Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Studded with semisweet chocolate chips, these zucchini muffins are super easy to make, moist and flavorful, keep well and bake to a golden brown with a crunchy top. Laced with cinnamon, they're a great breakfast or snack for sudden cravings.

For some reason Summer zucchini overflow is a thing every season. And, truth be told, I like to bake with them way more than I like to cook with them. Sweet recipes with fresh zucchini are a treat (and a great way to take care of the extra produce), especially muffins for breakfast, which is the meal I suck at the most.

About this recipe

• Easy: they are super easy to make, as most muffins should be. And studded with semisweet chocolate chips, who can argue with that.
• Moist: I use oil which makes them very moist, and alternate between different ones - sunflower, coconut oil and even olive oil sometimes - but they're also amazing with melted butter. So choose your favorite fat ingredient and go for it.
• Make ahead: are you in the habit of freezing muffins? Well, let me tell you that a batch of these fluffy zucchini ones in the freezer can save your mornings. And they're also amazing for a last minute brunch on the weekends.

Ingredients

They are easily available and you probably have most of them in your kitchen right now.

• Zucchini: use fresh ones that are firm without bruised skins.
• Chocolate chips: semisweet chips are the best for this recipe, but milk chocolate chips can also work if you like a much sweeter muffin.
• Sugars: both white and brown sugar are used.
• Cinnamon: we use ground Vietnamese cinnamon or roasted cinnamon. But any type you normally use and like works.
• Vanilla: pure vanilla extract or paste usually has the best flavor.
• Oil: a neutral one like sunflower oil is our first choice. But coconut oil and even olive oil work well also, and we do use them sometimes.
• Flour: all-purpose flour or cake flour, both work.
• Baking powder and baking soda: they are the leaveners in this recipe and will make the muffins grown during baking.
• Salt: a little bit brings out the rest of the flavors. I use kosher salt.
• Eggs: make sure they are fresh.

How to make them

It's very easy and you only need a large bowl and a whisk or spatula to make the muffin batter.

1. Whisk together eggs and sugars.
2. Add oil in thin stream as you continue whisking. Incorporate it well but there's no need to beat much.
3. Add sifted dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda) and mix a little, it doesn't need to be fully incorporated before you add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Add the grated or shredded zucchini and the chocolate chips.
5. Mix with a spatula just until it's all incorporated. It's important that you don't over mix or beat the dough after adding the flour so keep them as soft and fluffy as possible.
6. Scoop portions into the paper liners dividing as evenly as possible.

Baking zucchini muffins

Preparing the muffin pan: you can butter or spray (use baking spray) the pan or you can line them with paper cups (also called paper or cupcake liners that are available online). With the second option there is less mess removing the muffins from the pan and less washing up. But you don't get a crust around the bottom.

When are they done? Zucchini adds moisture to these, so insert a tester and take into account that. But you should not have any wet dough clinging to it. If you divide the batter as evenly as possible, then they will bake more evenly also.

Top tips

• Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
• Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes are as accurate as I they can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
• Storing: they keep well for 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container, in plastic wrap or a cake dome. After that, refrigerate or freeze them. You can use a freezer container or wrap in plastic and then in foil. Bring to room temperature before eating, and I highly recommend warming them slightly in a medium oven for a few minutes.
• Variations: use some superfine whole wheat flour or almond flour and coconut oil if you want to make healthy muffins. Substitute between half and ¾ cup of the all purpose flour. And make sure you break up the clumps that might form (especially with the almond flour) when you incorporate it to the batter. The muffins will be denser and may not rise as much. Make zucchini carrot muffins using 1 cup of each (shredded zucchini and grated carrot).

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