Fresh Milled Flour Zucchini Muffins From Frozen Shredded Zucchini

A Cozy Homestead Muffin for Using Up Last Year’s Garden Zucchini

There’s something so grounding about pulling a bag of last summer’s shredded zucchini from the freezer and turning it into warm, tender muffins for breakfast. This recipe came about as I was working through my freezer stash before this year’s zucchini harvest starts rolling in. If you garden, you know how it goes — one minute you’re admiring your plants, and the next you’re drowning in zucchini the size of baseball bats.

Every summer, I shred and freeze our garden zucchini in two‑cup portions, which makes it incredibly easy to grab a bag and bake something cozy on a busy morning. And because I bake almost exclusively with freshly milled flour, these muffins have that wholesome, soft‑crumb texture that only fresh flour can give.

If you’re looking for a delicious way to use up frozen shredded zucchini — or sneak a few veggies into your family’s day — these Fresh Milled Flour Zucchini Muffins are the perfect place to start.

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Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 220g freshly milled soft white wheat
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups frozen shredded zucchini, thawed and squeezed well
• (You should end up with about 1/2 cup after squeezing.)

Instructions

1. Thaw your previously shredded and frozen zucchini, then drain and squeeze out the excess moisture well. You should end up with about 1/2 cup of zucchini.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease or line a muffin tin to make 9 muffins.
3. Weigh and mill your soft white wheat berries. Freshly milled flour is fluffier and lighter than store‑bought, so weighing is essential for accuracy.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the squeezed zucchini and mix well so it’s evenly distributed.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup to the top.
8. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes. Without opening the oven, reduce heat to 350°F and bake for 15–17 minutes more, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool in the pan for 3 minutes, then transfer muffins to a cooling rack.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A Homestead‑Friendly, Freezer‑Clearing, Veggie‑Sneaking Muffin

• Perfect for frozen shredded zucchini. Designed specifically for thawed, squeezed frozen zucchini.
• Uses freshly milled flour beautifully. Soft white wheat gives these muffins a tender, cake‑like crumb.
• A great way to use up last year’s harvest. Clear out the freezer before the new zucchini starts rolling in.
• Kid‑approved and veggie‑sneaky. The zucchini melts right into the batter.
• Quick and simple. One bowl for wet, one for dry.
• Warm, cozy spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg make these muffins feel like a hug.

How to Serve

• Warm with butter
• Drizzled with honey
• Toasted the next day
• Packed in lunchboxes
• Paired with eggs for a hearty breakfast

They also freeze beautifully — cool completely, freeze on a tray, then store in a bag.

Variations

• Add chocolate chips
• Add chopped walnuts or pecans
• Swap spices (ginger, cloves, cardamom)
• Add orange zest
• Make mini muffins (10–12 minutes at 350°F)

Substitutions

• Oil: melted butter, coconut oil, or light olive oil
• Sugar: all brown sugar or coconut sugar
• Eggs: flax eggs
• Soft white wheat: hard white wheat (slightly denser)

Tools I Used

• Grain mill
• Kitchen scale
• Muffin tin
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk + spatula
• Cooling rack

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use fresh zucchini instead of frozen?

Yes — shred and squeeze well.

Why bake at 425°F first?

It creates tall, bakery‑style muffin tops.

Do I have to squeeze the zucchini?

Yes — especially frozen zucchini.

Can I double the recipe?

Absolutely.

Can I use hard white wheat?

Yes, but the crumb will be slightly heartier.

Homestead Note

One of the things I love most about baking with fresh milled flour is how connected it keeps me to the ingredients I’m using. There’s something special about pouring wheat berries into the mill, hearing it hum to life, and watching that soft, warm flour fall into the bowl. It’s a reminder that real food doesn’t have to be complicated — sometimes it’s as simple as grain, a garden vegetable, and a few pantry staples coming together to make something comforting.

If you’re new to fresh milled baking, one of the biggest tips I can give you is to weigh your wheat berries before milling. Wheat berries and flour don’t measure the same cup‑for‑cup, and freshly milled flour is naturally fluffier than store‑bought. By weighing the berries first, you’ll always end up with the right amount of flour for the recipe, and your muffins will bake up with the perfect soft crumb every time.

And let’s talk about zucchini for a moment. If you garden, you already know the yearly cycle: the first zucchini feels exciting, the second feels promising, and by the tenth you’re Googling “what to do with too much zucchini.” That’s why I always shred and freeze ours in two‑cup portions. It’s the perfect amount for muffins, breads, and quick bakes, and it makes winter and spring baking so much easier. When I’m working through last year’s freezer stash before the new harvest arrives, recipes like this feel like a little celebration of the garden all over again.

These muffins are also one of my favorite ways to sneak a little extra veggie goodness into our day. The zucchini completely disappears into the batter, leaving behind moisture and tenderness without a strong flavor. Even picky eaters won’t notice — they’ll just taste a warm, cozy muffin that feels like home.

More Fresh Milled Flour Recipes

• See all of our fresh milled flour recipes HERE
• Fresh Milled Flour Monster Cookies
• Fresh Milled Flour Mini Banana Bread Muffins
• Fresh Milled Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

If you make these Fresh Milled Flour Zucchini Muffins, I’d love to hear how they turned out. Leave a comment, share a photo on Pinterest, or tag me on social media so I can cheer you on in your fresh‑milled baking journey.

From my homestead kitchen to yours — happy baking.