Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Total Time

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min.

Makes

1 dozen

Updated: Jun. 30, 2023
Whenever I make these zucchini chocolate chip muffins, I freeze several. As I'm leaving for work in the morning, I pull one out and enjoy it at the office with a cup of coffee. —Janet Pierce DeCori, Rockton, Illinois
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup 2% milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup shredded zucchini
  • 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
  2. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Can you freeze zucchini chocolate chip muffins?

Freeze cooled muffins in an airtight container. To use, thaw at room temperature or, if desired, microwave each muffin on high for 20-30 seconds or until heated through.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins Tips

Should you dry out the zucchini before putting it in zucchini chocolate chip muffins?

Zucchini is full of water, which can throw off the texture of a recipe. For best results, grate your zucchini as normal, and then pop the shreds into a fine mesh sieve or dish towel. Press and squeeze the squash until it releases most of the moisture inside.

What are some additional mix-ins for zucchini chocolate chip muffins?

These zucchini muffins are a great canvas for mix-ins. This recipe already calls for walnuts and chocolate chips, but if you want to change things up a bit, try adding different types of nuts or chocolate. White chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks would be great in this recipe. You could also add in a sprinkling of dried cranberries, citrus zest or a few more spices like ginger or cardamom.

Can you substitute carrots for the zucchini?

You certainly can swap in carrots for zucchini! Use the same amount of carrots as you would zucchini in this zucchini chocolate chip muffins recipe. And there's no need to press excess moisture out of the carrots. Just shred the carrots and stir them right into the batter.

Why are my zucchini muffins so dry?

Zucchini bakes tend to be fairly moist because this squash has a lot of water inside. However, if dry bakes are an issue for you, make sure you are not overbaking the muffins and that you are measuring baking ingredients accurately. Accidentally adding too much flour can make any bake dry.

How do you store zucchini chocolate chip muffins?

We all want to know how to store our favorite baked goods for longer. To keep these muffins fresh, stash them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel, which will help absorb excess moisture. Zucchini chocolate chip muffins are particularly packed with moisture, so this is key. Be sure to eat them within 2 to 3 days.

—Lisa Kaminski, Taste of Home Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 muffin: 234 calories, 13g fat (2g saturated fat), 16mg cholesterol, 213mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.