Super moist and packed with zucchini, these Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are great for breakfast or snack. We love them when we have too much zucchini on hand—or when we just need a dose of chocolaty goodness.
Whenever our garden explodes with zucchini, I see some at the grocery store or farmers market, or we’re just in the mood, we make these Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins. This is such a perfect recipe to add a veggie to a toddler breakfast or kids snack and is one of our very favorite zucchini recipes.
These muffins for kids are super moist, super fluffy, and a great mix of nutrients and flavors. They have a full cup of zucchini, plus whole grains, proteins, and healthy fats.
They’re great on their own or topped with cream cheese, peanut butter, or almond butter. You can make them with chocolate chips or blueberries too. My kids love them as much as I do!
(You may also like Spinach Muffins, Healthy Zucchini Muffins, Banana Zucchini Muffins, and Chocolate Muffins.)
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
To make this chocolate chip zucchini muffin recipe, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Whole wheat flour: This flour absorbs moisture well and has fiber and nutrients, so it’s a great option here.
- Cocoa powder: I usually use Hershey’s Special Dark for flavor that’s not bitter.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These help the muffins rise nicely.
- Zucchini: Any variety of green zucchini works here.
- Sugar: A modest amount of sugar adds sweetness. You can sub maple syrup or honey if you prefer.
- Milk: Dairy or nondairy milk works in this recipe.
- Eggs
- Melted butter: I use unsalted butter in my baking so I can control the salt. If you only have salted butter, just skip adding the salt in the recipe.
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips or blueberries: You can choose to add one or the other, or add some of each.
TIP: I coat my muffin pan with nonstick classic Pam spray. There is not enough fat for these to come out cleanly from paper cupcake liners, so spray them lightly with nonstick spray if you want to use them.
Step by Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the simple process involved in making this chocolate chip zucchini muffin recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the end of the post for the full information, including the amounts and the timing.
Step 1. Grate the zucchini. Squeeze it very, very dry with your hands. Measure it out.
Step 2. Whisk together the wet ingredients.
Step 3. Stir together the dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet.
Step 4. Add batter to a muffin pan and bake.
TIP: You can make these Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins ahead of time and then store them in the fridge or freezer and serve them on busy mornings.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make this easy muffin recipe, stir together the wet ingredients, add them to the dry, then mix your uniform batter. Bake the batter portioned into a muffin pan.
If you freeze shredded zucchini, thaw and make sure it’s totally squeezed dry, then add it to the recipe the same as fresh.
Yes, just use a mini muffin tray and bake for 10-12 minutes.
How to Store
Store fully cooled Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5. Freeze cooled muffins in a zip top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months.
Best Tips for Success
- Serve Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins at room temperature, warmed slightly, or chilled. (They may firm up a bit if chilled.)
- If using blueberries, expect the muffins to be super moist.
- Mini Muffins: Cook for 12-14 minutes in a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
- Dairy-free: Use melted coconut oil in place of the butter and plain nondairy milk.
- Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup style gluten-free flour in place of the whole wheat.
- Egg-free: Use a store bought egg subsitute or omit the eggs, increase the milk to 1 ½ cups, and increase the baking soda to 1 teaspoon. Bake for 18-22 minutes and check for doneness with a cake tester. (I tested them and it worked well, though they are moister than the regular recipe so they take a little longer to bake.) Let cool fully before eating for the best texture.
- If you have more zucchini, try Zucchini Fries, Zucchini Tots, and Baked Zucchini Fritters.
Related Recipes
Desserts
Easy Zucchini Cookies
Breakfast
Fluffy Zucchini Pancakes
Breakfast
Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
Breakfast
Banana Baked Oatmeal with Zucchini
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you make it for your family, so please comment below to share!
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup sugar (or maple syrup; up the sugar to ½ cup for a more conventionally sweet muffin)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed very dry and packed tightly (measure after grating and squeezing)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted, or use canola or avocado oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips (or 1 cup blueberries; you can also use up to 1 cup of chocolate chips if you prefer)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a standard size muffin pan with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Grate the zucchini with a box grater and squeeze as much liquid out as you can with your hands. (I usually place it onto a clean kitchen towel and roll up to remove excess moisture, too.) Measure out 1 cup after this process.
- To a medium bowl, add the squeezed zucchini, milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Gently stir in the flour mixture. Gently stir in the chocolate chips (or blueberries).
- Divide batter among the prepared muffin pan, using a heaping ¼ cup in each. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean.
- Let cool for a minute or so in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- Serve muffins slightly warmed or at room temperature.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5. Freeze cooled muffins in a zip top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months.
- Serve at room temperature, warmed slightly, or chilled. (They may firm up a bit if chilled.)
- If using blueberries, expect the muffins to be super moist.
- Use ½ cup sugar if you prefer your muffins to be sweeter. These are very lightly sweetened as written.
- Mini Muffins: Cook for 12-14 minutes in a 24-cup mini muffin pan.
- Dairy-free: Use melted coconut oil in place of the butter and plain nondairy milk.
- Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup style gluten-free flour in place of the whole wheat.
- Egg-free: Use a store bought egg subsitute or omit the eggs, increase the milk to 1 ½ cups, and increase the baking soda to 1 teaspoon. Bake for 18-22 minutes and check for doneness with a cake tester. (I tested them and it worked well, though they are moister than the regular recipe so they take a little longer to bake.) Let cool fully before eating for the best texture.
- Use the same amount of honey or maple syrup in place of the sugar.
- Use white whole wheat or all-purpose flour if desired.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published July 2021.
Can an 8 month old baby enjoy these as well?
We’ve always waited a little longer to offer chocolate and I love my super moist baby muffins for that age https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/baby-muffins/
My kids typically dislike zucchini muffins, but they loved these. I subbed oat flour/GF 1-1 flour, almond milk, coconut oil, and coconut sugar and they still turned out fluffy, with a great consistency and flavor. Thanks!
Delicious! I wanted to mix up my sweet treat for both myself and my toddler. I couldn’t ask for a better recipe with all things I already had in my house.
Double the recipe. Sub 1 can pumpkin for the zucchini. Delicious!
So yummy! A definite keeper – moist and lightly sweet and fluffy. For add-ins, I used a 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, then baked for 19 minutes.
Love this! Children and husband devour these. Yummy toddler is our favorite. Thank you for this delicious way to give zucchini
Really enjoyed this recipe! I made these muffins with cup-for-cup gluten free flour, nondairy milk, and nondairy butter. I don’t own a grater, so I used a veggie peeler for the zucchini.
My oldest child picked out a few of the bigger pieces of zucchini, but enjoyed the flavor. My younger child and I both loved the muffins and are excited to try them with blueberries too!
Awesome!
These disappeared quickly at snack time! Will make again for sure.
These muffins are fantastic! Fluffy AND moist. Enjoyed by 3yo, 33yo and 40yo alike. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Amy, this recipe really turned out great. I have a couple of beets with me. Do you think it would work out the same with beets as well??
Thanks, Sush
Hi-
I think you could use beets, though I might blend them in with the eggs and milk I think. I feel like that work work fine, though I haven’t tested it so it’s my best guess. Let me know if you try it!
Yes, let me get back to you with feedback for beets tomorrow 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion
These are the best!! I make muffins for my son’s preschool class once a week and I’ve made almost every one of your muffin recipes. These are one of the top ones for sure. Thank you for being my go to choice.
I’m so glad to hear that!
I just made these as I had some zucchini to use up and wow, are they ever good! Super moist without being overly sweet. I used a gluten free all purpose flour cup for cup, subbed coconut sugar, and omitted vanilla simply because I had run out. I realized when they were in the oven I forgot the cinnamon. But still so good! I will be making these again for sure!
These are delicious and easy to make. Even with grating the zucchini it’s still a fairly quick recipe. I wasn’t sure how to squeeze the water out of the zuchinni so I just wrapped it in a dish towel and squeezed it out that way. The kids thought it was fascinating!
Hi Amy! Would oat flour work with this? You have the best muffine recipes, by the way!
Hi- I haven’t tried this recipe that way, but it might work! (They may be a lot moister than they’d be with wheat flour though.)
Amy’s muffin recipes are always a go-to for my kiddos. I have yet to be disappointed and they always turn out perfectly. I tried this for my very veggie-averse 4-year-old and he told me that they were his favorite muffins ever! I thought I was sunk there for a minute bc he spotted a piece of zucchini in the muffin. Is that expected? Thank you Amy for all the wonderful recipes! I’m so grateful.