Description
Delicious and moist Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins topped with a luscious cinnamon cream cheese frosting. These muffins combine the natural sweetness of pumpkin and zucchini with warm pumpkin pie spices, making them perfect for fall or any time you crave a flavorful treat. Perfectly tender and lightly spiced, these muffins can be enjoyed as a breakfast snack or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (from 1 medium zucchini, moisture squeezed out)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled (or melted butter/vegan butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour (store-bought)
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Mix-ins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese or vegan cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1–2 teaspoons milk of choice (to thin glaze)
Topping
- Extra chopped nuts
- Cinnamon for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare muffin tin: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners and lightly grease the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Prepare wet ingredients: Shred the zucchini and squeeze out excess moisture using a paper towel or cheese cloth. In a large bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, pumpkin puree, pure maple syrup, eggs, melted and cooled coconut oil (or butter substitute), and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients: To the wet mixture, add oat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until just combined. Fold in the chopped nuts if using.
- Bake the muffins: Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin liners. Bake for 23-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the cinnamon cream cheese frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and 1-2 teaspoons of milk until smooth and creamy. Adjust milk as necessary to achieve desired spreading consistency.
- Frost and garnish: Once muffins are fully cooled, spread the cinnamon cream cheese frosting generously on each muffin. Top with extra chopped nuts and a light dusting of cinnamon for an attractive finish. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to squeeze out all excess moisture from the shredded zucchini to avoid soggy muffins.
- If you don’t have oat flour, you can make your own by finely blending oats until powdery.
- Whole wheat pastry flour can be substituted with white whole wheat flour for a milder taste.
- Use vegan butter and vegan cream cheese to make this recipe dairy-free and vegan-friendly.
- Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin muffins, zucchini muffins, cinnamon cream cheese frosting, fall baking, healthy muffins, whole wheat muffins, easy muffin recipe
