Soft, fluffy, and perfectly moist, these Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are brimming with melty chocolate chips and crunchy toasted walnuts!
Zucchini is one of those vegetables that seems to go absolutely bonkers in the garden. One minute, it’s the size of a baby carrot, the next, it’s the size of an 8-month old baby. It makes me wonder if zucchini bread was invented as a way to use up these massive veggies.
All I know is zucchini is AMAZING in baked goods. Whether baked up in zucchini bread, cakes, or muffins, you’d be surprised at how well it disguises itself in sweet treats. So if you’re looking for a way to use up those zukes (zucchini) from your garden, I’ve got the perfect muffins for you…
Why You MUST Make These Muffins
Moist and Fluffy Crumb: Thanks to zucchini’s masterful ability to add moisture to baked goods, these muffins are perfectly moist, tender, and fluffy. They’re also not too heavy or gummy, which can happen when too much moisture is incorporated.
Loaded with Chocolate Chips AND Toasted Walnuts: The chocolate chips add a nice pop of richness throughout muffins, while the walnuts add a wonderful crunch. Extra chocolate is sprinkled on the tops of the muffins because there’s NO such thing as too much chocolate.
Quick and Easy Recipe: The batter can easily be whipped up in less than 30 minutes WITHOUT a stand mixer or beater. Just grab a couple of mixing bowls, a whisk and a wooden spoon, and you’re good to go.
Tips For Making the Best Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Use Both Sour Cream and Vegetable Oil: To achieve that perfect moisture level in these muffins, I used 2/3 cup sour cream and 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Sour cream adds richness and flavor, while oil produces taller, lighter muffins that remain moist for several days.
Squeeze (Don’t Wring) Zucchini: Once you’ve grated the zucchini, wrap it in a couple sheets of paper towel, ball it up, and give it just a couple of good squeezes over the sink. You don’t want to completely wring it out because you still need some of the liquid from the zucchini. Squeezing out just a little liquid gives these muffins a moist crumb without it being too gummy.
Toast the Walnuts: Toasting walnuts intensifies their flavor and makes them extra crispy. That’s why I prefer to toast them BEFORE tossing them into the batter. It just enhances the overall flavor of the muffins.
Don’t Overmix the Batter: In order to achieve those perfectly soft, moist, and extra tall muffins, avoid overmixing. Overmixing develops excess gluten, which not only prevents muffins from rising properly, but also results in dense and rubbery muffins. The best technique is to use a rubber spatula to gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. You’ll know when to stop stirring, when the flour is barely hydrated and the batter is still lumpy.
Rest the Batter: Allowing the batter to rest at room temperature for an hour does a couple of things. First, it allows the flavors to develop and meld together, giving the muffins a richer taste. Secondly, resting allows the flour to fully absorb the moisture of the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, sour cream, etc.), resulting in a thicker batter. Having a thicker batter reduces spread during baking, giving the muffin tops a nicely rounded appearance. If you’re short on time, resting the batter for even 30 minutes will do wonders for your muffins!
Fill to the TOP: Another tip that’s crucial for creating those sky-high tops is filling the muffin tin cavities with more batter. Although it’s standard to fill them up just 2/3 of the way, if you want to achieve more height and volume, fill the cavities ALL the way to the top. Don’t worry about the batter spilling over because the next tip will prevent that from happening.
Bake at a High Initial Temperature: Bake your muffins at 425°F for the first 5 minutes, then drop the temperature to 375°F for 15-18 minutes. The high initial temperature helps the leavening agents (baking powder and baking soda) react quickly, giving the muffins a little head start in rising. This creates that nice domed top. After the initial rise, the temperature is dropped to 375ºF to allow the muffins to bake the rest of the way.
Can I use frozen zucchini?
Yes, you can! Keep in mind that zucchini releases a lot of liquid when it’s been frozen, so I’d recommend thawing it out in a colander first. Once it’s completely thawed, wrap it up in some paper towels, and give it a couple of good squeezes over the sink.
Can I use blueberries instead of chocolate chips?
Yes! I’ve tried this recipe with blueberries instead of the chocolate chips and walnuts. If you wish to do the same, replace the chocolate chips and walnuts with 1 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups grated zucchini, lightly squeezed (see notes)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping
- ⅔ cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk both sugars, eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla together until combined. Stir in the grated zucchini; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Switch to a wooden spoon and toss in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Allow batter to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, or line with paper liners.
- Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan, filling all the way to the top. Press more chocolate chips on top of the batter, if desired.
- Bake at 425ºF for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375ºF and continue to bake for another 15-18 minutes, or until muffin tops are golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.