Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips
If your September mornings are anything like mine, they probably involve insanely early alarm clocks, searching for missing sneakers, homework, or fill-in-the-blank, and a mad dash out the door. I know how easy it is to fall back on sugary cereals and processed foods (guilty!) so I’m always trying to come up with new breakfast ideas that are a little more wholesome. Enter these zucchini muffins: with just two bowls and a muffin tin, you can whip them up in just 35 minutes. What’s more, kids love them and they’re a great way to sneak in a little extra protein and vegetables. Feel free to replace half of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour, or swap out the chocolate chips and nuts for your favorite add-ins.
Begin by shredding the zucchini. I use a food processor — makes it easy — but it’s fine to grate by hand. There is no need to wring out the shredded zucchini.
Next, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Stir to combine, then set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Then stir in the zucchini.
Add the dry ingredients to zucchini mixture.
Stir until just combined, then add 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and all of the nuts (if using).
Mix until just combined.
Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, divide the batter into the muffin wells, filling each almost completely.
Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips onto the muffins, pressing them in lightly so they adhere.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Serve warm or room temperature and enjoy!
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 medium (9 oz) zucchini, grated (no need to wring dry)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set rack in the middle position. Generously coat a muffin pan generously with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Stir in the zucchini.
- Add the dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and all of the nuts (if using).
- Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, divide the batter into the muffin wells, filling each almost completely. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips onto the muffins, pressing them in lightly so they adhere. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Serve warm or room temperature.
- The muffins are best served on the same day they are made, but will keep, wrapped in foil, at room temperature for 2 days. The muffins may also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Serving size: 1 muffin (with nuts)
- Calories: 337
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Sugar: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 193 mg
- Cholesterol: 53 mg
Reviews & Comments
Add a Review or Question
Hungry for 
?
Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter — where I share new recipes and seasonal menus for every occasion.
Your email address will never be used for any other purpose.
Curious? See a sample newsletter.
?
On
On
Saying
My 2.5 year old helped make these and only *slightly* questioned the quick dump of the zucchini — which she promptly forgot about when she ate them. 😉
We were actually out of regular flour and ended up substituting coconut flout and they still turned out great ( though not as fluffy as the pics.) Might try almond flour next time as an added bit of protein. Great recipe, thank you!
These were real “boy bait” in my house! My son even took a plate of them to his buddies and they were gone in minutes! Chocolate chips are still very new in Germany where I live and, hence, very expensive: So I chopped up chocolate and stirred it all in at once. I didn’t press in the pieces onto the top. It worked fine and they tasted fantastic!! I was worried about filling the muffin cups so full, but it there was no overflow. Trust you, Jenn, to know how to do it!
Good muffins. Great flavor with the zucchini and chocolate. Eat your veggies in a muffin – gotta love that! Next time I’ll try mini chocolate chips. The regular size chips were just fine and looked pretty on the top, but I’m thinking the minis might distribute better throughout the batter and provide a more consistent chocolate ratio within the structure of the muffin.
Jenn, loaf pan, size, baking temperature and time.. Thanks, Carol
Hi Carol, I’d bake it at 325-degrees in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan. Start checking it for doneness at about 45 minutes (but it may take as long as 60). I’d love to hear how it turns out!
My 5 yo daughter, who refuses to eat anything green, gobbles these up. I did peel the zucchini, to remove as much green as possible, and grated them on the fine side of my box grater. My 8 yo son says they need more chips on the inside and less on top for better chip to muffin bite distribution. Other than that, another winner recipe from Jenn!
Easy to make & tasted great – kids loved them. A great addition to the lunchbox. I used mini dark chocolate chips to reduce messiness on little hands and faces. 🙂
I added peanut butter chips to this fabulous recipe. My very picky 4yr old has been eating them for breakfast for the last 3 days.
These are simply delicious!
What a perfect snack for kids who don’t think they want vegetables.
A keeper!
These were delicious and easy to make. I substituted 1c of whole wheat flour. My boys loved them. They couldn’t even taste the zucchini.
These muffins were wonderful! I did not add the chocolate chip and they were still seeet and tasty.
These muffins were great. I made them exactly as the recipe stated, and they were really easy, delicious and not too sweet, which I liked. Thanks!
I don’t usually like chocolate in my zucchini muffins, but these were delicious! Not too sweet, just perfect and easy.
Wasn’t sure my kids would like these but they gobbled them up. Great recipe!
I’m using a very large zucchini from my garden. How many cups of shredded zucchini is needed for this recipe?
Hi Fay, You’ll need about 1 and 1/3 cups. Hope you enjoy them!
Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes. Just wondering if you could swap vegetable oil for the butter.
Yes that will work, Kathy. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it that way!
How would I adjust if using a mini muffin tin? Thank you!!
Hi Susan, I’d start checking for doneness around 12 minutes.
Looks Yummy as usual !!! Can’t wait to try these….We really do appreciate what you do…Thank You !!
This looks good. Should I apply oil on muffin tray before adding the batter?
Definitely – I use a nonstick cooking spray. Makes it easy 🙂
I can’t wait to make these! Would it work to make the batter the night before, refrigerate, and bake in the morning before school?
Hi Molly, It’s best to bake the batter right away so the leavening agents don’t lose their oomph. The muffins are quite moist, so it’s perfectly fine to bake them the night before. Hope that helps!
Love your recipes, always a treat to have recipe show up in email. Question, I read where you can use spirilized veggies in place of grated, have you tried this technique?
I haven’t, Margie, but I think it’d work as long as the spirals aren’t too thick. You might just chop them up a bit if they are long.
I have a really large Zucchini and want to know how muc h 9 oz is in cups.
It’s about 1 and 1/3 cups. Enjoy!
Is there anything I can substitute for the chocolate chips? Pecans maybe, and how much?
Hi Arlene, Currants or raisins (in the same amount) would also be good.