Awhile back a reader shared a recipe with me that sounded like quite possibly the perfect combination ever: zucchini and lemon. I mean, throw some chocolate in there and most folks wouldn’t complain, but a gluten free zucchini lemon anything sounded really divine to me.
I think the recipe my reader had seen was for a cake, but my thought was that magic might be found in hand-held, a bit less sweet muffins, so I got to work.
I think you’ll agree that what I created from this zucchini-lemon combo is pretty special. The light, airy crumb on this golden muffin is truly enticing. The perfectly balanced flavor is memorable. too.
Please note, though, that you will NOT get a light and airy muffin with a dry, gritty brown-rice based flour like you buy in stores. And bean flours will interfere with this delicate taste. Try my #1 voted gfJules Flour in this (and in all of your) recipes. You’ll know the difference on your first bite.
I tried to capture just how super fluffy these were by showing you what a bite inside this deliciousness looks like, but it really doesn’t do it justice. Truly, these gluten free zucchini lemon muffins are a bit magical.
I’m certain you could bake this recipe out into a loaf and slice it — a lot like my gluten free lemon poundcake or any other quick bread on my site (there are tons, just use the search bar!). If you do, double this recipe for a loaf.
Another reader shared that she had made this recipe for Lemon Zucchini Bread (not gluten free) but made it gluten free by simply substituting my gfJules Flour 1:1 and it was absolutely perfect!
But I really was taken by the portable nature of these yummies. Probably because it just made it easier for me to grab another and another and another as I was running out the door or on my way to some other thing I had to do.
Whichever way you choose to bake them though, I hope you bake them soon. You won’t regret it! Zucchini season is almost over, so bake! bake! bake!!!
{… but if you’re in the mood for something more traditional, you simply can’t go wrong with my gluten free zucchini bread recipe — made from scratch with my gfJules Flour or even easier with my award-winning gfJules Gluten Free Muffin Mix!}
Gluten Free Zucchini Lemon Muffins
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 egg (or substitute like aquafaba)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup (135 grams) gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbs. lemon zest
- 3/4 cup shredded zucchini
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F or 325F convection.
Prepare muffin pans by lining with muffin liners.
Add lemon juice to milk and set aside to curdle.
Grate or process zucchini using a fine disc of a food processor. Measure and set aside -- do not press or squeeze dry.
Whisk dry ingredients plus lemon zest, then set aside. Beat sugar and oil together in a large mixing bowl. Add egg or substitute and vanilla, then mix until integrated.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the lemon mixture, alternating with milk/lemon juice mixture. Beat until fully integrated. Fold in zucchini.
Spoon batter into prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on size of muffins. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of a muffin -- if it comes out clean or with some crumbs but not wet, muffins are done. Remove to cool on wire racks.
Notes
Recipe is easily doubled. Muffins keep well after cooling, sealed in a plastic bag or tupperware-type container at room temperature.
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I just made your zucchini lemon muffins and they turned out absolutely perfect! Moist and flavorful. Are you able to share the nutritional information? I have a health issue that requires me to know the carbs, protein and fat on everything I eat. I am guessing 45 carb per muffin?
I just made these – and thought they were delicious, they were not light and fluffy. I doubled the recipe and used aquafaba. Beat them by hand instead of with a beater so maybe the batter wasn’t fluffy enough. But still delicious!
I’m so glad they were delicious, Gail! It’s always going to be a slightly different texture with aquafaba, and next time you could try whipping the aquafaba before adding, especially since you were only mixing by hand instead of with beaters (which adds more air to the batter). At the end of the day, as long as they’re delish though, it’s a win!
~jules
I made you zucchini lemon muffin recipe. They are so good and easy to make! I love the lemon flavor. I added some fresh picked blueberries. I folded them in at the very end. So good! These will be a staple in our household.
YUM! Adding the fresh blueberries sounds like a great, seasonal addition!!! So happy you loved this recipe!!!
~jules
These are great. I made them with Bob’s (took a risk). I’m sure they would be lighter with Jules. The muffins were pretty small and it wasn’t until I was about to fill the muffin tins that I realized this recipe is only for 8 muffins. So I made another 1/2 recipe and spread them among the 12 cups. I think one could double this recipe for 12 slightly larger muffins. Thanks so much, I love the lemon!!!
So glad you loved these lemon zucchini muffins — it’s all about the lemon, isn’t it?!? Love that lemon flavor!!!!
~jules
Why does the recipe say 1 cup gf flour 2 times?
Hi Donna – must’ve been some weird glitch in the recipe card. It’s fixed now. Thanks for pointing that out!
~jules
I made these and I added some frozen blueberries to the batter. They were so good, my boys devoured them. I still have zucchini left so I will make a double batch today. I love how well the lemon and blueberries go together. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I’m so glad to hear it, Sarah! Isn’t it amazing how you can sneak zucchini into so many things when the rest of the recipe is so good? Thanks for taking the time to let me know! Happy baking!
~jules
Made these with yellow squash and zucchini and reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup. So light and moist and full of flavor. Even my friend who is a baker and not gluten free loved them!
That’s quite the testimonial – congrats on the huge baking win, Amy! And thanks for sharing your modifications!!!
~jules
Can you make this recipe using your gf muffin mix the same way it is in your zucchini bread recipe? What changes would I need to make? I traded some of my backyard apples with someone who grows other fruits/veggies in their backyard and I ended up with a zucchini bigger than my bicep – LOL
Zucchini bigger than your bicep is a good problem to have, as a baker! LOL! Actually though, the larger the zuke, the larger the seeds, so I’d recommend de-seeding it before using in a recipe or you’ll wind up with some slightly unpleasant textures.
Regarding using my gfJules Muffin Mix in this recipe instead, the best suggestion I can make is to add 1 1/2 times the wet ingredients of this recipe to the muffin mix and add another 1/4-1/2 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you like your muffins. Let me know how it goes, and if you have any leftover zucchinis you want to send my way!
~jules
My two granddaughters are 4 and 5 years old, and they do NOT like most gluten-free products, but I made this recipe as mini-muffins with gfJules all-purpose flour and the girls went crazy for them. The batch lasted exactly one day. Thanks, Jules, you and your products are the best!!
YAY! Sweet mom victories like this one are meant to be celebrated! So happy you tried it and they loved them – no need to tell them zucchini was in them or that they were GF! Woot Woot!
~jules
I made these this morning and the flavor was wonderful. The muffins turned out with a very gummy texture and fell in. Do you think I over or under mixed them? Thanks!!
Hi Lauren- glad they tasted great, but sorry that they fell. Were you using my gfJules Flour? Did you make any other substitutions? Did the batter seem super runny to you? It can be difficult when using fruits in batters (yes, zucchini is a fruit! crazy, right?!) to get the moisture levels just right. If they sunk, they were either under-baked or there was too much liquid in the batter and next time maybe squeeze/press the zucchini between paper towels before baking. Regarding the rubberiness, I’m hoping that’s also tied into them being underbaked or too liquidy. Over-beating can contribute to this result, as well. Check out this article for some more baking tips and I hope they turn out great next time for you!
~jules
Thanks very much for your help!! I used your all purpose flour (which I love and use often!) and weighed it. I didn’t blot the zucchini and it was fairly juicy. I also may have over mixed it. When mixing muffin batter, should it still be slightly lumpy, like it should be for pancakes? Thanks again!!
Hi Lauren – did you use a mixer or just a spoon? The batter itself shouldn’t be lumpy, at least before you add the zucchini. Hope it turns out better next time, maybe with some blotting or put the zucchini in a strainer and press before adding. Let me know! I haven’t needed to press my zucchini for this recipe, but if it was really wet, I would recommend it for sure.
~jules
I just made these muffins,sprinkled them with powered sugar,they were a big hit,thanks for the recipe
MMMmm a sprinkle of powdered sugar sounds like a great addition, Camille!
~jules
Thank You the recipe, I will try it tomorrow,it sound very good. Ihave zucchini in my fridge.
Thanks, Antonia.
I hope you loved them, Antonia!
~jules
Can I make this recipe as a zucchini Bread?
Hi Sylvia, yes – check my intro to the recipe for ideas of how to bake this as a loaf. Enjoy!
~jules