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Home / Recipe Type / Breakfast

Zucchini Carrot Muffins (AIP)

July 25, 2021 Modified February 10, 2025 By Nicole Charles 46 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links.

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These zucchini carrot muffins are divine! They are super moist, light and fluffy, and perfectly spiced with no added sugar. They’re AIP and paleo and an amazing breakfast that contains both veggies and protein.

three zucchini muffins stacked on top each other

Spoiler alert!

These are currently my favourite muffins on the blog!

They’re moist, fluffy and light, have loads of veggies and hidden protein powder that make these filling and delicious. You’ve been asking for quick and nutritious AIP breakfast options and these are the perfect fit!

overhead shot of seven zucchini muffins on white background with bite taken out of one muffin

Here are the main ingredients in these AIP Zucchini Carrot Muffins:

  • 1 ripe plantain (you want it really yellow with black spots) – this is the base of the muffins. It provides them with sweetness and also binds the ingredients together
  • coconut oil – you want to make sure it’s completely melted/liquid
  • unsweetened applesauce
  • coconut flour
  • green banana flour – if you’re new to green banana flour, it doesn’t taste like bananas but provides its benefits. That means, it’s rich in resistant starch, magnesium, fibre and vitamin E!
  • cinnamon
  • carrots
  • zucchini
  • protein powder or bone broth powder – vegetarian or vegan? feel free to omit this to keep the recipe vegan. simply sub with an additional TBSP of green banana flour
  • apple cider vinegar

To make these muffins, chop your plantain into 1/2 inch pieces. Add plantain to a high powered blender along with melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and applesauce and puree until smooth. In a large bowl, mix together flours with salt, spices, baking soda and protein powder or bone broth powder. Pour ingredients from blender into dry ingredients and stir until combined. Finally, mix in grated carrots and zucchini and fold in the apple cider vinegar.

zucchini muffins on a black cooling rack
two zucchini muffins stacked on top each other
overhead shot of five zucchini muffins on white background

Zucchini Carrot Muffins FAQs

Can I omit the protein powder or bone broth powder?

Protein powder is added here as an amazing extra boost of protein in this recipe. I’ve also made this recipe using Bone broth powder that’s rich in collagen. Neither of these contributes significantly to the structure of the muffins so you can omit it in this recipe, and replace it with 1 additional TBSP of green banana flour. If you’re looking for vegan muffins try my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Can I substitute any of the flours?

I have not tested this recipe with alternative flours so can’t make any guarantees on how substitutes would work, however, cassava is very unlikely to work in this recipe and the muffins will likely turn out gummy.

Can I use bananas or green plantains in this recipe?

No. This recipe uses one ripe plantain (you want to ensure it’s really ripe with lots of black spots on it) because this adds a natural sweetness to the muffins. As you’ll notice, there are no added sugars in this recipe so a ripe plantain is key! Green plantains aren’t sweet and bananas have a different starch composition and will not work as a substitute here.

Where can I buy plantains?

You should be able to find plantains in most major metropolitan grocery stores, usually in the produce section near to bananas. Otherwise, try Latin American, Caribbean or African markets or grocery stores which often carry plantains. Looking for other AIP-approved Caribbean ingredients? Check out my post on my AIP Caribbean Kitchen with tips on where to find some of my favourite AIP ingredients that are commonly used in Caribbean cuisine.

Looking for some more AIP/paleo muffin recipes? Try:

  • Banana Spice Muffins – a Heal Me Delicious reader fave!
  • Sweet Potato, Bacon and Chive Muffins
  • Pumpkin Banana Muffins

I hope you love these AIP Zucchini Carrot Muffins as much as I do and can’t wait to hear your feedback! So, as always, if you tried this recipe I would appreciate it if you would give it a rating and short review. Also, be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious.

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three zucchini muffins stacked on top each other

Zucchini Carrot Muffins (AIP)


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 16 reviews

  • Author: Nicole Charles
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 9 muffins 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

These zucchini carrot muffins are divine! They are super moist, light and fluffy, and perfectly spiced with no added sugar. They’re AIP and paleo (can be made vegan) and are an amazing breakfast!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 ripe plantain
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, liquid/melted
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup green banana flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 TBSP protein powder or bone broth powder*
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup carrots, grated
  • 3/4 cup zucchini, grated
  • 1/2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F and grease or line 9 muffin tins with baking cups.
  2. Peel and chop ripe plantain into 1/2 inch pieces (doesn’t need to be too precise, just so that it blends easily). 
  3. To a high powered blender or Vitamix, add coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla extract and plantain pieces and puree until as smooth as possible (you don’t want any big chunks in there).
  4. In a large bowl, combine green banana flour, coconut flour, protein powder or bone broth powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in plantain mixture from blender. 
  5. Next, mix in grated carrots and zucchini to the batter.
  6. Finally, gently fold in apple cider vinegar.
  7. Distribute evenly among 9 muffin tins. 
  8. Bake in middle rack of oven for 22-25 minutes. 

Notes

* For a vegan/vegetarian option you can sub with 1 TBSP of green banana flour.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Muffins
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Calories: 1278
  • Sugar: 40.9g
  • Sodium: 2073mg
  • Fat: 76.6g
  • Protein: 16.3g

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag @healmedelicious — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Categories: AIP, All Recipes, Breakfast, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Muffins, Paleo

Previous Post: « Herbed Vegan Potato Salad
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Andrea Roach

    June 14, 2024 at 12:54 pm

    These are great! I didn’t have apple sauce so I subbed with coconut yogurt, and I didn’t have bone broth powder, so I used collagen. They worked out great! great little snacks to have on hand.

    Reply
  2. Melanie

    May 23, 2024 at 10:37 am

    Do you know how many carbs is in one muffin?

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      May 27, 2024 at 11:41 am

      I don’t but can suggest you pop the recipe into one of those online nutrition caluclators!

      Reply
  3. AM

    December 12, 2023 at 1:59 pm

    I had to use cassava flour instead of green banana powder just because I couldn’t find the latter in stores here. I knew it would result in a gummier outcome and was ok with it. I did leave it in the oven for an additional maybe 1 hour too. They turned out sooo good, they didn’t rise at all (could be because of my flour choice) so they’re more like cookies with a very soft center. Incredible recipe. Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Cindy

    September 23, 2023 at 10:02 pm

    I make these all the time. I add the apple cider vinegar to the blended items so that vinegar / baking soda reaction is ‘better’. It seems to result in moist, lite muffins.

    Reply
  5. Sophie

    June 19, 2023 at 2:20 am

    Sadly this did not work for me. It was gooey and moist in the middle even after cooking for an extra 15-20 minutes. It also had a sour after taste. Was it the apple cider vinegar?
    I also wonder if the zucchini should be squeezed out?
    It just would not cook in the middle.
    Suggestions?

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      June 23, 2023 at 8:43 pm

      Hmmm not sure why it would be sour. The minimal amount of vinegar used just helps activate the baking soda and imparts no real flavor into the muffins so it’s unlikely that’s the culprit of the sour taste. Was the zucchini or any of the other ingredients perhaps off? Did you bake the muffins right after mixing the wet and dry ingredients or did the batter sit out a bit? In terms of squeezing out the zucchini, the high quantity of very absorbent coconut flour plus green banana flour balance out there moisture of the zucchini for a nice texture, eliminating the need to squeeze it out in advance.

      Reply
  6. Naomi

    February 24, 2023 at 11:09 am

    Made these yesterday and they are perfectly sweet and yummy! I live in a small town so plantains are not easy to find, but I recently saw some and snapped them up specifically for this recipe, as I’ve wanted to make it for some time. I also made my own green banana flour, which worked great. Thank you, Nicole, for all your recipes! You have been a lifesaver for me since I’ve been on AIP.

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      February 24, 2023 at 7:22 pm

      Oh awesome! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review

      Reply
  7. Bianca

    January 2, 2023 at 10:50 pm

    Made these today to the letter and they are delicious! I just started AIP and miss my baked goods, so this is perfect! Thank you so much for this recipe. So fun to work and bake with different ingredients that I’m not used to.

    Reply
    • Heal Me Delicious Team

      January 3, 2023 at 5:03 pm

      Hi Bianca, we’re so glad you liked them. Thank you for leaving a review!

      Reply
  8. Kelsey

    December 1, 2022 at 12:16 pm

    I love this recipe. So yummy and easy!

    Reply
  9. Leigh

    July 20, 2022 at 12:21 am

    Hi!
    Can’t wait to try these. Does the zucchini need to be squeezed of moisture before measuring?
    Thank you!

    Reply
  10. tracy

    April 9, 2022 at 1:41 pm

    moist and fluffy. Def a healthier tasting version. I added 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots. Personally I will add some honey next time, as this is a “treat” for me and I need a bit sweeter taste. Worth making.

    Reply
  11. ahs

    October 18, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    I’ve made this recipe three times in as many months and happy added a bit of unsweetened cocoa (a reintro) and though I love, love, love the recipe as-is I was happy to have a little celebratory switch-up : ) such a favorite muffin!

    Reply
  12. Susanne

    October 1, 2021 at 10:29 am

    I think these muffins are the nicest AIP muffins I’ve had.

    Reply
  13. Jen W

    September 16, 2021 at 12:38 pm

    I made these last night and they are LOVELY! I actually had to bake them in a dish so they’re more of a bar (couldn’t find my muffin pan!) So yummy!

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      September 20, 2021 at 10:06 am

      Awesome, Jen, thanks for leaving a review!

      Reply
  14. Jen W

    September 12, 2021 at 9:27 pm

    Can I replace the coconut oil with avocado oil? I can’t have coconut oil☹️

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      September 13, 2021 at 8:23 am

      Yes but flagging that this recipe also contains coconut flour!

      Reply
      • Jen W

        September 14, 2021 at 3:10 pm

        Yes, thank you! I don’t do well with saturated fats so I remove it where I can:) Thanks! Btw have you ever tried making this into a bread loaf? How long would I need to cook for if I attempted that? We just moved and I can’t find my muffin tins!

        Reply
  15. ahs

    August 26, 2021 at 1:54 pm

    I baked these muffins in preparation to leave my partner (who doesn’t cook or bake much) for seventeen days while I care for a family member post-surgery. My partner was so grateful to have them! I brought six with me to the hospital and they were the perfect breakfast and snack for long days of waiting. Perfect texture and really excellent amount of vegetable-sweetness! Like, I love just the sweetness of the carrot without the taste of carrot if that makes sense : )

    Reply
  16. Melodie Mandanis

    August 11, 2021 at 7:39 pm

    I followed the recipe to the letter but did not have the bone broth powder so I substituted Vital Proteins Collagen. I absolutely loved the flavor but the insides were a soupy texture and extremely grainy. After cooling they were a little better but not much. Do you think the collagen could have changed the texture?

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      August 13, 2021 at 11:31 am

      Hi Melodie, sorry to hear that. When you say soupy, do you mean they weren’t cooked through? I’m not sure what would make them grainy. What brands of flours did you use? I haven’t tried with collagen so I can’t say for sure, but recommend just adding additional green banana flour in place of the bone broth powder.

      Reply
  17. Sarah

    April 15, 2021 at 4:02 pm

    I had high hopes for this one. But the texture and flavor are way off

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      April 15, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      Hi Sarah, I’m so sorry to hear that! No other readers have had this issue so that’s strange. Did you make any substitutions and use a ripe plantain?

      Reply
  18. Michelle

    March 28, 2021 at 8:46 pm

    Yummy! Great job! I love these. I also created a chocolate version by adding 1/3 cup carob powder. And, sometimes add 1/4 cup maple syrup.

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      March 28, 2021 at 10:24 pm

      Thanks Michelle! Glad you enjoyed

      Reply
  19. Caroline

    February 20, 2021 at 6:26 pm

    Can I use a different collagen in this? Would the ‘original’ vital proteins work?

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      February 21, 2021 at 7:31 pm

      Hi Caroline, yes that could work but it won’t be the same type of protein as collagen isn’t a complete protein. You could also just replace it with more green banana flour.

      Reply
  20. Agnes

    February 16, 2021 at 10:22 am

    Is there any other flour I can use besides green banana flour as I dont have any at home ? Is Casava or regular gluten free will work too ?

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      February 16, 2021 at 10:25 am

      Hi Agnes, unfortunately the flours in this recipe cannot be substituted with the same results. If you’re looking for cassava flour muffins try out my banana spice muffins, sweet potato bacon and chive muffins or pumpkin banana muffins

      Reply
  21. Anjali

    January 18, 2021 at 2:39 pm

    U try to minimize use of oil – What can I sub for part of the oil in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      January 18, 2021 at 2:46 pm

      Hi Anjali, the oil here serves many functions, one of which is moisture because the coconut oil and banana flours are very absorbent. I haven’t tried any substitutions so cannot guarantee results but if I had to try I would try something like avocado, perhaps mixed in with some coconut milk so that it’s liquified.

      Reply
  22. Sue

    January 17, 2021 at 6:54 pm

    Loved them. I baked them in my air fryer. Could you replace the plantain with bananas?
    Thanks again

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      January 18, 2021 at 10:16 am

      Thanks Sue! No, unfortunately bananas don’t work the same here.

      Reply
  23. Deena

    October 27, 2020 at 9:20 pm

    Do you think this would work with a banana and cassava flour?

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      November 3, 2020 at 2:19 pm

      Hey Deena, I’m afraid these won’t work the same texture wise. Cassava in particular might be quite gummy in this recipe.

      Reply
  24. Madison

    October 4, 2020 at 2:52 pm

    I loved these! They were so good and I loved that they didn’t taste overly sweet like so many muffins do! They make for a great part of my breakfast each morning:)

    Reply
  25. kath milkovits

    October 4, 2020 at 12:01 am

    These muffins were indeed perfectly moist and light! Perfect amount of sweetness for a vegetable muffin. Will make again no doubt.

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      October 4, 2020 at 8:51 am

      Thanks Kath!

      Reply
  26. kath milkovits

    September 25, 2020 at 5:46 pm

    These look so yummy, do you think they would bake well as 6 larger muffins? Thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      September 26, 2020 at 7:51 am

      Hi Kath. You’d have to increase the baking time but I think they should work!

      Reply
  27. Annie

    September 9, 2020 at 11:12 am

    These are one of the best AIP muffins I’ve made that don’t have cassava or tapioca (I’m sensitive to both). The texture is perfect!

    Reply
  28. Meaghan

    September 2, 2020 at 4:48 pm

    I had some old green banana flour and had no idea what to do with it, so this recipe was perfect! These muffins are so good, I love the two different veggies in there and the cinnamon with ripe plantain was the perfect amount of sweetness. You are an AIP Goddess 🙂

    Reply
    • Nicole Charles

      September 2, 2020 at 5:13 pm

      Yay!So happy you enjoyed. Thank you for your review and your kind words <3

      Reply

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