These Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are the ultimate EASY baking project! They are made with quality ingredients, using only one bowl and they’re ready in 30 minutes or less! Yes please!
This recipe was originally published in August 2023 – I’ve since updated the blog content!
What better way to celebrate zucchini season than to share this delightful muffin recipe?!
If your garden is producing lots of zucchini this year, this recipe is for YOU!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
First off – who DOESN’T love freshly baked muffins?! I think this recipe is the perfect transition recipe from Spring to Summer.
Muffins are my go-to easy baking recipe in the Summer. It doesn’t require your oven to be on for too long and you get a delicious treat (that can be on the go!) that’s not over loaded with sugar!
I have plenty of muffin recipes on my site if you’re curious!
In this recipe, we are using that delightful summer squash mixed in with some cozy warm spices into a soft and pillowy muffin that just so happens to be studded with chocolate chips.
Yes – this muffin is completely refined sugar free aside from the chocolate chips….which are in every bite and so worth it!
This recipe actually uses maple syrup so they are absolutely kid, toddler and adult friendly! My son, Jack, LOVES them!
This recipe uses FRESHLY grated zucchini which keeps them super moist and gives you that yummy zucchini flavor. My favorite way to eat zucchini…baked up in a muffin!
These muffins are super easy to throw together. You whip them all up in one bowl, pop them in the oven and they’re done baking within 20 minutes give or take.
They taste amazing – super soft, fluffy and loaded with flavor. They are perfect to go with your creamy cup of morning coffee or cuppa tea. So let’s get into what you need to make them!
Ingredients You Need:
- Zucchini – you will grate this zucchini, so be sure you have a grater on hand! Also grab a clean tea towel!
- Salted Butter – this will be melted!
- Pure Maple Syrup – our main sweetener in this recipe!
- Eggs – we use 2 large eggs in this recipe.
Vanilla Extract + Cinnamon – for flavor! - Plain Greek Yogurt – this helps make the muffins extra moist!
- All Purpose Flour, Baking Soda – dry ingredients!
- Chocolate Chips – I used semi-sweet!
Ingredient Substitutions:
- You can use unsalted butter instead of salted. Just make sure to add about a 1/4 tsp of salt in the recipe to compensate.
- You can use full fat sour cream in place of the greek yogurt.
- You can use chocolate chunks, dark chocolate chips, whatever you have on hand instead of semi-sweet. Or you can skip the chocolate chips all together if you want to keep this fully refined sugar free!
- You can omit the cinnamon if you desire but I think it adds such great flavor!
How to Make Muffins in 7 Simple Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare a 12 count muffin tin – use muffin liners or grease the tin!
- Grate 1 medium zucchini – it will yield about 2 cups of zucchini. Add the grated zucchini to a clean tea towel and then WRING the tea towel out until the moisture from the zucchini has gone. Set that aside for now.
- In a large bowl, melt the butter. Let it cool for a moment and then add in the maple syrup and whisk together to combine.
- Next, add in the eggs, greek yogurt and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Gently stir in the shredded zucchini next.
- To the bowl, add the flour, baking soda and cinnamon and stir with a wooden spoon until combined and no flour streaks are present. Add ½ cup of chocolate chips into the batter and stir in gently.
- Fill each muffin liner ⅔ of the way full with the batter. Use the last ¼ cup of the chocolate chips to top the muffins with.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the middle and comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes or so and then remove to a cooling rack. Eat while warm with butter and enjoy!
Best Muffin Baking Tips:
Be sure to preheat the oven fully before you add in the muffins!
Let the melted butter cool for a moment or two before adding in the other ingredients! This will make sure nothing will get messed up in the batter 🙂
Remember to leave enough chocolate chips at the end to add on top of the muffins! They make them look so pretty and appetizing!
Be sure to use allllll of those arm muscles to squeeze out the excess moisture in the zucchini! You’ll be surprised at how much water is in it!
Use a CLEAN tea towel to squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini.
Be sure to not overmix the dry ingredients into the wet but at the same time, don’t leave any flour streaks in it – make sure it’s thoroughly mixed together!
Don’t overbake these! No one likes a dry muffin.
To make sure they aren’t overbaked, check your oven at 18-20 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle of a muffin to check and see if it’s done.
Storing Leftovers:
These muffins last for a few days and make great leftovers!
Store baked and cooled muffins in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy warm with butter! XO -Haylie
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few others you might like:
Coconut Chocolate Chunk Zucchini Bread
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
These Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are the ultimate EASY baking project! They are made with quality ingredients, using only one bowl and they’re ready in 30 minutes or less! Yes please!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk plain greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 medium to large zucchini, grated (should yield about 2 cups worth)
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (divided)
- 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 12 count muffin pan and line it with muffin liners or generous grease with butter - set this aside.
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Grate 1 medium-large zucchini (you need about 2 cups worth). Place the shredded zucchini on top of a clean and dry tea towel. Over the sink, squeeze/wring the tea towel with the zucchini out to remove the excess water from the zucchini. Squeeze until it seems like most of the water is out! Set this aside.
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In a large bowl, melt 1 stick (1/2 cup) of salted butter. Let cool for 1-2 minutes. To the bowl, whisk in the maple syrup until combined.
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To the bowl, add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and greek yogurt. Whisk together until combined.
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To the bowl, gently stir in the shredded zucchini until combined.
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To the same bowl, add in the all purpose flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir in with the wooden spoon until just combined and no flour streaks are present.
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Lastly, fold in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips until fully combined!
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Fill the muffin liners 2/3 of the way full and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
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Place in the oven and bake for 20-22 min or until toothpick comes out clean.
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Once done, let cool in the pan for 5 minutes or so and then remove to a cooling rack. Enjoy with butter!
Hayley,
These are so delicious. My whole family loved them 🙂
Thank you so much, Mary! So glad!!
How do I make these dairy free?
Brenda, you could try to use melted coconut oil in place of the butter and dairy free yogurt instead of the whole milk yogurt!