enjoy this fabulous produce.
These delicious Zucchini Muffins are quickly and easily prepared. Just add your dry ingredients and your wet ingredients to separate bowls. Slice some spring onion and shred a zucchini/courgette and combine the ingredients.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Gluten-Free plain/all-purpose flour – I have used a commercial gluten-free blend. However, you can substitute regular all-purpose flour if you don’t need them to be gluten-free. Our gluten-free flour blends contain either xanthan or guar gum to stabilise and provide structure to our recipes. If your flour blend already contains either of these gums, there is no need to add more.
Baking powder – if necessary, ensure that your blend is gluten-free.
Parmesan – I use good quality parmesan, mostly Grana Padano, and grate it myself. It must be finely grated.
Spring onion/scallion – I use the white and some of the green.
Buttermilk – this will give the muffins a light texture.
Grapeseed Oil – if you prefer, you can use another neutral-flavoured oil.
Eggs – I use large, free range eggs.
Ricotta cheese – it is best to use full fat ricotta.
Zucchini – also known as courgette.
Step by Step Instructions:
Start by pre-heating your oven. Then, prepare your muffin tin.
- Add your wet ingredients to a medium-sized bowl.
- Add your dry ingredients to a large-sized bowl, along with the spring onion and zucchini.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients. Combine well.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly fill the prepared muffin cups. Bake the muffins until they are golden and cooked through. Once cooked, allow them to cool for a few minutes before enjoying.
Tips for Success and FAQs:
These Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins tend to stick to paper liners more than other muffins so I have baked them directly in a well-greased muffin cup and they are easily removed.
To grease the tin I use melted butter and a pastry brush. If you don’t have a pastry brush, just make a wad of paper towel and dip it in the butter. Melt a small amount of butter in a saucepan over low heat. When melted, dip the pastry brush or wad of paper towel into the butter and lightly coat the bottom and sides of each muffin cup.
If you prefer to use muffin liners, I recommend that you use non-stick silicone paper liners.
To store these Gluten-Free Zucchini muffins, make sure they are completely cool and then store in an airtight container. Muffins are at their best on the day of baking or can be re-heated on the second day. However, for longer than that I recommend that they be frozen.
You certainly can. Cool them completely before placing in a large zip lock bag. You will need to keep the bag flat so that the muffins are separated. This will avoid them sticking together when frozen. When they are completely frozen it is fine if they are touching so you need not keep the bag flat. It is best to use the muffins within 3 months.
Yes – this recipe works well made gluten-free or regular.
When it comes to serving:
These muffins are fantastically versatile. Serve them:
- For breakfast or brunch;
- An anytime snack;
- With a bowl of soup;
- In packed lunches;
- To take on a picnic or to a potluck;
- Slice and fill as you would a sandwich;
- With meals in place of dinner rolls – feel free to add butter!
More recipes for you to try:
Love these ingredients as much as we do? Here are some more recipes featuring them:
More muffin recipes for you to try:
You will love the aroma of these Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins as they are baking. The warm, comforting smell of home baking is enticing and it’s difficult to be patient whilst waiting for them to emerge from the oven.
I encourage you to try these; please let me know in the comments below if you do.
Alex xx
Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (225 g) gluten-free all purpose/plain flour See Note 1
- 3 teaspoon baking powder See Note 2
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup (50 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese See Note 3
- 1 large spring onion/scallion – finely sliced the white and some green
- 1 cup (150 g) coarsely grated zucchini/courgette
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- ½ cup (120 ml) grapeseed oil See Note 4
- ⅔ cup (170 g) fresh ricotta cheese See Note 5
- 3 teaspoon finely chopped dill (optional)
- melted butter or oil spray – to grease the tins
Recipe Measurements:
For accuracy, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results.
Instructions
Preparing your Muffin Tin:
- Prepare a 12-hole medium-size muffin tin.To grease the tin, I use melted butter and a pastry brush. If you don't have a pastry brush, just make a wad of paper towel and dip it in the butter.Once you have melted the butter, lightly coat the bottom and sides of each muffin cup.Alternatively, you can use silicone liners.
The Muffin Batter:
- Preheat your oven to 200 Degrees C (390 F).The higher baking temperature helps the muffins to rise.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and finely grated parmesan. Whisk the ingredients well to combine them.
- Add the sliced spring onion/scallion and grated zucchini/courgette to the flour mix and toss them with a fork so the zucchini is well coated and evenly distributed.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk the eggs lightly. Add the buttermilk, oil and ricotta and mix well so the ricotta is broken up as much as possible.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add all the liquid ingredients. Mix well to just combine using a large spoon or spatula. Do not over mix.
- Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, evenly distribute the mixture between the muffin cups.
- Bake the muffins in the pre-heated oven for approximately 20 minutes. Check half-way through, if they are browning too quickly, lower the temperature to 180 degrees C/350 F.
- To check that the muffins are cooked, insert a toothpick or skewer into the centre. If the toothpick or skewer comes out clean, the muffins are cooked.Remove the muffin tray from the oven. Set the muffins aside to cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins from the tin and place on a cooling rack or enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Our gluten-free flour blends contain either xanthan or guar gum to stabilise and provide structure to our recipes. If your flour blend already contains either of these gums, there is no need to add more.
If you do not require this recipe to be gluten-free, you can use regular wheat flour. - If required, ensure that your baking powder is gluten-free.
- If measuring by cup rather than weight you will need to pack the Parmesan firmly in the cup.
- I used grapeseed oil, you can use another neutral flavoured oil if you wish.
- Fresh Ricotta has a short shelf life, so if you have some leftover you will need to use it as soon as possible.
- Muffins are best eaten on the day that they are baked. However, they can be reheated the following day. Wrap them in foil and warm in a 180 degrees C/350 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes. If you prefer a crispier edge to your muffin, loosen the foil half-way through. If you prefer, they can be gently warmed in a microwave.
- If you want to keep the muffins for a longer time, it will be best to freeze them. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on the recipe making 12 muffins, and one muffin being enjoyed as one serving.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Mabel
Loved it!
Alexandra
Hello Mabel, I am so pleased that you enjoyed the GF Zucchini Muffins. Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Anita
Absolutely love this recipe. I’m onto our fourth batch. They have a great flavour and texture. I’ve been using a block of feta cheese instead of ricotta and it works really well.
Alexandra
Hi Anita!
That is fantastic to hear – thank you for letting me know!
I can imagine feta would be delicious 🙂
Milla
Alex, yesterday I baked Gluten free Zucchini muffins for the second time in a week. I read that gluten-free dough should be baked at a lower temperature than regular dough. I baked at 380F and them came out great. I really like your recipes and notes, thanks. Delicious muffins!
Alexandra
Thank you so much, Milla! I am pleased you have enjoyed the muffins on a couple of occasions.
Kind regards, Alex
D. Mills
I just baked these delicious savory delights today. Didn’t have ricotta so used creamed cheese instead. They browned perfectly, are light but also moist. Easy and quick to make and will be a great addition to my lunch and dinner dishes or my salads. Will definitely make again and again.
Alexandra
I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the GF Zucchini Muffins and so pleased that the cream cheese worked well. Thank you so much for your feedback. 🙂
Josephine
These are my daughter’s favorite and we’re so thrilled that she’s having a serving of vegetables with these. The reheating instructions worked great and they ended up with that crispy edge that we all love in freshly baked muffins!
Alexandra
Hello Josephine, I am thrilled to hear how much your daughter enjoys our Zucchini Muffins and if it encourages her to eat vegetables that is a terrific bonus. Thank you for your terrific feedback. 🙂
Ros
Hi, Alex,
Many thanks for the Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffin Recipe. I am looking forward to trying this out, as my husband has recently been diagnosed as Celiac, so I am delighted to find recipes I use for him to try.
Thanks so much
Alexandra
Hello Ros,
I hope you’ll enjoy these! We have lots of other GF recipes on the blog too. If you’re ever after anything in particular, please feel free to reach out.
Kind regards, Alex
Toni Dash
These muffins are really amazing! Everyone at my house loved it!!
Alexandra
Hi Toni, I am so pleased that you all enjoyed the Zucchini Muffins. Just another way to enjoy the abundant bounty of zucchini. 🙂
Tara
We baked these muffins this morning for brunch and were thrilled. We didn’t have any spring onion so used a little red onion. So tasty and light and fluffy in texture.
Alexandra
Thanks for letting us know, Tara! Great to hear the muffins were a success, and I am sure red onion worked nicely!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
OMG! These savory muffins are the BEST! We love them with any dinner, but also (if you have leftovers) split them open and toast in the broiler — then top with a fried egg, canadian bacon and tomato! It’s an amazing breakfast.
Alexandra
Lisa, that sounds absolutely delicious!
That will definitely be on the breakfast menu this week – YUM!
Dannii
These were delicious. A great way to get extra veggies in a kid’s diet.
Alexandra
Thank you, Dannii, I am so pleased that you enjoyed them. It’s always satisfying when we can sneak some extra veggies into our diet. 🙂
Anjali
These savory muffins turned out great and were the perfect addition to my brunch table! I couldn’t even tell that they were gluten-free!
Alexandra
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed the muffins, Anjali!