These gluten-free, vegan cherry zucchini crumb muffins pair two peak-summer ingredients into a light, tender muffin topped with a perfectly balanced crumb. Below you’ll also find clear tips for making a reliable gluten-free crumb topping that stays crisp without melting.
Recipe originally published July 30, 2012 — updated and refined for clarity and technique.
Table of Contents
- Best Gluten Free Flour for Baking
- How To Make Vegan Zucchini Muffins
- How To Make Crumb Topping
- Vegan Quick Bread and Muffin Recipes
- Vegan Zucchini Muffins Recipe
Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins
I’m genuinely excited about these muffins — they feel like a real breakthrough in gluten-free baking. After years of making everything from croissants to cheesecakes, switching to a gluten-free kitchen meant relearning textures and techniques. I tend to like baked goods that are tender and slightly dense, and for a long time I assumed gluten-free baking would always be dry or crumbly.
These muffins changed my mind. When baked in a dedicated gluten-free space, they are tender, moist, and surprisingly familiar in texture. If you didn’t know they were gluten-free and vegan, you might not be able to tell.
Best Gluten Free Flour for Baking
This recipe is straightforward, and the key is the flour blend. I don’t add extra gums because the right all-purpose gluten-free flour blend gives good structure on its own for cakes and quick breads.
My preferred choice is a store-bought gluten-free all-purpose flour that performs well in cakes, muffins, and crumbles. It creates a tender crumb without needing additional binders. If you try other blends, look for one formulated for baking rather than thickening to get the best result.
This is also the flour I use for keeping crumbles crisp and flavorful — see the section below on crumb topping for the ideal ratios and tips.
Vegan Zucchini Muffins
These muffins celebrate two abundant summer harvests: fresh cherries and garden zucchini. If you grow zucchini, you know how quickly it can multiply — these muffins are a delicious way to use grated zucchini while adding brightness with sweet cherries.
We also have a cherry tree, so this is a favorite time of year when the fruit is at its peak. Ripe cherries add a juicy pop that pairs beautifully with the gentle sweetness of the batter and the crunchy crumb topping.
These muffins are dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and completely vegan, making them a friendly option for many diets without sacrificing flavor or texture.
How To Make Vegan Zucchini Muffins
This is an easy, one-bowl recipe with a few simple steps for a great result:
- Prepare the crumb topping and set it aside.
- Grate the zucchini and gently squeeze out any excess moisture if the zucchini is very wet.
- Make a flax “egg” by mixing ground flax with warm water and letting it gel briefly.
- Combine the grated zucchini with the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle the flour over the wet mixture but don’t stir. Mix the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into the flour, then fold everything together just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in the pitted, sliced cherries, spoon into muffin cups, top with the crumb, and bake.
This method keeps mixing to a minimum and yields light, tender muffins. The kitchen will smell wonderful while they’re baking.
Best Muffin Recipe
Over several mornings, these have become our go-to breakfast muffin. Each bake has produced consistently tender, fluffy muffins with a natural sweetness from maple syrup and bursts of cherry throughout. They have a familiar, “normal” muffin texture even without gluten or eggs, which feels like real progress for gluten-free baking.
How To Make Perfect Crumb Topping
A reliable crumb topping comes down to ingredients and proportions. Here are the essentials to keep the crumble crunchy and flavorful without collapsing into the muffin:
- Use just enough fat: too much will make the crumble melt during baking.
- Brown sugar adds depth and a caramel-like flavor to the topping.
- White sugar contributes crunch; a balance of both sugars gives good texture.
- Optional additions like chopped nuts, oats, or a pinch of spice add interest and more texture.
I love crumb topping and will happily snack on it on its own. For these muffins I keep the topping simple and well-measured so it browns and crisps on top of the muffins without seeping into them.
Vegan muffin and quick bread recipes
- Blueberry Zucchini Bread
- Easy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Broccoli Cheese Muffins
- Pumpkin Bread with Salted Pepitas
- Sugared Vanilla Snickerdoodle Bread
- Blueberry Cornbread
- Sugared Chai Latte Banana Muffins
- Tropical Banana Bread with Sugared Macadamia Crumble
These recipes follow similar one-bowl techniques and approachable flavor combinations for everyday baking.
Did You Make These Vegan Zucchini Muffins?
Share your photos and tag spabettie on Instagram — I love seeing your remakes and adjustments. It’s always a joy to see how readers use seasonal produce and make recipes their own.
Cherry Zucchini Crumb Muffins
These vegan, gluten-free muffins blend grated zucchini and fresh cherries with a crunchy, buttery crumb for an easy summer bake.
5 minutes
25 minutes
30 minutes
Ingredients
Muffin Batter:
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground flax seed
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon warm water
- 2 ¼ cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
- 2 cups zucchini, grated
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups fresh cherries, pitted and sliced
Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup dairy free butter
- ¾ cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the Crumb Topping: Combine brown sugar and dairy-free butter, mash with a fork until blended. Add flour, cinnamon, and salt, and mix until crumbly. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Prepare flax “eggs”: Grind flax seed if needed, mix 2 tablespoons flax with warm water, and let it sit until it forms a gel-like texture (this replaces two eggs).
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl combine grated zucchini, coconut oil, maple syrup, and the flax mixture.
- Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle the flour over the wet mixture but don’t stir. On top of the flour, add baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, mixing those into the flour before folding them into the wet ingredients.
- Fold in cherries: Gently fold in the pitted, sliced cherries until just combined.
- Spoon into muffin cups: Fill prepared muffin cups about ¾ full.
- Top and bake: Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over each muffin and bake at 350 °F for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
dairy, egg, soy and gluten free — vegan
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12
Serving Size:
1 muffin
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 153
Total Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 33mg
Carbohydrates: 8g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 1g
Nutrition calculations vary by calculator and are for informational purposes only.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie. She discovered a love for cooking early and launched spabettie in 2010 to share approachable vegan recipes. Trained in culinary techniques, Kristina focuses on vibrant, seasonal plant-based food.
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs, which means the site may earn advertising fees from qualifying purchases.