20-Minute Veggie-Loaded Pizza Muffins Recipe
These 20-Minute Veggie-Loaded Pizza Muffins are a flavorful, quick, and nutritious snack or meal option packed with grated carrots, zucchini, spinach, and savory pepperoni, topped with melted mozzarella. Ideal for busy days, these muffins combine wholesome vegetables with classic pizza flavors in a convenient grab-and-go form, baked to perfection in just 20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Vegetables
- ½ cup grated carrots
- ½ cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup packed baby spinach, finely chopped
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup olive or avocado oil
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Seasonings and Leavening
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
Cheese and Meat
- 1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ⅓ cup chopped pepperoni, optional (plus extra for topping if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃) and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners to prepare for baking.
- Drain Vegetables: Place the grated carrot and zucchini into a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, then squeeze out as much moisture as possible. This step is crucial to prevent the muffins from becoming too wet due to vegetable moisture variability.
- Combine Wet Ingredients and Veggies: In a large bowl, add the drained carrot and zucchini, chopped spinach, eggs, olive or avocado oil, milk, and tomato paste. Whisk these together until well combined. Then stir in garlic powder, Italian seasoning or oregano, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add Flour and Cheese: Mix in the white whole wheat flour with a large spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Then gently fold in ¾ cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese and most of the chopped pepperoni, reserving some cheese and pepperoni for topping.
- Fill Muffin Tin: Evenly divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese and a few pieces of pepperoni on top of each muffin for a decorative and flavorful finish.
- Bake Muffins: Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For accuracy, aim for an internal temperature of about 200℉ to ensure they are fully cooked but moist.
- Cool and Store: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to one month.
Notes
- Draining the grated vegetables is essential to avoid excess moisture and soggy muffins.
- You can substitute mozzarella cheese with another mild cheese if desired.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the pepperoni or replace it with plant-based sausage.
- Use white whole wheat flour for a balance of nutrition and texture; all-purpose flour can be used but will affect nutritional content.
- Muffins reheat well in the microwave or oven for a quick snack.
- These muffins freeze well—wrap individually or in batches and thaw before serving.
