Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins
I’ve updated this recipe for gluten-free Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins so it now makes six larger muffins that are perfect for breakfast! You can double the recipe to make 12 large muffins if you have lots of zucchini to be used!
PIN Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins to try them later!
I first made these Flourless Zucchini Muffins more than ten years ago, and then I kind of forgot about the recipe even though people would comment on it now and then. And then earlier this summer I made a batch of the original recipe for these muffins with Kara and truthfully, we decided they could be improved! (For anyone who was a fan of the original version, just follow that link to get it.)
The original recipe made six muffins, but when we tried them in the size of silicone baking cup I use for my muffin recipes now, the muffins were small and too flat. And although the flavor was definitely not bad, we thought it could be better.
We made a new version that doubled most of the original ingredients for a larger muffin, used a bit more sweetener (although these muffins are still not super sweet), slightly increased the amount of cinnamon, and omitted the small amount of oil which wasn’t needed for a muffin made with almond flour.
And Kara and I are both not great at baking (although she’s better than I am), so we had to make them over and over to get the version we’re sharing with you here. All the not-quite-the-one versions were still gobbled up by the kids, but when we tested this final version and both Kara and I said, “These are really good” we knew we had a winner.
And after I ate a muffin this morning I picked one yellow summer squash and three large zucchini from my tiny garden patch, so I know there must be other people looking for ideas to use zucchini; enjoy!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- grated raw zucchini
- chopped pecans
- blanched Almond Flour (affiliate link)
- salt
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- eggs
- egg whites
- Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), or other sweetener of your choice
- buttermilk (or use milk, cream, or half and half)
How do I like to eat the Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins?
As you can see from the pictures, I like to cut my breakfast zucchini muffin in half, heat for about 30 seconds in the microwave, and enjoy with a pat of butter! I highly recommend doing that for the perfect way to enjoy these.
Why are they called flourless muffins?
The word flourless in the title for these Flourless Zucchini Muffins means the recipe doesn’t contain wheat flour. They use almond flour which is made from finely ground almonds.
How many carbs are in the Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins?
This recipe makes six large zucchini muffins with about 7.6 net carbs per muffin. And they have plenty of good fat too!
What Silicone Baking Cups did I use for the Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins?
I have three sizes of silicone baking cups. But my middle size (that the manufacturer calls Jumbo) is 3.5 x 2.25 x 1.6 inches and holds 2/3 cup, and that’s the size I use for almost all my Low-Carb Muffins and Breakfast Muffins. That’s the baking cups I used to make six large muffins with the updated version of this recipe. However you can definitely make these flourless zucchini muffins with different sized baking cups and adjust the cooking time to be a little more or less, so don’t be afraid to try that.
Want more Ideas for Grab and Go Breakfasts?
You can check out Low-Carb and Keto Grab-and-Go Breakfasts for more grab-and-go breakfast ideas.
How to make Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Preheat oven to 350F/175C. If Almond Flour (affiliate link) has been in freezer, let it come to room temperature.
- Wash and dry outside of zucchini and grate with large side of a hand grater or with a Food Processor (affiliate link). Grated zucchini keeps well in the fridge, so do extra if you have a lot of zucchini.
- Put the grated zucchini inside cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess water.
- Measure out 1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini. Coarsely chop pecans, or any nuts of your choice.
- Put 2 eggs and 2 egg whites into small bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until the mixture has tripled in size, about 2 minutes.
- Add Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or sweetener of your choice and buttermilk to the beaten eggs.
- Measure 2 cups almond flour into bowl, add salt, baking soda, and cinnamon, and combine.
- Stir liquid mixture into the almond flour mixture. Stir just enough to barely combine.
- Gently fold the zucchini and pecans into the batter, again stirring only enough to barely combine.
- Spray muffin cups with non-stick spray. Divide the batter into 6 baking cups.
- Bake muffins about 45 minutes, or until top is browned and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (I was surprised they took that long, but I really did bake them for 45 minutes.)
- Try to be patient and let them cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes or a bit longer before you eat them.
More Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes:
- Top Ten Most Popular Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes
- Low-Carb Recipes for Oversized Zucchini
- Low-Carb Salads with Zucchini
- Low-Carb Grilled Zucchini Recipes
- Low-Carb Soups with Zucchini
Weekend Food Prep:
Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins have been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins
These Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins are low in net carbs and gluten-free. And I think this is a perfect muffin to enjoy for breakfast.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups grated raw zucchini
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup + 2 T Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (see notes)
- 2 T buttermilk (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/175C. If Almond Flour has been in freezer, let it come to room temperature.
- Wash and dry outside of zucchini and grate with large side of a hand grater or with a Food Processor (affiliate link). Grated zucchini keeps well in the fridge, so don't be afraid to do some extra to make muffins another time.
- Put the grated zucchini inside cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess water. (Zucchini doesn’t have to be completely dry but squeeze until you have removed most of the water. This will take a minute or two.)
- Measure out 1 1/2 cups of grated zucchini, loosely packed into the measuring cup.
- Coarsely chop pecans, or any nuts of your choice.
- Put 2 eggs and 2 egg whites into small bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until the mixture has tripled in size, about 2 minutes. (Don't beat it until the eggs begin to form peaks.)
- Add Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or sweetener of your choice and buttermilk to the beaten eggs.
- Measure 2 cups almond flour into bowl, add salt, baking soda, and cinnamon, and use a fork to combine.
- Stir egg mixture into the almond flour mixture. Stir just enough to barely combine.
- Gently fold the grated zucchini and chopped pecans into the batter, again stirring only enough to barely combine.
- Spray muffin cups with non-stick spray. (If you're not using the same size silicone baking cup, you might get more than six muffins.)
- Divide the batter into 6 baking cups, starting with 1/2 batter in each and then adding any extra to make muffins cups equally filled. Cups will be about 2/3 full.
- Bake muffins about 45 minutes, or until top is browned and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (I was surprised they took that long, but the batter is quite moist and dense and I really did bake them for 45 minutes.)
- For these muffins it’s important to cool them a bit longer than muffins made with wheat flour, so try to be patient and let them cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes or a bit longer before you eat them.
Notes
Almond Flour (affiliate link) is widely available, and if you shop at Costco you can probably find it there! I used Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link); use any sweetener you prefer. You can probably use milk or cream instead of buttermilk, although I haven't tried that.
Recipe originally inspired by Zucchini Bread from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elena Amsterdam; new version adapted and tested many times by Kalyn and Kara.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 327Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 2.6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 62mgSodium 457mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 6.4gSugar 4.9gProtein 13g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
The almond flour used in these Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins also makes them gluten-free, and with the Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) I used they’re low in carbs. These muffins are also a pretty good choice for the original South Beach Diet, since almonds contains “good fat” and are a healthful ingredient; however, nut flours are a limited food so these muffins would be too calorie-dense for phase one of South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Bread Recipes or Dessert Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins was first posted in September 2009. The recipe was updated and improved in July 2020, and was last updated with more information in 2023.
36 Comments on “Flourless Keto Zucchini Muffins”
My granddaughter was diagnosed recently with celiac so I tried to find recipes and make things for her to try, but she has a severe allergy to almonds. I wondered if I could use a one-to-one Gluten-free flour? I’ve taken other recipes and played With substitutes for almond flour and They did not turn out good and gluten-free flour is too expensive to waste if I don’t have to.😊
Thank you
I’m sorry not to be more helpful, but I don’t have any experience using gluten-free flour, but I doubt it will work to just switch the almond flour for that. However I can recommend a great site called Fearless Dining for gluten-free baking and I bet she has a recipe for zucchini muffins. I can’t leave links here in the comments but just google her site if you’re interested.
I used almond meal and left out the nuts. Also used 2 heaping teaspoons of cinnamon. You can add a squeeze of lemon or a few drops of vinegar to regular milk to make buttermilk. Muffins had a great flavor and texture. My husband likes the Golden Monk Fruit but I prefer pure Erythritol. I get a little bit of an aftertaste from the Monk Fruit. I used parchment cup cake holders but they stick a little too much. I find the silicone cups hard to clean even though they don’t stick as much. Probably would need to use a little more Erythritol since it’s only 70% as sweet as sugar. Great recipe! Thanks.
So glad you enjoyed it! I find that sweeteners taste a bit different to different people (just like everything I guess.) Thanks for sharing what worked for you.
This is one of my favorite recipes. I have made these muffins about 6 times now, and all were great! I add 1 cup fresh blueberries instead of pecans because I like them better that way. It works just fine to substitute whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream for the buttermilk. (Almond does *not* work!) one large zucchini makes enough for two batches. You can freeze the second batch of shredded zucchini.
Kalyn, just FYI in response to your reader who had a comment about these being called flourless, and your reply that almond flour wasn’t flour. Flour is actually any powder made from grinding up grains, seeds, nuts, or other things. Maybe for accuracy this should be called Almond Flour Muffins?
Love these muffins. This is a foolproof recipe. Also makes a great zucchini loaf in a loaf pan! Thank you, Kalyn!
So glad you are enjoying the recipe. And thanks for sharing all those tips.
I think it is too late to change the name at this point, and people who care about low-carb or gluten-free cooking are used to the word flourless meaning no wheat flour.
Totally unnecessary to pander to pedantics. We all know it means wheat flour.
You would probably be very surprised at the things that are apparently not clear to some people! But thanks for the support.
I just ate one of these while still warm and it was delicious! Next time I will double the recipe and store them in the freezer, for their satefy, and mine. I didn’t want to turn my gas oven on for 6 muffins so I baked in my Cuisinart Air Fryer and worked perfectly! Was a little worried that I was overcooking them as the tops turned brown very fast, but again, delicious.
Glad you enjoyed! I never thought of making something like this in the Air Fryer, but I think I need to try it!
Almond flour is not flour. It’s made of ground almonds, which have a similar texture to flour. It’s readily available online, or maybe this is not the recipe for you?
I don’t have time or the knowledge to give a run-down of all the sweetener options, but this Monkfruit Sweetener is the one I’m using most these days. I like the golden Monkfruit for baking. You can get it on Amazon if you don’t find in your store.
Yes, that’s right!
Ha just saw the tsp. So the T would be Tablespoon 🤦🏻♀️
Hi Kalyn,
This was my first time baking with almond flour. I don't have a problem with gluten but wanted to try this recipe. I was a little wary of the recipe but the muffins turned out great. I made 11 muffins without doubling recipe and cooked for about 30 minutes. I guess I could make the muffins bigger. ; ) My husband also liked the muffins and he is a pecan fan. I also just used 1T whole milk. I will definitely be making these again, in face, maybe this afternoon. : ) Thanks!
Thanks Katherine, so glad you enjoyed them!
Great idea to use coconut milk; thanks so much for letting us know that worked and glad you enjoyed the muffins!
These are fab! I used coconut milk instead of buttermilk. Love them! Thank you!!
Very interesting; I haven't heard about mesquite pod flour before.
Wonderful recipe! I substituted with mesquite pod flour instead of almond flour and xylitol instead of Splenda…mesquite gives a deliciously smoky flavor, definitely a nice variation!
Natasha, so glad you liked the muffins!
These muffins are fantastic! It's a good thing I doubled the recipe because my boyfriend couldn't get enough of them 🙂 Thanks so much!
I must get my hands on some almond flour!
These were great, lovely recipe. My husband is an energy conservation fanatic so I made these in my new energy efficient toaster oven that he bought me. They turned out perfect. I think he liked them even more because I used the new toaster oven that "he" bought online (big step for him).
Sherry
Yippee! I'm so happy to see a gluten free muffin recipe! This will work marvelously for my g/f girl, and I don't even have to camouflage the zucchini because she likes that veggie! YUM!
I love the new header and your zucchini muffins look incredible. I am always intrigued by your unique slant on food. I don't see you use splenda that often, but I could be wrong about that. I have read that it can still impact blood sugar in the same way as sugar but I'm not sure I agree with it. I try not to use it as I feel better when I don't but I do feel it's a much better alternative than white sugar. I don't bake with it – I use agave which can be a debate in and of itself. At times I use it in my coffee if I'm somewhere and the coffee is so bad that I can't drink it black.
I am still getting zukes from friends as they are growing in full-force in Texas and made some muffins last week. They were great.
Elana, thanks and can't wait to meet you.
Julie, they aren't chocolate, sorry. Does look like it, doesn't it?
So glad everyone is liking the sound of these. I did like how they turned out (and there's a big zucchini waiting in the fridge at home to make more!)
Kayln, you and I must be on a similar wavelength! I posted some gluten-free, almond flour zucchini muffins/cupcakes on my blog Wednesday! They're decidedly different than yours, but yours have such a lovely "crust" on the top, I'm intrigued. They look yummy!
For anyone reading the comments – these muffins are delicious!
This blog is such a goldmine for us – my husband's diabetic, and I've "cooked him" into perfect control without insulin (well, and walked him) but I miss baking terribly. This whole almond flour thing opens up all kinds of possibilities.
I love that these don't seem to be ridiculously sweet. They probably make for a great breakfast because of that! Also so much nutty goodness.
oh these sound absolutely fabulous!!! Totally need to make these 😀
These look so good. I love baking with that almond flour. I hope you brought some of these with you to Blogher, I'm so hungry now!
Ooh, these look fab! I'm always looking for new (chocolate) ways to use zucchini.
OH wow. These look lovely. I must give them a try 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Yours are gorgeous! Great photo 🙂