Studded with semisweet chocolate chips, this zucchini muffin recipe is super easy to make, moist, and flavorful. They keep well and bake to a golden brown with a crunchy top. Laced with cinnamon, they're a fantastic breakfast or snack for sudden cravings.
For some reason, Summer zucchini overflow is a thing every season. So new zucchini recipes are always welcomed.
It's a versatile vegetable, and I like to bake with them way more than 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.
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 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.
Ingredient list
- Zucchini: use fresh ones that are firm without bruised skins. If they're bruised, peel off those parts.
- Chocolate chips: use your favorite semisweet chip. I love Ghirardelli premium baking chocolate chips, Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers, and Nestle toll house semisweet chips.
- Sugars: both white and brown sugar are used.
- Cinnamon: any ground cinnamon you normally use works fine. I like Frontier Vietnamese cinnamon and Simply Organic Ceylon cinnamon.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works.
- Vegetable oil: a neutral one like sunflower oil is our first choice. Coconut oil, canola oil, and light olive oil also work well.
- All-purpose flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda: are used as leaveners to help the muffins rise, so make sure they aren't expired.
- Salt: I like using kosher salt or fine sea salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
- Eggs: large, fresh.
Variations & substitutions
- Milk chocolate chips: use instead of the semisweet ones if you want a sweeter muffin.
- Flour: use superfine whole wheat flour, almond flour, and coconut oil to make healthier 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.
- Healthy zucchini muffins: use coconut sugar and coconut oil, and substitute half the white flour with finely ground whole wheat flour. The texture of these muffins will be more rustic and earthy.
- Butter: these are also amazing with melted butter instead of oil, the same amount.
- Add carrot: make zucchini carrot muffins.
How to make zucchini muffins
It's easy, and you only need a large bowl and a whisk or spatula to make the muffin batter.
Whisk together eggs and sugars and add oil in a thin stream.
Add sifted dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) and mix a little, it doesn't need to be fully incorporated.
Add the grated or shredded zucchini and chocolate chips. Mix to integrate. Don't overmix.
Scoop portions of the zucchini mixture 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 you get soft and fluffy muffins (as opposed to dense muffins).
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 equally, the muffins will bake more evenly.
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.
Related recipes you might like:
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Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins (easy recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup oil, sunflower, coconut or olive oil
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- 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.
- 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. If watery, blot them with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before adding them.
- Whisk together 2 eggs, ½ cup of white sugar, and ½ cup of brown sugar in a large bowl. You can use a hand-held electric mixer if you want to.
- Add 1 cup of oil in a thin stream as you continue whisking. Incorporate it well, but there's no need to beat much.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients (2 cups of all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and ¾ teaspoon of 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.
- Add the grated zucchini and ½ cup of chocolate chips. You will see that the moisture in the zucchini loosens the batter up.
- 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.
- Scoop portions into the paper liners dividing as evenly as possible.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown, domed, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack (cooling rack).
- Store at room temperature for two days and then refrigerate or freeze, always well wrapped.
angiesrecipes says
Love the classic combination of chocolate and zucchini in these beautiful muffins. You are truly an excellent and inspiring baker, Paula.
Paula Montenegro says
Oh, thanks Angie!