Carrot Zucchini Banana Muffins
These carrot zucchini banana muffins are one of those recipes that have slowly changed over time in my kitchen. I started with banana muffins, then kept adding a little more of the good stuff - whole wheat flour, chia, flax, carrot, and zucchini.
They’re soft, moist, and lightly sweet, with banana still doing most of the flavor work. The carrot and zucchini blend right in, which makes these an easy breakfast or snack that my kids actually ask for.
Recipe at a Glance
Estimated nutrition: About 180 calories and 4g protein per muffin.
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands and ingredients used.
A Few Helpful Notes
Take the chill off the wet ingredients. Coconut oil melts easily, but it also firms back up quickly when it touches cold milk, maple syrup, or eggs. I warm the milk, maple syrup, and coconut oil together in 10-second bursts just until the coconut oil is completely melted and clear. It only needs to be slightly warm, not hot.
Warm the eggs separately - still in their shells. I place the eggs in a cup of warm water for a few minutes before mixing. This takes off the refrigerator chill so they don't immediately make the melted coconut oil firm up again.
Aim for about 1 1/2 cups total. My usual combination is 1 cup mashed banana, 1/4 cup finely shredded carrot, and 1/4 cup finely shredded zucchini. If your banana comes up a little short, you can make up the difference with a little extra carrot, zucchini, or unsweetened applesauce. Just keep in mind that using less banana may make the muffins slightly less sweet.
No need to squeeze it dry. I usually add the finely shredded zucchini as-is. The chia seeds, flaxseed, and whole wheat flour absorb some of the moisture while the batter rests, so squeezing isn't necessary.
It's okay if the batter looks loose at first. Mix everything until evenly combined, then let the batter rest for about 10 minutes. The chia seeds, flaxseed, and whole wheat flour absorb some of the liquid and the batter thickens a little as it sits. Don't add extra flour just because it looks loose before resting.
Make them your own. Hemp seeds are an easy addition that blend right into the batter. Chopped walnuts are also great if you want some crunch. See the Sunny Table Notes below for suggested amounts.
Ingredient amounts and yield update automatically. Baking time may vary slightly if you bake a larger or smaller batch.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/8 cup chia seeds
- 1/8 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mashed very ripe banana (measure rather than relying on banana count)
- 1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
- 1/4 cup finely shredded zucchini (no need to squeeze dry)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/8 cup chia seeds
- 1/8 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mashed very ripe banana (measure rather than relying on banana count)
- 1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
- 1/4 cup finely shredded zucchini (no need to squeeze dry)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
Visual Guide
A quick look at the main stages before you start.
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Instructions
1. Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners or lightly grease the muffin cups.
2. Take the chill off the eggs. Place the eggs, still in their shells, in a cup of warm water for a few minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. This helps keep the coconut oil from firming back up when the eggs are added later.
3. Warm the milk, maple syrup, and coconut oil Add the milk, maple syrup, and coconut oil to a microwave-safe glass measuring cup or bowl. Microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring between each one, just until the coconut oil is completely melted and looks clear. The mixture only needs to be slightly warm, not hot.
4. Prepare the banana and vegetables Mash the ripe banana and finely shred the carrot and zucchini. Aim for about 1 1/2 cups total banana + vegetables. My usual combination is 1 cup mashed banana + 1/4 cup carrot + 1/4 cup zucchini. There is no need to squeeze the zucchini dry.
5. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, chia seeds, flaxseed, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Mix the wet ingredients. Add the mashed banana, carrot, and zucchini to a large mixing bowl. Pour in the warmed milk, maple syrup, and coconut oil mixture. Crack in the eggs, add the vanilla, and mix until everything is evenly combined.
7. Combine the batter Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until evenly combined. The batter may look fairly loose at this point — that's normal.
8. Let the batter rest Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes. The chia seeds, flaxseed, and whole wheat flour will absorb some of the liquid and the batter will thicken slightly. Don't add extra flour just because the batter looks loose before resting.
9. Fill the muffin cups Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups .
10. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes. Check the center with a fork or toothpick near the end of the baking time. If wet batter still clings to the tester, bake for a few more minutes and check again. The muffins are ready when the tester comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5–10 minutes before serving.
FINISHED RESULT
The Finished Muffins
These muffins come out soft and moist, with little flecks of carrot and zucchini throughout. Banana is still the main flavor, while the whole wheat flour, chia, and flax make them a little heartier without turning them into a heavy muffin.
Sunny Table note: This is one of those recipes that has slowly changed as I've made it again and again for my family. I kept adding things I wanted to include, but the important part is that my kids still happily ask me to make them.
Sunny Table Notes
- Measure the banana. Banana sizes vary a lot, so I prefer measuring 1 cup mashed banana instead of writing a specific number of bananas.
- I aim for about 1 1/2 cups total mashed banana + carrot + zucchini. If the banana is a little short of 1 cup, add a little extra carrot, zucchini, or unsweetened applesauce to make up the difference. Less banana may make the muffins slightly less sweet.
- No need to squeeze the zucchini. I finely shred it and usually add it directly to the batter. The chia, flax, and resting time help absorb some of the moisture.
- Hemp seeds: I often mean to add these too! Try adding 1 tablespoon or 2 tablespoons for an easy extra addition without changing the flavor much.
- Walnuts: Chopped walnuts are great if you want a little crunch. Fold in about 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup before filling the muffin cups.
- These muffins freeze well once completely cooled, which makes them convenient to keep on hand for breakfast or snacks.
- This recipe grew from a banana muffin recipe I originally found at Baby Foode. Over time I changed the flour combination and added carrot, zucchini, chia, flax, and extra liquid to make the version my family eats now.
- Recipes at Sunny Table are always evolving a little as I make them again for my family. This is the version tested and photographed here.
