30 Minute Cheesy Zucchini Muffins

Hi hi! Just popping in with this super easy zucchini muffin recipe! I am slowly working on adding to my muffin recipe collection - I love making and eating homemade muffins so I really don't know why I don't have more on my website!

These cheesy zucchini muffins are really easy to make - I often have zucchini around and while making my zucchini bread is great, I love a savoury muffin so, so much, and these are an amazing breakfast or lunch option if you're after a way to use up zucchini that isn't sweet!

This recipe makes 7 bakery style zucchini muffins - double the recipe if you like, as they freeze amazingly, or scale back the size to make little bite sized muffins!

Savoury Muffins?!

When I shared these over on Instagram, I got a lot of questions - what is a savoury muffin? Savoury muffins are super popular in New Zealand and Australia, but I didn't come across them in my time in the USA. They are exactly what they sound like - a muffin, that is savory.

These are not a biscuit, or a scone, this is a muffin recipe. If you haven't heard of them before, I really recommend giving them a try - they are quick and easy, and so so good served warm with some butter or alongside a soup. Just trust me on this one.

Ingredients in Zucchini Muffins

The ingredients list in these Zucchini muffins recipe is super simple:

• All-purpose flour. This acts as the binder of the recipe. I haven't tried substituting this sorry.
• Baking Powder. This zucchini muffin recipe has a high ratio of baking powder to dry ingredients, as it needs it to provide lift for the relatively heavy batter
• Cheese. I used Tasty (sharp cheddar) cheese, but you can use whatever you have on hand here - a mix of a few would even work if you are trying to use things up. The cheese is a main flavour in the recipe, so make sure you use one that you like! The cheese also provides the fat in the recipe, as this recipe does not use oil or melted butter.
• Grated Zucchini. I grate my zucchini, skin and all, using the large holes in a box grater. There is no need to squeeze out any moisture. If you are looking to maybe conceal the zucchini a little more, you can use a smaller sized hole on the grater, or maybe peel the zucchini first to hide the green skin.
• Onion. I used finely chopped white onion, but also tested these zucchini muffins with scallions, and finely chopped red onion - all of them work!
• Milk. Whole milk is best here, but whatever is in your fridge will work great.
• Eggs. This recipe uses two, which are important to bind the zucchini muffins.
• Salt and Pepper. Both important here - the taste of a savoury muffin really hinges on it being properly salted, so make sure you do not skip this. I like to use a good amount of freshly ground black pepper both in the muffin batter and also on top of the muffins before they go into the oven.

How to make Zucchini Muffins

Because there is no need to soften butter or cream together a mixture, these zucchini muffins come together in the time it takes to preheat your oven, and are an easy stir-together situation:

1. Combine cheese, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add your salt and pepper, and mix well to combine. I like to combine the flour and baking powder first before adding in the cheese to make sure that it is all evenly incorporated.
2. In a separate bowl, add your grated zucchini and onion, and mix to combine well. Add in the milk and eggs, and mix to combine - this will be your wet ingredients.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix to combine - I use a fork here as I find it is the best utensil to evenly mix this batter as it is a little chunky. You want to make sure you only combine until the mixture is no longer damp - do not over mix as you may develop gluten within the batter and the muffins will be tough.
4. Divide the zucchini muffin batter between the holes in the muffin pan. I like to make paper liners but you can also just grease them if you like.
5. Finish the zucchini muffins with a little salt and pepper on top, or you can also add on some everything bagel seasoning! Bake until lightly golden on the tops - the mixture will spring up a lot in the oven.

How do you store zucchini muffins?

I store these zucchini muffins at room temperature in an airtight container. They are best eaten fresh on the day that they are made, but also will keep for a few days - Just either toast lightly or microwave for 10 seconds or so to freshen them up.

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes - this recipe only makes 7 large muffins, so if you have a lot of zucchini to use up, you can easily double the recipe!

This easy Zucchini Muffin recipe takes 30 minutes to make. It is filled with grated zucchini, cheese, and onions, making it the perfect savory muffin recipe. The recipe doubles easily, and these zucchini muffins are perfect as a grab and go breakfast or lunch - no squeezing out zucchini required!

• 300g all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp (15g) baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 180g grated cheese (I used Tasty / sharp cheddar, you can use whatever you have on hand)
• 250g grated zucchini, skin on is fine
• 40g finely chopped onion
• 220g milk (I used full fat, use whatever is in your fridge)
• 2 large eggs (100g not including the shell)
• Flaky salt and pepper for the tops of the muffins

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 220°c / 430°f bake. Line 7 cups of a muffin tin with liners (I made my own with 14cm / 5.5" squares of baking paper), or lightly grease. I arrange my muffins with spaces between if possible to allow for more even baking. 
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix to combine, then add the cheese and stir to incorporate.
3. In a separate medium sized bowl, combine the grated zucchini, onion, milk, and eggs, and mix well together. 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until only just combined - do not over mix. 
5. Divide the mixture between the muffin cups (about half a cup per muffin), and sprinkle with flaky salt and extra pepper if you like. 
6. Bake the muffins for 13-17 minutes, until lightly golden brown, and they spring back when gently poked with a finger. 
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack before removing from the pan and leaving to cool completely. 
8. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers either lightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature. Leftovers are best lightly toasted or warmed up in the microwave before serving.

If you don't make your own liners, you may end up yielding more muffins. The homemade liners stick up from the sides of the pan a little, meaning you can fill them a little fuller as the paper supports the batter. If you have more, smaller muffins, that is totally fine!