Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Modified: Aug 28, 2024. Published: Aug 28, 2024 by Lindsay Moe.

These zucchini chocolate chip muffins are moist, tender, and studded with chocolate chips! Easy to make, no mixer required, and one of the best ways to use up summer's most abundant vegetable!

Close up of a platter full of chocolate chip zucchini muffins with one of them cut in half.

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Zucchini chocolate chip muffins
Ingredients
How to make zucchini chocolate chip muffins
Top tips
FAQ
More muffin recipes
Recipe

Surprise, surprise, I've got a muffin recipe I think you're going to love.

I didn't realize until I was updating this post just how many muffin recipes I have on the blog. And with good reason, who doesn't love a muffin?

Muffins make an easy grab-and-go breakfast, satisfying snack, or easy lunch box addition. They can range from healthier to indulgent, and they always hit the spot.

Zucchini chocolate chip muffins

This recipe is perfect for summer because you know you were looking for a way to use up all that zucchini in your fridge! Maybe your own garden is producing more than you thought, your sister dropped off her excess at your house, or your CSA was overly ambitious in what they thought you could use. Either way, we're going to enjoy this abundance with one of my favorite muffin recipes!

These zucchini muffins are moist, tender, and loaded with chocolate chips. The chocolate chips are optional (or swappable), but I think chocolate in muffins is one of the best inventions since... the muffin.

My kids actually request these, which is more than I can say for a lot of other things I've hidden vegetables in. I say don't even hide the zucchini, let them know loud and proud so they can grow up loving this treat as much as you do!

A platter full of chocolate chip zucchini muffins next to a gray linen napkin.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour
Whole wheat flour
Granulated sugar
Baking powder
Salt
Milk
Vegetable oil
Vanilla extract
Eggs
Zucchini
Chocolate chips

How to make zucchini chocolate chip muffins

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl combine milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and stir together quickly with a rubber scraper. Its ok if there are still a few dry spots.
Gently fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips, if desired, until everything is combined.
Divide evenly amongst the muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool briefly in the pan before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate chip zucchini muffin batter in a muffin tin.

Top tips

How to grate zucchini

I use the large holes of a box grater (affiliate link) to grate my zucchini by hand. If you don't like large strands of zucchini in your baked goods you could use one of the smaller holes instead.

You can also shred zucchini using a food processor if you prefer. This Cuisinart food processor comes with a grating plate that makes it easy to get this done in seconds.

Don't overmix

When making any muffin or quick bread, make sure you're only stirring as much as necessary to incorporate the ingredients together. Over-mixing will result in dense, dry baked goods.

Zucchini muffin batter with chocolate chips mixed in.

Top with extra chocolate chips

For truly pretty muffins, save a few chocolate chips for pressing into the tops of the muffins before baking. This will ensure that you can see the chocolate chips in the finished product.

How to store chocolate chip zucchini muffins

Muffins will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze your muffins, individually wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a zip top freezer bag, for up to 3 months.

Tips for customizing zucchini chocolate chip muffins

Swap the chocolate chips for walnuts or blueberries
Top with this vanilla icing
Swap the whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour
Use an equal amount of applesauce in place of the oil

Close up of a platter full of chocolate chip zucchini muffins.

FAQ

Do I need to peel my zucchini?

No, there is no need to peel your zucchini before grating it and baking with it. The skin of a zucchini is thin and edible.

Do I need to remove extra moisture from my zucchini for muffins?

Some recipes require you to drain or pat dry shredded zucchini before using. This recipes does not require that, but instead uses the moisture of the zucchini to create a moist muffin.

If your grated zucchini seems exceptionally wet and is dripping or puddling, you can pat it gently with a few paper towels, but try not to remove all the moisture. Alternatively, if your zucchini seems very dry (resulting a difficult to stir batter that is thicker than cookie dough), try adding a small splash of water until the texture improves.

Is it better to spray a muffin pan or use paper liners?

You can do either for this recipe. I prefer to spray the pan to prevent waste with throwing away the liners, but your muffins may bake more evenly and have a more attractive appearance if baked in liners.

What does it mean to make a well in the dry ingredients?

Making a well means you'll want to clear a little space in the center of the dry ingredients in the bowl for pouring the wet ingredients into. There's no need to overthink this, you just want to make sure you can stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients with as few strokes as possible.