Grandma’s Zucchini Muffins

Grandma’s Zucchini Muffins are the perfect sweet treat for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Per her recipe, they are full of coconut and walnuts. Coconut lovers will adore these!

Grandma’s recipes are often the best recipes, aren’t they? This recipe for Grandma’s Zucchini Muffins comes from my mom’s mom, Grandma Verie. My mom lost most of her recipes to a basement flood several years ago, but I had snagged this one prior and kept it in my own recipe book.

It was written on a piece of scrap paper. On the back lives a recipe for Boiled Cookies from “Cecile H.”. I’ll be testing and sharing those cookies in a few weeks!

I’m not sure where grandma got this zucchini muffin recipe, but it is a solid one. They muffins are relatively sweet, use up about 2 medium zucchini, and are full of shredded coconut and walnuts. Grandma’s recipe calls for black walnuts, but those are expensive! Regular walnuts work great. 🙂

I started by grating the zucchini and putting it in a mesh colander. I use my (clean) hands to squeeze the water for the zucchini while standing over the sink. A spatula or wooden spoon would work, too.

Squeezing the zucchini ensures that the batter doesn’t end up soupy. Once the zucchini does not release any liquid when pressed, it is ready for the batter.

The rest of the zucchini muffin recipe is pretty standard: sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, flour, etc.

I find that muffins rise the best when the muffin cups are not too full. I filled each muffin cup two-thirds full. If you fill them much more, the tops of the muffins don’t rise properly and you’re left with flat muffins. I got 18 zucchini muffins out of this recipe.

The star of the recipe is the coconut and walnuts. Zucchini obviously don’t have much flavor, so they’re really just an ingredient used for moisture and texture (and maybe a little bit of green color). This allows for the coconut and walnuts to really stand out, complemented by the cinnamon in the batter.

Grandma’s Zucchini Muffins are soft and tender, with a lightly crisp exterior and a perfectly domed top. I love them halved, warmed up slightly, and with a pat of butter on top!

Grandma’s Zucchini Muffins

This recipe for Grandma’s Zucchini Muffins is straight from grandma’s handwritten recipe! They’re light and fluffy, and full of shredded coconut and chopped walnuts.

• Author: Kate Shungu
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 18 muffins 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 12-cup muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. Place grated zucchini in a mesh colander. Squeeze the water out of the zucchini either with a spatula or with clean hands until water is no longer released when squeezed.
3. Place the drained zucchini in a large bowl with the eggs, canola oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk to combine.
4. Add the flour, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Stir in the coconut and walnuts.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to fill each cup of the muffin tins two-thirds full. I got 18 muffins out of this recipe, so you may not use all of the muffin cups.
6. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Run a butter knife gently around the muffins to release them from the pan. Place the muffins on a wire rack until cool.

Keywords: zucchini, muffins, breakfast, brunch