You'll love these moist and fluffy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins! The vegetable can't be tasted but leaves some goodness behind. This recipe is also lightened up with yogurt and applesauce. It's like healthier zucchini bread in a portable form. Perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Looking for a delicious way to use up all of that seasonal zucchini? These Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are the perfect solution!
Moist and fluffy, with a sweet twist, these muffins are perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an on-the-go snack.
Zucchini (aka courgette) is truly a versatile vegetable. It can be made into savory dishes like Zucchini Soup or Roasted Zucchini that make a great side.
It can also be used in many baking recipes or desserts! Zucchini is a great option to add into your baked goods because it adds moisture and sweetness, without adding any fat or calories.
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I love using the healthy vegetable in Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Chocolate Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies, and Fudgy Zucchini Brownies.
These chocolate chip zucchini muffins are my new favorite way to use zucchini! I love that they are packed with chocolate chips and have a light sweetness from the zucchini.
You'll also find applesauce and Greek yogurt in the mixture to help add even more moisture and keep these muffins nice and light.
Zucchini (courgette) muffins with chocolate chips can be enjoyed as a part of breakfast, a quick snack, or a simple dessert.
These portable muffins are great to have around for any occasion!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are a great way to use an abundance of zucchini you may have from a growing season.
- They are not too sweet which makes them a great option for breakfast on the go.
- Made with simple baking ingredients, you can make these muffins any time of the year.
- The zucchini adds rich moisture to the muffins without the use of extra oils or fats making it a lighter choice for healthy living.
Ingredients
- Apple Sauce - Adds natural sweetness and richness to the muffin batter and is used instead of oil to make them lighter.
- Granulated Sugar - Sweetens up the base of the muffin batter.
- Greek Yogurt - Adds moisture to the batter without adding more fat.
- Egg - Helps bind all of the ingredients together so they are set while baking.
- Vanilla Extract - Infuses a light vanilla flavor into the muffins.
- All-Purpose Flour (plain flour) - Gives the muffins structure and mixes into the other ingredients well.
- Salt - Helps activate the baking powder and offsets some of the sweetness to balance it.
- Baking Powder - Gives the muffins a light rise so they become light and airy.
- Grated Zucchini - Adds additional moisture, texture, and nutrients.
- Chocolate Chips - Gives the muffins a chocolate flavor in every bite.
Please see the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Wondering how to make this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffin recipe? It's easy! Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease or line a muffin pan. Set aside.
Combine the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat the applesauce (or oil), sugar, yogurt, egg, and vanilla until smooth and fully combined.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until fully combined.
Assemble the muffin batter base: Pour the wet mixture into the dry and gently stir to combine without over-working the muffin batter.
Fold in the flavors: Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula until just combined.
Bake and cool: Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups, ⅔ full. Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer or toothpick comes out clean. Allow cooling completely in the muffin tray before serving.
Top tips
When mixing the dry ingredients with the wet, make sure you don't overmix. Mix together just until everything is evenly distributed and there are no dry streaks of flour in the mixture.
When shredding the zucchini, it's important to make sure you press any excess water out as this can make the muffins too moist. I like to use a clean dish towel for this.
If you want extra chocolate in your zucchini muffins, feel free to add more chocolate chips on top of the batter before baking.
Only fill the muffin tins ⅔ full to prevent the batter from spilling over.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with a cold glass of Banana Lassi for a fruit and vegetable breakfast.
Makes a great addition to a Breakfast Pancake Platter.
Pair with a savory Waffle Breakfast Sandwich for a sweet and savory meal.
Frost the tops with Orange Icing for a rich dessert.
Try them with some more Muffin Recipes.
Variations
Instead of chocolate chips, you can also add your favorite dried fruit such as raisins, chopped dates, or cranberries.
For a fun twist, add a streusel topping made with oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon before baking.
Bump up the fiber by adding a tablespoon or two of ground chia or flax seed.
You can also bake these in mini muffin tins for bite-sized snacks.
Add a tablespoon of Chai Spice to the zucchini chocolate chip muffins mixture for a warming spiced flavor. They're also great with Pumpkin Spice Blend, or Speculoos (biscoff spice).
For a nutty flavor with a bit of crunch, add your favorite nuts including chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
Use a combination of white and brown sugar for a more complex flavor.
Storage
Storing: These chocolate chip zucchini muffins can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days. Store them in the fridge to last one week.
Freezing: To freeze, wrap them individually in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn, then add them to a container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Let thaw completely before serving.
FAQs
Yes, you can substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour. I don't recommend using more than 50% whole wheat as it will make the muffins denser.
Yes, you can use gluten free all-purpose flour to make these chocolate chip zucchini muffins gluten free. Just make sure the flour used is a 1:1 ratio with regular flour that also contains xanthan gum. Check that your baking powder and any other ingredients are all gluten-free too.
No, there's no need to peel the zucchini. The skin is actually packed with nutrients. Just give it a good wash before using.
More Zucchini Desserts
- Chocolate Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies
- Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Fudgy Zucchini Brownies
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Grater
- 12-hole muffin pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup applesauce (120ml) or vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated white sugar (100g)
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt (75ml) plain
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour (plain flour) (200g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup zucchini (125g) grated and squeezed gently to remove excess moisture
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Grease or line a muffin pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the applesauce (or oil), sugar, yogurt, egg and vanilla until smooth and combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry and gently stir to combine.
- Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups, ⅔ full. Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer or toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely in the muffin tray.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Susa
The kids loved these 'hidden veg' muffins.
Shas
I made them with teh kids over easter and they did not last long! Love that these are packed with zucchini - means I can have seconds and thirds right?!
Dionne
This muffins recipe was easy and everyone loved it. Plus it is so healthy - just perfect! Will make again for lunchboxes.
Kathleen
Made these for a family this week who are trying to eat a bit healthier! SO yummy (I snuck a few myself) made a batch using regular sugar and also using Monk Fruit, couldn't tell the difference! YUM!
whitney
I have been looking for recipes to get more veggies in my toddler's diet. He loved these muffins so that's a win! I peeled the zucchini a little bit so there would be less green 🙂
Jina
This was so good and easy! I baked these twice in one week because my husband and I are savages. 😂 My zucchini plant was growing like crazy, so this was the perfect recipe to use up my zucchini.
This recipe is a keeper, and easy to modify other flours or even sugar amounts.
SaraJane
Hi
I made this today, and they were very tasty.
Roxana
I made a zucchini bread long ago and it was delicious. So glad to have a muffin version. The easy steps and tips are helpful.