Oat Flour Zucchini Muffins

These Oat Flour Zucchini Muffins are one of my favorite ways to use up summer zucchini. They’re soft and tender with plenty of chocolate chips, and the zucchini adds moisture without overpowering the flavor.

Unlike many oat flour baked goods that can be dense or crumbly, these muffins bake up light and fluffy while coming together in just one bowl.

They’re perfect for breakfast, lunch boxes and afternoon snacks, and nobody will guess they’re packed with zucchini.

Love chocolate? Be sure to try my oat flour chocolate zucchini muffins. They have both cocoa powder and chocolate chips to satisfy your chocolate cravings!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Soft and fluffy texture. Oat flour and zucchini create an incredibly moist, tender crumb.
• A delicious way to use zucchini. Each batch includes plenty of grated zucchini without tasting overly vegetable-forward.
• Chocolate chips in every bite. Mini chocolate chips add just the right amount of sweetness. Easy one-bowl recipe. The batter comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients and minimal cleanup.
• Naturally gluten-free. Made with oat flour and rolled oats instead of all-purpose flour.
• Great for meal prep. These muffins store and freeze beautifully for easy breakfasts and snacks.

Recipe ingredients

These gluten-free zucchini muffins contain wholesome ingredients, most of which may be customized with what you have on hand.

• Oat flour. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but some brands of oat flour may contain trace amounts of gluten as they’re processed in facilities that also produce wheat products. If you’re gluten intolerant, be sure that the package states that it’s gluten-free. Pro tip: If you don’t have oat flour, you can make your own with old fashioned rolled oats! See this post on how to make oat flour.
• Rolled oats. I’ve added rolled oats to this recipe for a bit of chewiness as these zucchini oatmeal muffins are very soft in texture. They may be substituted with the same amount of oat flour if you don’t have any on hand.
• Zucchini. Grate your zucchini or process it into small pieces in a food processor if you desire. This recipe does not require squeezing the liquid from the zucchini once is has been grated.
• Almond milk. The almond milk may be substituted with your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk.
• Coconut sugar. If you’re new to coconut sugar, it is unrefined and is not as sweet as other sweeteners on the market. It may be substituted with the same amount of granulated or brown sugar, but I have not tested this recipe with liquid sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup.
• Oil. Use your favorite type of oil in this recipe.
• Chocolate chips. I used mini dairy free dark chocolate chips, but use your favorite! They may also be omitted altogether.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

How to make this recipe

These oat flour zucchini muffins come together in one bowl with about 15 minutes of prep. Best of all, there’s no need to squeeze the moisture from the zucchini.

Pro tip: There’s no need to squeeze the moisture from the zucchini for this recipe. The extra moisture helps keep the muffins soft and tender.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line (12) standard muffin cups with paper liners. Melt the coconut oil in a large bowl.  Make sure the coconut oil isn’t too hot, then whisk in the coconut sugar and eggs vigorously until frothy, about 1 minute.  Whisk in the almond milk and vanilla until combined.
2. Add the oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, then whisk until combined.  Fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips until incorporated.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Tips for success

• No need to squeeze the zucchini before adding it to the batter.
• Measure oat flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
• Don’t overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added.
• Use freshly grated zucchini for the best texture.
• Bake just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely before storing.

Storage

• Store oat flour zucchini muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
• Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or warm briefly in the microwave before serving.