These Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins are speckled with green zucchini and semisweet chocolate chunks that are warmly spiced with cinnamon.
It’s a quick and easy zucchini muffin recipe for a healthy breakfast, on-the-go snack or delicately sweet dessert best enjoyed warm from the oven.
Is there anything better than a fresh seasonal muffin? These muffins are basically my summer version of banana bread. It seems like this time of year everyone has an abundance of zucchini they are trying to plow through and this recipe is perfect for that.
I am all about cookies, brownies and blondies, but muffins are so special because you can literally eat them for breakfast, as an afternoon treat or for dessert while still being kinda healthy.
And when they’re stuffed with fresh and tender greens, that just means you can eat two!
I make these muffins just about every week during the summer months when zucchini is in peak season. They are so irresistibly delicious, I count down the minutes while these babies are baking in the oven.
Ooegy gooey chocolate and fresh, savory zucchini – that’s a muffin I can wrap my head around.
Ingredients
Let’s break the ingredients down into the dry, wet and mix-ins. Simply gather together:
Dry Ingredients:
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- salt
Wet Ingredients:
- sugar
- brown sugar
- canola oil
- egg
- milk
Mix-Ins:
- finely shredded zucchini
- chopped walnuts
- chocolate chips or chunks
Zucchini. The right balance of zucchini to muffin batter is 1 cup finely shredded zucchini. This is the pre-squeezed amount (since the volume will decrease once we squeeze the moisture out of it). I used one medium zucchini, which was just the right amount. Use two small or ½ of a large depending on what size you pick up at the grocery store.
Chocolate Chips. I like the large chocolate chunks I pick up at Trader Joe’s, but feel free to use morsels, miniature chocolate chips or even a whole chocolate bar cut into pieces. Semisweet or bittersweet both work well in this recipe.
How to shred zucchini
The most important step when making these zucchini muffins at home is shredding the zucchini. These are the steps I follow:
- Wash the zucchini really well.
- Cut off the stem ends.
- Shred on the finest holes of a box grater or with the grater blade in a food processor.
How to make zucchini chocolate chip muffins
The steps are a simple mix of dry into wet with a few additional mix-ins along the way. Simply:
- Grease the muffin tin. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake sheet with cupcake liners or spray with nonstick spray.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
- Whisk wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk together sugars, canola oil, egg and milk until smooth.
- Prep the zucchini. Shred zucchini into a fine texture with a box grater. With a cheesecloth or tea towel, squeeze out any excess water from the zucchini and add it into the wet mixture.
- Make the muffin batter. Gently add in flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Add the mix-ins. Gently fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Fill the muffin pan. Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tin about ¾ of the way full. Top with a few more chocolate chips.
- Bake! Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Variations
- Use almond flour. Sub out ¼ cup regular flour for nutty and tender almond flour. It adds such a unique texture and flavor.
- Make them gluten-free. Replace the regular flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
- Add vanilla extract. I found my muffins didn’t need a baking extract, but you can add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the wet ingredients for a sweet, floral flavor.
- Use any variety of chocolate. White, milk, semisweet, bittersweet – the choice is up to you!
- Change up the nuts. Walnuts work great, but pecans add another dimension of flavor.
Serve warm or make-ahead
These zucchini muffins with chocolate chips are divine as soon as they come out of the oven, but you can make them ahead of time to enjoy any time of day throughout the week.
The muffins will keep in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge.
Can you freeze zucchini muffins?
Yes! Get totally ahead and once cooled completely, freeze these little guys in a freezer-safe plastic storage bag for up to 3 months. Pop one out of the freezer any time the craving strikes and thaw on your kitchen counter for a few hours.
To rewarm, stick them in a 350 degree F oven for 5-7 minutes, or until warmed through. Or simply pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Recipe tips:
- No need to peel the zucchini. The peel does not affect the taste or texture, which saves you a step in the kitchen.
- Shred and squeeze the zucchini as best as you can. Squeezing out some of the water content in the green squash ensures the muffins don’t come out soggy.
- Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top before baking. Press them slightly into the wet batter so the chips can adhere.
- Cool on a wire rack. This will give the muffins the best texture and prevent the bottoms from getting soggy.
More muffin recipes you’ll love!
- Blueberry Muffins with Almond Flour
- Blackberry and Rhubarb Crumble Muffins
- Honey Strawberry Muffins
- Cherry Chocolate Chunk Muffins
- Traditional Blueberry Muffins
More zucchini recipes you’ll love!
- Zucchini Corn Fritters
- How to Pickle Vegetables
- Vegan Pasta Salad
- Chicken Pad Thai with Zoodles
- Summer Squash Corn Chowder
If you make this Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe, be sure to tag me on Pinterest and Instagram!
I seriously love seeing what you guys are making and sharing your creations with the College Housewife community!
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup finely shredded zucchini squeezed + drained
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks +more for topping
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake sheet with cupcake liners or spray with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together sugars, canola oil, egg and milk until smooth.
- Shred zucchini into a fine texture with a box grater. With a cheesecloth or tea towel, squeeze out any excess water from the zucchini and add it into the wet mixture.
- Gently add in flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Gently fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tin about ¾ of the way full. Top with a few more chocolate chips.
- Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
notes
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