Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

These zucchini chocolate chip muffins are packed with that perfect chocolate flavor and are super moist and rich.

They take just a few minutes to put together, and are made in your humble Air Fryer.

The versatile zucchini blends perfectly with the intense flavors of the chocolate, and together they make for an incredible healthy snack or dessert.

You can think of these as zucchini bread muffins, because their textures just turn out similar to zucchini bread.

What I Love About the Recipe

I’m a big hoarder when it comes to fresh produce, and these zucchini muffins were the perfect way to use up all of those extra zucchinis I had at hand.

My favorite part about this recipe is the fact that while it is a sweet treat, it actually manages to pack in a healthy veggie too, which makes it a great choice for kids too.

These muffins are a level up on the classic zucchini bread recipe which you would usually turn to when you’ve got some extra zucchini to work with.

Zucchini Muffins Cooking Times

• Prep time: 15 minutes 
• Cook time: 12 minutes per batch
• Yields 10-12 muffins 

Ingredients For the Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

To make these zucchini muffins, here’s what you’ll need.

All-purpose flour: I used all purpose flour to add structure to these zucchini chocolate chip muffins.

Cocoa powder: A dash of cocoa powder lends the muffins that characteristic dark color and chocolate flavor.

Sugar: I used a mix of granulated sugar and dark brown sugar to bring some sweetness to the muffins. You can also use light brown sugar or coconut sugar.

Baking powder: Baking powder helps the muffins rise and gets them soft and spongy- just the way you want them to be. You could also use baking soda instead.

Egg: I also added in an egg to make the muffins moist and give them that little richness.

Salted butter: Salted butter, is again, a great vehicle for all the other ingredients, and adds richness to the muffins.

Vanilla extract: A dash of vanilla extract helps elevate the flavors of any good chocolate chip muffin.

Whole milk: A bit of whole milk just really helps the muffin mixture come together into a nice batter.

Semisweet chocolate chips: These add a bit of texture and those little bursts of melted chocolate when you bite into the muffin.

Zucchini: And of course, some fresh zucchini teams up with the flour to form the base for these zucchini chocolate chip muffins and gives the muffins structure.

How to Make the Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do to make these healthy chocolate chip zucchini muffins.

Step 1: Prepare Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix. Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare Wet Ingredients

Mix the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Mix.

Step 3: Combine Both Mixtures

Slowly add the dry mixture to the liquid and mix until fully incorporated. 

Step 4: Add Shredded Zucchini to the Mixture

Peel and shred the zucchini using a fine cheese grater. Add shredded zucchini to the batter and fold it in.

Step 5: Preheat Air Fryer

Pre-heat the air fryer at 350°f

Step 6: Fold in Chocolate Chips

Fold in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips.

Step 7: Pour Muffin Batter into Prepared Muffin Cups

Spray jumbo muffin liners and fill 3/4 way full. Top batter with 4-5 chocolate chips and place in the air fryer basket. 

Step 8: Bake Until Toothpick Inserted Comes out Clean

Cook at 350°f for 12 minutes or until fully cooked. Use a toothpick to stick in the middle of a muffin. If you have batter on it when you pull it out continue to cook and test every minute until the zucchini chocolate chip muffins are fully cooked. 

Step 9: Let Cool on a Wire Rack

Remove and let cool before removing from muffin liners.

Step 10: Store and Enjoy

Enjoy and store on the counter for 5 days, or the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Tips & Tricks to Make the Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ready to try out these zuchinni chocolate chip muffins? Here are some more tips and tricks you might want to note down.

• I used all purpose flour for this recipe, but you could use whole wheat flour instead if you want the muffins to be healthier.
• If you have any leftover batter, you can also use the batter made using whole wheat flour and use it to make zucchini bread.
• I used butter, but if you’re looking for make a vegan version of this zucchini muffin recipe, you can use olive oil, coconut oil or any vegetable oil of your choice as a substitute.
• To substitute the egg, you can use some unsweetened applesauce.
• For the whole milk that the recipe calls for, you can use almond milk or any dairy free milk of your choice. Orange juice is also another great option.
• If you’re using baking soda for the recipe, remember to check the proportion as baking soda and baking powder aren’t the perfect swap for each other proportion-wise.
• I would recommend removing the excess water from the grated zucchini before you add it into the muffin mixture.
• Also remember to grease the muffin cup well or just use paper liners or cupcake liners to make these zucchini muffins.
• You can also choose to bake these in the oven as opposed to your Air Fryer. Just remember to grease your muffin pan or muffin tin well before you pour in the mixture.

Can I Make these Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins Gluten Free?

You totally can.

Just swap the all purpose flour in the recipe with some almond flour or oat flour.

What Else Can I Add to the Muffins?

You could also add some chopped walnuts into the zucchini mixture to bring a bit of texture to these muffins.

Dark chocolate chips are another fantastic addition- you can use them instead of regular chocolate chips to bring some more intense flavors to these zucchini chocolate chip muffins.

In fact, you can also top the zucchini bread mixture with some mini chocolate chips if you want to.

How Do I Store the Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins?

Since these zucchini muffins are made using shredded zucchini, you may want to store them in the refrigerator or freeze them to keep them fresh.

Yes! This zucchini muffin recipe is freezer friendly too!

Simply remove the zucchini chocolate chip muffins from the muffin pan and transfer them to an airtight container before you refrigerate them.

Enjoy Your Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

If you enjoyed these zucchini chocolate chip muffins and are inspired to try some more tasty recipes, why not try some maple sugar cookies or make some Vegan marshmallows to go in your mug of hot cocoa? That would go perfect with cookies or muffins!

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