Beyond Frosting » Recipes » Breakfast & Brunch » Muffins and Breads » Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Light and fluffy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are loaded with chocolate and a warm cinnamon flavor. Moist and tender, these are the best zucchini muffins you’ll ever try.

Two chocolate chip zucchini muffins stacked on each other, the top one with a missing bite

Easy & Moist Zucchini Muffins

We’re quickly reaching the time of year where there is extra zucchini everywhere. In my experience, there’s always a few weeks of the year where it seems everyone is all but begging to share their fresh zucchini or scrambling to find new, delicious ways to cook it (or both).

Baking with zucchini is one of my favorite ways to sneak in vegetables and nutrition to baked goods – AND zucchini helps keep your baked goods moist too. It’s all but impossible to dry out any baked goods with zucchini.

These Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are based off of my favorite zucchini bread recipe, with just a few small tweaks. Like the bread, this recipe uses sour cream to add even more moisture and keep this light and tender, while cinnamon is used to add some warm flavor. Then, of course, you have chocolate chips to add some gooey, chocolatey goodness! These zucchini muffins truly have everything you could possibly want in a muffin!

A perfectly baked moist chocolate chip zucchini muffin with the muffin wrapper removed

What You’ll Need

  • Zucchini – You’ll want to grate it and remove the moisture before beginning the recipe.
  • Vegetable oil – You can also use canola oil or a similar substitute.
  • Eggs – Help hold everything together.
  • Vanilla extract – Adds a warm flavor to the muffins.
  • Sour cream – The secret to extra moist zucchini muffins!
  • Sugar – These muffins are sweet but not TOO sweet.
  • Flour – Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly. I have not tried these with any alternative flours.
  • Baking soda & baking powder – Allow the muffins to rise and help create the fluffy texture.
  • Cinnamon – Adds a warm flavor to the muffins.
  • Salt – Just a pinch.
  • Chocolate chips – Your favorite chocolate chips, milk chocolate or dark chocolate will work!

How to Prepare the Zucchini

To prepare the zucchini for your muffins:

  • Rinse the zucchini. There’s no need to peel the zucchini but be sure to rinse it well before grating it.
  • Grate with a hand grater. Use the largest opening of a hand grater to grate the zucchini into a bowl.
  • Use a paper towel to remove any moisture. It’s important to squeeze out the extra moisture in the zucchini in order to prevent these muffins from being soggy or have a gummy texture. Since there’s sour cream in the batter, it keeps these muffins nice and moist, and therefore you don’t need the added water from the zucchini for moisture. Don’t forget to refluff the zucchini before you add it to the batter.

How to Make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

These moist zucchini muffins are so easy to make. You’ll need just 15 minutes of hands-on prep.

  1. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin with muffin liners.
  2. Prepare the zucchini Using the large cheese grater, grate the zucchini with the skin on. Use a paper towel to squeeze out extra water in the zucchini and fluff with a fork.
  3. Make the muffin batter. Beat the wet ingredients until well combined. Add the sugar and beat again. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and beat until combined. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips and finish mixing the batter by hand.
  4. Bake. Fill the muffin pan ¾ full. Drop a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake at 375°F for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Cool for at least 30 minutes.

Tips for Success

Ready for moist, fluffy muffins? Keep these tips in mind.

  • Don’t overfill the muffin tins. Be sure to leave room at the top of the tin for the muffins to rise or otherwise they’ll pop over the edges and bake into each other. These are filled 3/4 full.
  • Add more chocolate chips on top. For pretty presentation and extra chocolate in every bite, sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top of the batter just before popping it in the oven.
  • Add nuts for crunch. Crushed nuts, like walnuts, are a great addition to these zucchini muffins. Cranberries or raisins can also be added.
Chocolate chip zucchini muffins

Serving Suggestions

These zucchini muffins aren’t just for breakfast, they can be enjoyed anytime. Since they’re so moist and filled with chocolate, I never feel the need to add anything to them. They’re a true grab-and-go treat for me! Be sure to let these cool completely before you dive in.

How to Store

These chocolate chip zucchini muffins can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. If your home is particularly hot or humid, you can also store them in the fridge. If you need to stack them in a container, I recommend putting parchment paper between layers.

Can I Freeze Zucchini Muffins?

Muffins freeze well! To avoid freeze burn, I wrap them individually in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and then also place them in a freezer ziploc bag.

Allow to thaw on the counter before eating or, if you’re impatient, you can pop them in the microwave for 20 seconds to warm them through before eating.

A half-eaten zucchini muffin with chocolate chips
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
A perfectly baked moist chocolate chip zucchini muffin with the muffin wrapper removed

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Light and fluffy these Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are loaded with chocolate and a warm cinnamon flavor. Moist and tender, these are the best zucchini muffins you’ll ever try.


Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (2 small or 1 medium)
  • ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure Vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup (48g) sour Cream
  • 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (7.5g) Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon (4.2g) baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cups (135g) chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin with muffin liners.
  2. Grate zucchini: Using the large cheese grater, grate the zucchini with the skin on. Use a paper towel to squeeze out extra water in the zucchini and fluff with a fork.
  3. Combine the wet ingredients: eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat all the ingredients together until well combined. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated.
  4. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and beat just until it starts to combine.
  5. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips using a spatula and finish mixing the batter by hand.
  6. Fill the muffin pan ¾ full. Drop a few extra chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake at 375°F for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Cool for at least 30 minutes.

Notes

  • Add in your chopped nuts for some extra crunch.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 muffin
  • Calories: 281
  • Sugar: 23.3g
  • Sodium: 217mg
  • Fat: 13.9g
  • Carbohydrates: 37g
  • Fiber: 1.6g
  • Protein: 3.9g
  • Cholesterol: 32mg

Filed Under:

More Zucchini Recipes:

Review and rate this post!

I love hearing from you! Submit your question or review here. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*.

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

6 thoughts on “Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins”

  1. First time making these muffins, and I would make them again! Super moist and delicious 😋. I gave it four stars because I was expecting more zucchini flavour. I would add 2 cups of zucchini next. Delicious never the less!






    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Thanks for sharing Teresa! Just be sure to really squeeze out the water, as it can change the texture

  2. Great muffins! A fun mix of spiced flavor (not overwhelming though!) and chocolate. Super soft, great texture.