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    Home » Recipes » Muffins and Quick Breads

    Published: Aug 22, 2022 by Paula Montenegro · Income from ads and affiliate links 2 Comments

    Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

    Jump to Recipe
    A stack of three muffins with chocolate chips in paper cups, white background, brown text overlay
    Zucchini chocolate chip muffin in paper liner and white background; green text overlay

    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.

    Top view of stacked chocolate chip muffins on paper liners, white background.

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    For some reason, Summer zucchini overflow is a thing every season. So new zucchini recipes are always welcomed.

    And I like to bake with them way more than I like to cook with them.

    Sweet recipes with fresh zucchini, like this easy zucchini bread, are a treat and a great way to take care of the extra produce.

    But a good zucchini muffin recipe was needed, especially for breakfast, as it's a meal I'm terrible at. Having these to grab on the go is a lifesaver.

    Table of Contents Hide
    About this recipe
    Ingredients
    How to make zucchini muffins
    Baking muffins
    Kitchen notes
    Variations
    Related recipes you might like:
    Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

    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: oil makes them very moist, and you can use different ones - sunflower, coconut oil, and even a light olive oil.
    • Make ahead: are you in the habit of freezing muffins? Let me tell you that a batch of these fluffy zucchini ones in the freezer can save your mornings. And they're also excellent for a last-minute brunch on the weekends.
    Close up of single bitten muffins with chocolate chips on white background

    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. If they're bruised, peel off those parts.
    • 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: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works. 
    • Oil: a neutral vegetable oil like sunflower oil is our first choice. Coconut oil, canola oil, and light olive oil work well, and we use them sometimes.
    • Flour: all-purpose flour or cake flour, both work.
    • Baking powder and baking soda: are used as leaveners to help the muffins rise, so make sure they aren't expired. 
    • Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
    • Eggs: make sure they are fresh.
    White surface with ingredients for zucchini chocolate chip muffins in bowls including oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla

    How to make zucchini muffins

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

    Adding oil to brown sugar muffin mixture in glass bowl with a whisk.

    Whisk together eggs and sugars and add oil in a thin stream.

    Mixing flour into muffin batter with a whisk in a glass bowl on white surface.

    Add sifted dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) and mix a little, it doesn't need to be fully incorporated.

    Chocolate chips and grated zucchini added to muffin batter in glass bowl on a white marble surface.

    Add the grated or shredded zucchini and chocolate chips. Mix to integrate. Don't overmix.

    Close up of zucchini chocolate chip muffin batter in muffin pan.

    Scoop portions into the paper liners dividing as evenly as possible.

    Vintage Kitchen tip: You mustn't over-mix or beat the batter after adding the flour, so muffins bake as soft and fluffy as possible.

    Baking muffins

    Preparing the muffin pan: you can butter or spray (use baking spray) the pan or line them with paper cups (also called paper muffin liners 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 on the sides and bottom.

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

    Top view of hand holding metal tin with a dozen baked muffins with kitchen towel
    White background with stack of muffins with chocolate chips in paper liners

    Kitchen notes

    • Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. 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 is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
    • Storing: they keep well for two days at room temperature in an airtight container, plastic wrap, or a cake dome. After that, refrigerate (no more than a few days) or freeze them. You can use a freezer container or wrap it 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.
    Bitten chocolate chip muffin on paper cup and white background.

    Variations

    • Flour: Use superfine whole wheat flour, almond flour, and coconut oil 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 into the batter. The muffins will be denser and may not rise as much.
    • Butter: these are also amazing with melted butter instead of oil, same amount. They might be a little denser and heavier.
    • Add carrot: make zucchini carrot muffins using 1 cup each of shredded zucchini and grated carrot.

    Related recipes you might like:

    • Old Fashioned Zucchini Bundt Cake
    • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (quick & easy)
    • Easy Zucchini Bread (healthy recipe)
    • Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

    Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
    You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
    And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

    Print
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    Close up of single bitten muffins with chocolate chips on white background

    Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

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    Studded with chocolate chips, these muffins are super easy to make (no electric mixer needed), moist and flavorful, keep well and bake to a golden brown. 

    • Total Time: 40 minutes
    • Yield: 12 regular muffins

    Ingredients

    Units
    • 2 cups grated zucchini
    • 1 cup oil (sunflower, coconut or olive oil)
    • 2 eggs, at room temperature
    • ½ cup white sugar
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour (cake flour also works)
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
    2. Have a 12 muffin tin lined with paper cups (paper liners) or buttered. Using liners is very convenient because you hardly have to wash the muffin tin, and the muffins are easier to transport if necessary.
    3. Grate or shred the zucchini with a large-holed grater at the last moment, when you have the rest of the ingredients ready, so they don't release extra liquid. 
    4. Whisk together eggs and sugars in a large bowl. You can use an electric hand-held mixer if you want to. 
    5. Add the oil in a thin stream as you continue whisking. Incorporate it well, but there's no need to beat much. 
    6. Add the 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. At this point, you should change to a spatula if using an electric mixer. You can have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the oil batter (like I do) or sift them in a medium bowl first and then add to the muffin batter. 
    7. Add the grated zucchini and chocolate chips. You will see that the moisture in the zucchini loosens the batter up. 
    8. Mix with a spatula just until it's all incorporated. You mustn't over-mix or beat the dough after adding the flour to keep the muffins as soft and fluffy as possible.
    9. Scoop portions into the paper liners dividing as evenly as possible.
    10. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown, domed, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
    11. Let cool on a wire rack (cooling rack). 
    12. Store at room temperature for two days and then refrigerate or freeze, always well wrapped. 

    Notes

    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.

    Butter: you could use half oil and half melted butter. It will give it a buttery flavor that is great, but will make them heavier. 

    • Author: Paula Montenegro
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Category: Muffins
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1/12
    • Calories: 362
    • Sugar: 21.8 g
    • Sodium: 143.4 mg
    • Fat: 21.8 g
    • Carbohydrates: 39.4 g
    • Fiber: 1.3 g
    • Protein: 4 g
    • Cholesterol: 31 mg

    Keywords: chocolate chip zucchini muffins

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    Tag @vintagekitchenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagekitchenblog

    More Muffins

    • Peanut Butter Bread
    • Apple Blueberry Muffins
    • Maple Pumpkin Muffins
    • Apple Cinnamon Bread

    About Paula Montenegro

    I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe developer, sharing the best ones here with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

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    1. angiesrecipes says

      August 18, 2021 at 7:43 am

      Love the classic combination of chocolate and zucchini in these beautiful muffins. You are truly an excellent and inspiring baker, Paula.

      Reply
      • Paula Montenegro says

        August 19, 2021 at 7:03 am

        Oh, thanks Angie!

        Reply

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