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Cute, sweet, and easy, these Swirled Caramel Brulée Zucchini Muffins are made from scratch with shredded zucchini, honey, vanilla, and lemon. Swirl in salted cinnamon caramel brulée to really make each muffin extra special. Serve these zucchini muffins warm with salted butter. There’s no need for anything extra here, they’re perfect just as is. And so much better than the bakery. You really can’t beat these cute zucchini muffins!
Just like clockwork, every single August, you all ask me the same question: What do I do with all this zucchini I have?
The typical recipes are just that—typical. There are a lot of grilled zucchini, zucchini salads, and zucchini bread. I have countless recipes I could share. But instead, I created something a little more exciting with a special yummy layer of flavor.
A sweet (but, not too sweet) caramel brulée zucchini muffin!
What’s a caramel brûlée zucchini muffin? Well, some of you may remember my Chai Latte Cupcakes with Caramel Brulée Frosting. I took that crunchy brûlée topping and swirled the shards of crunchy caramel into the muffin batter. The end result is a perfectly sweet, tender zucchini muffin that’s a bit more special (and delicious)! I’ll be making these through September, they are so good!
Details For You
Step 1: make the caramel brulée
This is so fun! And it’s easier than you think—it’s that extra special touch the muffin needs.
Melt granulated sugar on the stove until it turns deep caramel in color. Mix in butter and spread the caramel out over a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle with lemon zest, cinnamon, and sea salt. The caramel hardens in just minutes and can then easily be smashed into small shards for swirling into the muffin batter. Be sure you’re being careful when handling this; it gets very hot.
Step 2: prep the zucchini
You can use zucchini or yellow summer squash. Both work great, I actually like summer squash a little more!
The key to baking with zucchini is to squeeze out the extra moisture. Lay the shredded zucchini on a kitchen towel and ring it out as best you can.
Step 3: make the batter
This is pretty standard. First, mix together the wet ingredients: melted coconut oil, honey, eggs, yogurt, apple butter, and vanilla. Then, mix in the shredded zucchini.
I love using apple butter to add a sweet, warm flavor. It’s delicious, and these will be even more popular when September rolls around.
Now, add the dry ingredients. I love to use whole wheat pastry flour. Then, add the baking powder and salt. Mix, mix, mix!
Step 4: scoop and bake
Once the batter is ready to go, scoop it into a muffin pan.
If desired, you can sprinkle the tops of the muffins with organic brown sugar or coarse sugar. This is totally optional but does give the muffins a sparkle!
You should bake these for around 25 minutes until the tray of muffins is just setting up on top. They’ll smell wonderful, like sweet brown sugar muffins!
As the muffins bake, the topping begins to caramelize, becoming just the slightest bit crunchy too.
When the muffins come out of the oven, enjoy at least one while they’re still warm. This is when they are most delicious! The caramel mixed into the muffins really makes them special, and with a little salted butter, they are even yummier!
Looking for other homemade recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
Lastly, if you make these Swirled Caramel Brulée Zucchini Muffins, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Zucchini Caramel Muffins
Servings: 16 muffins
Calories Per Serving: 186 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- flaky salt
- 2 medium zucchini, grated (about 1 cup grated)
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- coarse sugar, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a medium pot, cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heat-proof spatula until the sugar has melted and turns a golden caramel, about 6 minutes. Mix in the butter. Remove from the heat and carefully pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread in a thin, even layer and sprinkle with lemon zest, cinnamon, and flaky sea salt. Let sit for 5 minutes. Once hardened, crush the caramel into small pieces/shards with the back of a spoon.3. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 16 muffin tins with paper liners.4. Lay a clean towel on the counter. Spread the shredded zucchini out onto the center of the towel, then squeeze out any excess water. 5. In a bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey, eggs, yogurt, apple butter, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the squeezed-out zucchini. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined. Stir in the caramel shreds.6. Divide the batter evenly among the molds, filling 2/3 of the way full. Sprinkle coarse sugar, if desired. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the tops are just set. Enjoy warm!
This post was originally published on August 9, 2024
I have doubled the recipe and made them twice because these are so yummy and healthy with the Greek yogurt. Thanks for giving me ideas to use up all my zucchini and squash from garden. I’m goon a freeze some of these for thanksgiving when I have my kids visit and we can have them for breakfast. Next I want to try the double chocolate buckwheat zucchini muffin recipe. Thanks for these great recipes! Love them!❤️
Hey Mary,
Thank you so much for making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Happy Sunday! xT
Sadly these didn’t live up to results I usually get with HBH recipes. The muffins were oily and a bit mushy.
On the plus side, the caramel was AMAZING! I will definitely incorporate that into other recipes
Hey Sully,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear the muffins were not enjoyed! xx
You could use pumpkin butter.
I made basic zucchini bread earlier this week and was underwhelmed, so I tried your recipe tonight and… Home run! So delicious with the little bits of salted caramel. Will definitely make this one again. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Chelle! Glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Have a great day:) Xx
Another winner! I used yellow squash, butter instead of coconut oil and I made mini muffins. So yummy!
Hey Jacki,
Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! xT
Sadly, these were a lot of work and just lacked the normal amazing HBH taste. I am not leaving one star to sound bitter it was just a lot of effort for meh.
Hi Brigitte,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
I made these today exactly as the recipe called for. OMG, they were amazing! The caramel took me two tries because I accidentally burned the first attempt but the caramel really added something special to these muffins and I think it is totally worth the time to make. They looked so fancy compared to the plain ones I usually make, haha. My husband really liked these too! Great recipe and very easy to follow.
Hey Emily,
Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! xT
Super tasty! Made some modifications of course!
I DID tackle the sugar/caramel at the beginning which scared me, but it went smoothly. I did not have lemon, and it was a-okay.
-subbed TJ fig butter for apple butter
-subbed flour for combo gf/almond flour
-threw in big handful of Ghirardelli chocolate chips bc why not
Mine had to bake for 30 min and probably could have stayed in a few more minutes. But tasty still!
Hey Amanda,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks so much for making it! Happy Sunday! xT
So you subbed several ingredients, omitted lemon, added chocolate chips and had to bake longer than the directions stated. Seems you made a totally different recipe!
I made these muffins, and added 1/2 tsp of cloves and some raisins. This is a delicious recipe. It’s a definite keeper!!! Thank you!! You have such great recipes!
Hey Mary,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xT
Good luck getting the zucchini juice stains out of that white cloth
Hi there- How much lemon zest is needed? Didn’t see it in the list of ingredients. Thanks in advance! BTW- LOVE every recipe of yours that I have tried.
Thanks so much, Julie:) You can use 1-2 teaspoons of lemon zest. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Hi,
I have both frozen zucchini and squash! But I’d like to know if I could use pumpkin?
I have some canned diced pumpkin, and that sounded good to go with the caramel. Would that work if I whirled it in the food processor first? Or is the texture not quite right?
I’d love to try this recipe with either of the vegetables!
Thanks
what is a substitute for melted coconut oil?
What is bake time if I make in the mini muffin tins?
Hi Marie,
You can use a neutral oil in place of the coconut oil. I would make mini muffins for 12-15 minutes. I hope you love this recipe! xT
These look great! I’ve been trying to figure out what the heck to do with all this zucchini and yellow squash. This is perfect. Thinking I can probably freeze too?
For the apple butter, I made some from one of your other recipes, wondering how long it lasts in their refrigerator sealed?
Thank you for always being such an inspiration!💕
Hey Cristen,
Thanks so much!! Lol yes this is perfect for all the zucchini and yellow squash you have, you can totally freeze these! The apple butter is good for 2 weeks in the fridge. I hope you love this recipe! xT
I enjoy HBH recipes and these sound good -(except for the zucchini.)
Could apples be substituted for the zucchini? Thus, making them creme brulee apple muffins…🙂
Hey Karen,
So sorry, I have never used apples in this recipe, but you could certainly give it a try! Let me know how the recipe turns out! xT
Looks amazing!! Can you make this batter the night before and then bake in the morning?
Hi Kate,
Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I’m wondering if the Carmel melts after it is hardened. If I make these, I don’t want to bite into any hard shreds. Is it soft in muffins? Thanks
Hi Mary,
Yes, it will be soft, you won’t have any hard pieces in the muffins:) I hope you love this recipe! xx
What could be a sub for the apple butter?
Hi Liz,
You could try using a thick apple sauce. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
You could use pumpkin butter.