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Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Loaded with shredded zucchini and chocolate chips, these zucchini muffins make a wholesome on-the-go breakfast or after school snack.
When it comes to before-school breakfasts for the kids, 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 ideas that are a little more wholesome. These zucchini muffins are a new fave. With 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.
What you’ll need To Make Zucchini Muffins
To Make Zucchini Muffins
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!
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Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Loaded with shredded zucchini and chocolate chips, these zucchini muffins make a wholesome on-the-go breakfast or after school snack.
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.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 – 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warm.
Nutrition Information
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- 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
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Tasty muffins. I cut back the sugar very slightly but otherwise followed the recipe. I had a large zucchini so I cut off about a 4 inch chunk and shredded it for about 2 cups (didn’t measure). Added chopped walnuts. Didn’t have nutmeg. Will cut the cinnamon down to 1tsp next time. Tip: don’t put the choc chips on top, makes it hard to eat without getting melted chocolate everywhere.
Could I substitute a neutral oil for the butter?
Sure, Jean – that will work. 🙂
We are loving these generous size muffins! I subbed half whole wheat flour and reduced sugar to 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup maple syrup. Flavor is excellent. We love nuts, but we thought the walnuts kind of took over the muffin. Might cut back next time. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Delicious – flavors are perfectly balanced. Big hit with everyone!
Can I puree the zucchini so my kids don’t see the zucchini?
Sure, Andrea, that should work. 🙂 Hope they enjoy!
Hi Jen
Just made these muffins. Absolutely DELICIOUS. I used White Chocolate Chips. As with all your recipes that I’ve tried, soooo gooood. Thank you.
Thanks! First CSA zucchini of the season, quick and yummy!
I needed to use a zucchini and had a half bag of dark chocolate chunks in the refrigerator, so this recip was perfect. Instead of additional chips on top, I dusted them with a few grinds of Trader Joe’s Chocolate, Sugar and Coffee grinder mix. I haven’t seen it in stores recently, so it might be discontinued, but it’s really a fun topping for baked goods. The muffins came out extremely moist and tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
I love this recipe!! I added flax seed meal and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and they were even more delicious!! I also shredded the zucchini super finely (roughly half the width of a spaghetti noodle) so that my kids would not notice it as much.
I like making mini muffins for my grands. How much less sugar should I use if I may and at what temp would the mini muffins be ready. I will omit nuts and chocolate. I have not made these yet. Thanks for your response.
My daughter suggested I use your website….which I do~
Hi Karen, You could reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup; I wouldn’t cut out much more or it will change the texture of the muffins. The baking temperature can remain the same; I’d start checking them for doneness at 10 – 15 minutes. Hope your grandkids enjoy! 🙂
Can I make these muffins without the baking sofa? I have all other ingredients. Please and thank you.
Hi Sandra, Unfortunately, the muffins won’t rise properly without it – sorry!
These are the most delicious muffins I’ve ever tasted!
Fantastic!!! I love how fresh tasting these are; I shredded the zucchini and while it is cooked it was still very much “present” in flavor and moisture. I used half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour.
Hi, I’m wondering if it’s possible to use white whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. If so, are there any adjustments I need to make? Thanks!
White whole wheat should work here with no adjustments, but because whole wheat flour can change the texture of baked goods, I’d suggest starting out replacing half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. If you like the texture of the muffins, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to all purpose flour the next time you bake them. Hope that helps!
We made these and didnt love them so tweaked it the next time.
We used just over half a cup of brown sugar and doubled the courgette and added 2T of boiling water. They were amazing!!! Super soft and not over sweet.
We also used half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate chips
Just the recipe that I had in mind when I searched online – perfect! I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for half of the flour, and used a little less brown sugar than suggested in the recipe. I think that I will go down to 3/4 cup next time since we are not fans of a lot of sugar. I used walnuts and bittersweet chips and the muffins are soooooo good and they have a great texture. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
These were delicious and moist. My daughter helped me with them and enjoyed the process and result! I added a couple scoops of chocolate protein powder and cut back that same amount on the flour. That way I can give them to the kids for breakfast on- the -go. Thank you Jenn, your recipes are all wonderful!
Made these today for my 4yr old…he ate 3 when he got home from school. I think that speaks for itself. They are delicious.
Delicious warm with a tall, cold glass of milk. Tastes like a healthy chocolate chip cookie! I made the mistake of just adding the extra 2 T of chocolate chips to the batter, rather than reserving them for on top of the muffins. I think they would look more appealing if I would have followed the recipe as written. Thanks Jen for another 5 star recipe!
I LOVE THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS RECIPE AND AM ANXIOUS TO MAKE THEM FOR MY HUSBAND. HOWEVER HE IS ON A LOW SALT DIET AND I’D LIKE TO KNOW THE NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF THEM. I WILL MAKE MINIS
MANY THANKS. READY TO BAKE!!!!!
Hi Lynda, If you scroll down underneath the recipe (and beneath the ad for my cookbook), you’ll find the nutritional data. Hope that helps!
Made these muffins today, all I can say is thank you for this recipe. It’s totally the best, so easy to make even for me. My baking skills are very little. Will make them again as soon as my zucchini get big enough to harvest again. 😻
Hi Jenn, Just like everyone else, I love your recipes. Do you think this recipe would work with a natural sweetner like honey, apple sauce or a combo of both?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Nora, I’m always a bit hesitant to suggest using honey as a substitute for sugar in baking as it doesn’t always guarantee good results. Honey also can cause things to burn more quickly. If you’d like to use some applesauce, that can be a substitute for butter. You can get away with replacing half the butter here with applesauce. Hope that helps and would love to hear how the muffins turn out if you try them with any tweaks!
Palm (coconut) sugar swaps out nicely in baking. I always sub applesauce for 1/2 of the other oils.
These are SO GOOD. They’re fluffy and delicious and are 20x better if you warm them up just a little from room temp. We found a gigantic zucchini the size of small child hiding away in our garden (oops) and found that while they are too bitter for sautéing, they’re perfect for muffins! I doubled the recipe, made a summer vegetable soup, and still have a pound over. May have to make more muffins at the rate we and our friends are devouring them haha. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Hi Jen, about to make these and have a quick question … if I freeze them, what is the best way to defrost, just on the counter or could they be put straight from freezer to the oven so they can be served warm? Thanks! Been on a courgette drive this week!
Hi Kat, I’d thaw them on the counter for 3 – 4 hours and then reheat if you’d like to serve warm. Enjoy!
Wow, wow, wow! I am just sitting down to enjoy these with my 3 year old and we are both thrilled with the result! These are super easy to throw together and absolutely delicious. I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning for an easy breakfast before camp.
On a separate note – Jenn, my son has learned to love cooking and baking as all your recipes are not only kid friendly in terms of eating, but generally kid friendly in terms of making things together! A big thank you from both of us.
❤️
That makes me so happy, Elizabeth. Thank you for sharing. ☺️
Delicious! Made these with whole wheat flour and my two toddlers, husband, and I gobbled them up!
These muffins are my new favorite…I cannot eat wheat, cinnamon and soy so I made these with Pillsbury’s Gluten Free Flour, Allspice and Enjoy Life Semi sweet chocolate chips. They are moist and delicious…great to take on the golf course for a snack or quick pick me up before a workout.!
I already have zuchinni grated , in bags andin the freezer. How many cups would a medium zuchinni be?
Hi Glenda, I’m guessing about a cup.
I love making different kinds of muffins for my family and these are by far the best zucchini muffins I have ever tasted. I look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
My family loved these and I loved that I didn’t have to wring out zucchini to make these delicious moist-but-not-gummy muffins. Perfect amount of spice. I did half whole wheat flour which I would do again. Thank you!
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.