Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

These healthier zucchini chocolate chip muffins are one of the best ways to use up zucchini and eat some sneaky veggies. They turn out moist and decadent but are filled with all real food ingredients you can feel good about. Kids and adults love these for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

I LOVE this easy method. No shredding zucchini ahead of time (and no green is visible in the cake to picky eaters). That’s right! We’re using the blender instead. You’ll have this cake in the oven in less than 15 minutes.

Here are the stars of this breakfast cake show…

• Cooking spray – I like to use non-propellent avocado oil spray.
• White whole wheat flour – I love this lighter, whole grain flour. It works much like all purpose flour but has more protein and fiber. Sometimes it can be hard to find, so a substitute for this would be to use half whole wheat and half unbleached all purpose.
• Baking powder and Baking soda – For leavening.
• Ground cinnamon, Salt, and Vanilla – For flavor.
• Avocado oil – This neutral oil adds moisture. Sub melted, cooled coconut oil.
• Large eggs
• Sugar – I use coconut sugar for a little healthier alternative. Honey does not work the same way as sugar in this recipe, so I’ve found it doesn’t work great as a substitute.
• Plain Greek yogurt – Nonfat or full fat works. If you want a little sweeter bread, use vanilla Greek yogurt for more sweetness.
• Overripe banana – Adds natural sweetness and moisture.
• Medium zucchini
• Mini chocolate chips

How to Make Zucchini Breakfast Cake

Find the detailed, printable recipe at the bottom, but here’s an overview of how this recipe goes…

Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. (You can also use paper liners or silicone liners if you’d like, but they will be very full!)

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir just until it starts to come together (do not stir a lot here). Sprinkle the shredded zucchini and mini chocolate chips over the top. Stir until fully combined, being careful not to overmix. The batter will be thick.

Spoon at least 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each hole, until each one is filled evenly (they will almost be filled to the top). Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of one comes out mostly clean. Place on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Variations and Substitutions

This muffin recipe is fairly forgiving, so feel free to make some of these tweaks if you’d like.

• Dairy-Free Version: Use dairy-free plain Greek-style yogurt and dairy-free chocolate chips like Enjoy Life brand from the health food section.
• Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill brand in place of the wheat flour.
• Substitute for Honey: I haven’t tested this with pure maple syrup but that would be my go-to for a honey replacement. Note: It will alter the flavor some and be a little sweeter than honey. Leave a comment and let me know if you try this.

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