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Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

Pumpkin zucchini muffins with warm pumpkin pie spice and tender zucchini baked into moist, amber muffins with a lightly crackled top. These easy pumpkin muffins are quick to mix and bake up in about 20–22 minutes for an autumn breakfast.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.75 cup pumpkin purée
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.333 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Add-ins
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
  • 0.5 cup pepitas or chocolate chips (optional)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep the pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Set the tin aside while you mix.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. The mixture should look uniform in color with no spice clumps.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Whisk eggs, pumpkin purée, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until smooth. Stop when no streaks of egg or sugar remain.
Combine wet and dry
  1. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Mix only until the flour disappears to keep the crumb tender.
Fold in zucchini and optional add-ins
  1. Fold in grated zucchini and pepitas or chocolate chips if using. Stop once the zucchini is distributed with visible specks throughout the batter.
Fill the muffin cups
  1. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Tap the tin lightly to level the tops if needed.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350°F for 20–22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The tops should look set and lightly crackled and feel springy.
Cool
  1. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This helps the muffins release cleanly and sets the crackled top.

Notes

For extra moisture, squeeze the grated zucchini dry firmly before folding it in—too much liquid can make the muffins dense. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months. For a lighter option, replace the vegetable oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce for a slightly softer crumb (muffins may bake a minute faster).