The Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins That Disappear in a Day — Moist, Tender, and Perfect for Garden Season
Tender, chocolatey, and packed with a full cup of zucchini, these muffins come together in one bowl and bake in 22 minutes. The secret is squeezing the zucchini dry so they stay moist without turning soggy. Perfect for garden season or a lazy Sunday morning.
Equipment
- Standard 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper liners
- Box Grater
- Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 1 cup grated zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini), squeezed dry
- ½ cup neutral oil (120ml)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed (50g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated preferred)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (170g)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for dusting chocolate chips, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well.
- Wash the zucchini and grate it on the large holes of a box grater. You should have about 1 ½ cups loosely packed. Dump it onto a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners, and twist tightly over the sink until no more liquid comes out. Unwrap and fluff with your fingers.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and glossy — about 30 seconds.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Gently fold in the squeezed zucchini until evenly distributed.
- If desired, toss the chocolate chips in 1 tablespoon of flour to help them stay suspended. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter gently. The batter should be thick and scoopable.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling about ¾ full (or to the very top for domed tops).
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The muffins are done when the tops are golden brown and spring back when pressed gently; a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for exactly 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The texture finishes as it rests.
Notes
Squeeze the zucchini dry: This is the most important step. If you skip it or do it half-heartedly, the muffins will be dense and wet. Measure 1 cup after squeezing.
Don't overmix: Stir until the flour just disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and makes muffins tough.
Cooling: Let muffins rest in the pan for exactly 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Any less and they'll collapse; any more and the bottoms will steam.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze individually wrapped for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for 15–20 seconds or in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes for a crisper top.