Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Zucchini chocolate chip muffins are the perfect treat anytime you crave something sweet. They are soft, tender, and full of wonderful flavor.

Chocolate chips are the star of the muffin. I mean, who doesn’t want a muffin full of sweet bits of chocolate? But the zucchini deserves its mention in the title. Shredded zucchini makes the muffins moist, light and so delicious. Add in the crunch and sweetness of pecans or walnuts and you have one scrumptious muffin.

Ingredients

Flour & Baking Soda: The structure and leavening agent of the muffin.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon goes beautifully with, well, just about anything. I love it with zucchini and nuts. It actually pairs really well with chocolate, like in these monster cookie muffins.

Salt: Enhances the flavors.

Egg: Gives richness and structure.

Sugar: Gives the muffin its sweet flavor.

Canola Oil: Using canola oil keeps the muffins light, airy, and moist.

Milk: Helps make the muffins moist.

Lemon Zest: Adds a burst of brightness. Lemon is wonderful with zucchini.

Vanilla Extract: Adds wonderful flavor.

Zucchini: Shredded zucchini makes the muffin moist and tender. If you are absolutely anti-green-bits in your muffin, go ahead and peel the zucchini. I shred my unpeeled zucchini by hand. Compared to cheese and harder veggies like carrots, zucchini is a breeze to shred.

Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips: Using mini chips helps ensure the chocolate is well dispersed throughout the muffins.

Pecans or Walnuts: I love the texture that nuts give these muffins.

Instructions

Start by preheating your oven. I mention this all the time, but if you have convection, use it! This really helps give rise to that all-important muffin top!

Take this time to shred the zucchini. Some recipes will recommend you squeeze the shredded zucchini of excess moisture, but we wouldn’t be doing that with this recipe. That moisture is needed in the final product. I also like to pull the rest of the ingredients and have them within reach before I start.

Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients, then slowly stir together with the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts using a spatula until just combined.

Using a spoon or cookie scoop, add the batter evenly to your 12 muffin cups. This recipe will fill the cups nearly full, which is what we want.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the muffins are very lightly browned and spring back when lightly touched.

Zucchini chocolate chip muffins are a great snack or quick sweet treat any time of day! They are amazing when they are warm right out of the oven. Store in an airtight container. May be frozen, if desired. Thaw a single one in the microwave for about half a minute.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini shredded
  • ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup pecans or walnuts chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350℉ convection if available. Grease 12 muffin cups, line with paper muffin liners, or set up silicon cups on a sheet pan.
  • Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the egg then add sugar, oil, milk, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts. Fill prepared muffin cups nearly full.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the muffin springs back when lightly touched.
Keyword Soft, Sweet

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