My favorite way to preserve zucchini is with these easy to make zucchini cinnamon freezer muffins. You mix up the dough, portion it out, freeze, and then bake right from frozen for warm muffins anytime. Talk about convenient!
After you've made these muffins, try one of our other Best Bread Recipes.
Are you ready to meet your newest favorite recipe for preserving zucchini? I think you will LOVE having this frozen muffin dough ready to be baked whenever you want - it's super convenient for quick, but warm breakfasts and snacks.
Freezing breads and muffins after they have been baked is nothing new to me and, in fact, is the way I traditionally like to use up garden zucchini.
I found that we actually ate preserved zucchini if I made it into loaves, cookies, cupcakes, cake, and froze them for use throughout the winter rather than grating and freezing the zucchini itself. I just don't find zucchini as easy to use once it's been frozen, so grated zucchini just tends to sit in my freezer.
But this recipe for zucchini cinnamon freezer muffins is a revelation! You freeze the muffin dough before it's cooked and then just cook as many as you need (no thawing needed) when you want fresh-from-the-oven muffins.
After adapting this recipe to use zucchini, I cooked one muffin right away to see if I liked the muffin itself and I did, but I waited to see how they baked up from frozen before sharing the recipe with you.
All I've got to say is...find some zucchini and try this as soon as you can!
They are so good and so easy, and actually, I think these may be the best zucchini muffins I've had.
Imagine having warm muffins in 30 minutes without dirtying a bowl or even the muffin pan they cooked in!
Zucchini Cinnamon Freezer Muffins
Ingredients
- whole wheat pastry flour (or half whole wheat/half unbleached all purpose)
- brown sugar & white sugar
- baking powder & baking soda
- salt
- cinnamon
- yogurt or sour cream
- egg
- zucchini
Directions
After making the simple muffin batter, divide it into lined muffin tins and freeze for 30 minutes, or until firm. (You can, of course, bake some right away if you'd like.)
Then separate the frozen dough cups into baggies based on the number you'd like to cook at one time. For me that is six to fit a six-cup muffin tin.
Label the bags, remove as much air as possible (you can use the straw trick) and throw them back in the freezer. I like to add the directions to each bag so I don't have to look it up each time - and it also makes it easy to gift a bag of these muffins to friends and family.
To bake when you want warm muffins:
Plop the frozen muffins in their liners into a muffin tin and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned.
Sometimes I like to sprinkle the tops with cinnamon-sugar before freezing and sometimes with a bit of raw sugar for crunchy sweetness. But they really are just as good plain, too.
You can also add chocolate chips or dried fruit to the batter before freezing, as well as gently mixing in fresh fruit like blueberries or raspberries. It's fun to experiment!
It's that simple. Can you believe it?
Oh, where have these muffins been all my zucchini-growing life?
Need more zucchini recipes?
- Zucchini Feta Fritters with Lime
- Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
- Glazed Zucchini Lemon Bread Recipe (Whole Grain, Dairy Free)
- Garlic Cheese Zucchini Bread Recipe (100% Whole Wheat)
Zucchini Cinnamon Freezer Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour or half whole wheat and half unbleached
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 2/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 egg
- 2 cups shredded zucchini peeled if you prefer
- cinnamon-sugar or raw sugar optional for topping
Instructions
- Place liners in cups of a standard 12-cup muffin tin.*
- Stir together the flours, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- In a smaller bowl (a 2-cup measure with pour spout is perfect), mix the yogurt, butter, and egg. Add to the flour mixture, along with the zucchini and stir just until mixed.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Freeze for about 30 minutes until firm and then transfer the individual cups to freezer bags or containers, label and freeze until ready to bake (or bake immediately - see note**).
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and place as many frozen muffins as you want back into a muffin tin (to keep their shape). Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Remove baked muffins from the tin and transfer to a baking rack to cool.***
Notes
- 1/2 cup of chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup of dried fruit like cranberries or blueberries
- 3/4 cup of fresh berries - mix in very gently
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated - it was originally published in October of 2010.
Wendy says
These sound perfect for this crazy time.
Could I use all purpose flour or cake flour?
Not many choices left on the shelves right now,
Thank you.
Jami says
Yes! You can also make these with grated carrots. 🙂 All purpose will work well. Not sure about cake flour - maybe there are recommendations on using instead of all purpose (add more/less, etc.) you can find?
Wendy says
Thank you. Will try with the all purpose and let you know.
Marie-Elena Baker says
LOVE the hints and suggestions! WOW ! Basil to put up in freezer and these freezer Zucchini muffins! FAR out! Thank you so much !!! Great ideas!
Jami says
You're welcome - I hope you enjoy them!
Nancy says
Just found your blog and am loving you already! Would the freezing ahead work with banana and pumpkin muffins as well? And would there be any adjustments if using sprouted whole wheat flour? Thank you!!
Jami says
I'm so glad you found me, Nancy. 🙂
Yes, you can use this method with any muffins - so convenient!
So, the thing with sprouted flour is that it's 'rustic' and could probably be substituted 1:1 with regular whole wheat flour, though the bread would be denser. This muffin is meant to be lighter and so I use whole wheat pastry flour (made with a soft white wheat). I think a 1:1 ratio would make a pretty dense muffin. But here's the thing - you may like it that way! Experiment and see what you like best. 🙂 The technique would remain the same either way.
Nancy says
I used the sprouted flour and, as you predicted, it made a denser muffin but my family liked them just fine 🙂 I made pumpkin muffins also, doubled the batch and froze half I'm thrilled to have this option for ourselves as well as for delivering to friends for ministering. Can't thank you enough 🙂 Blessings!
Mindy says
This is friggin' genius.
Jaime Lynn says
I just made these for breakfast and they are AWESOME! Thanks so much for sharing! I am going to share them on my blog and link to you!
Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage says
I have made the Martha Stewart version of this recipe many times and enjoyed it, so I was excited to try your zucchini version. I made them this week and they were wonderful!! I baked some immediatly and froze the rest. I baked the ones that I froze today and they are just as good! Thanks for a yummy, healthful, recipe!!
Nikki (Coupon Cookin) says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. It's a good one to use for Freezer Day Cooking which I need to plan for this month. Great idea and healthy recipe. Have a great day!
daphne says
What a creative idea. it's making me hungry! freezing goodness. .
Nancy says
I can smell them from here! I think I will love these! Making them soon!
Thanks!
Nancy
Katie says
smart! I'm hoping for some zucchini in my co-op basket tomorrow!
Lisa says
What an amazing recipe. This way you can always have freshly baked muffins warm out of the oven. I love it. Thanks for sharing this recipe. By the way, I'll be holding a CSN giveaway on my blog next week Monday, so be sure to check back then for a chance to enter.
Caroline Mukisa says
This is so great for those last minute visitors who sometimes pop by. I also love zucchini cakes and muffins so this recipe is perfect for me! Thanks for sharing!
Carol H. says
Thanks for this recipe. I've still got lots of zukes lurking in the refrige. (Visiting from WFMW).
Shirley says
I can't wait to try this recipe! I love your blog and have found so much inspirational information and excellent recipe ideas here! I am awed by your preserving list!
Jaime Lynn says
Ok thanks for the info!
That is so cool that we are both Jami(or Jaime) Lynns!!!!!!! 🙂
Jami @An Oregon Cottage says
Jamie- Yes, you can use regular whole wheat with the unbleached white flour- pastry just makes a lighter finished product, but it's not a huge difference. Grate zucchini with a cheese grater or in a food processor fitted with the grating attachment.
Hey- btw, have I told you that my middle name is Lynn, too? What are the chances...
Blonde Ambitions says
Yum! Looks good. Can't wait to try them!
Jaime Lynn says
I am SOOO making these! Two questions though...
Can I just use regular (not pastry) whole wheat four and unbleached white flour?
How do you shred zucchini? Like with a potato peeler or a cheese grater???
Help! I've only baked and roasted it!
Jaime Lynn says
This comment has been removed by the author.
April@The 21st Century Housewife says
I love this idea! How wonderful to have those yummy muffins just waiting to be baked in the freezer. The recipe itself sounds really delicious - especially with the cinnamon. I'm bookmarking this one!! Thanks for sharing it.