Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins (gluten free, dairy-free)

These Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are silly easy to make in your blender and beyond delicious. Loaded with veggies and studded with chocolate. So, basically they are pretty much the best thing ever! Oh! And they are naturally gluten free, dairy-free and can be easily made nut-free.

If there is one thing I know about you guys, it is that you *love* a good veggie-loaded muffin recipe from your girl here. My Oatmeal Green Smoothie Muffins send many of you (especially those of you with kiddos protesting all thing green) into giddy tale spin. And I have joked with my husband that one day, my tombstone will read “Here lies Taesha. Wife, Mother, Friend, and Green Smoothie Muffin Maker.”

All joking aside, a good veggie-loaded muffin recipe can be a total game changer for someone. Why? Because muffins are easy to make, are perfectly portioned out and are kind of the best thing every for breakfasts or easy snacks. And the fact that they can be a vessel for getting more veggies into your life and body is just frosting on the muffin!

And now I am adding a new veggie-loaded muffin recipe to the mix with these *amazing* Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins.

I have made these muffins half a doze times already, every time getting a 5-star review from the family. And they truly are my toughest critics. I love that these Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins can be mixed entirely in your blender (hello, fewer dishes!), are the perfect level of sweetness, have great flavor and have a great consistency for being gluten free!

Suggested Adaptations

• Make them with carrot instead of zucchini. No zucchini in the garden or fridge? Just swap it out from shredded carrot…or even summer squash!
• Reduce the sugar and skip the chocolate chips. Everyone prefers a different level of sweetness. If you are looking to minimize the sugar in these zucchini muffins, simply omit the chocolate chips.
• Replace the chocolate chips with raisins. It is all a matter of preference.
• Replace the applesauce with 2 medium ripe mashed bananas. No applesauce on hand or just love bananas? Go ahead and make the switch!

Tips

• Let them cool completely. If you want to dive right in and enjoy a chocolate chip zucchini muffin warm (because that is kinda the best thing ever), go for it. But don’t freak out if they stick to the papers a little or are slightly soft in the middle. Both are normal and as the muffins cool, both issues will resolve.
• Blend the oats into out flour first. If you are not using a high-speed blender like a Vitamix, consider blending the oats down into a flour first. Why? Because this will help you to break down the oats easier and give your muffins a better texture.
• Don’t skip on squeezing out the zucchini. Zucchini naturally has a lot of water. Squeezing out some of the zucchini’s natural moisture is essential so that these muffins come out perfectly moist instead of mushy.
• If making these for a child under 1, use maple syrup instead of honey. I remember hearing that recommendation since my daughter was a baby, but never knew why exactly. The reason is because something called Clostridium bacteria can be present in honey and is no good for those developing little infant guts. It is usually not an issue for children over age 1 thought. Check out this article for more info.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

These Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are silly easy to make in your blender and beyond delicious. Loaded with veggies and studded with chocolate. So, basically they are pretty much the best thing ever! Oh! And they are naturally gluten free, dairy-free and can be easily made nut-free.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dairy-free, gluten free, hidden veggies, nut-free option

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories: 177

Author: Taesha

Equipment

• Muffin tin
• Blender

Ingredients

• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats if gluten free is important, make sure the oats are certified gluten free
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup coconut or almond milk
• 1/3 cup honey* or maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup high quality chocolate chips +extra for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a 12-hole muffin tin with liners.
• Take the grated zucchini and place it in the middle of a clean dish towel or large paper towel. Wrap the zucchini in the towel and squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can. Set aside. 
• Pour oats into your blender. Pulse until very finely ground and the oats resemble flour.
• Add remaining ingredients except zucchini and chocolate chips to the blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides and continuing to blend as needed.
• Add drained zucchini and chocolate chips to the batter. Fold them in.

  You can pour the batter into a bowl before adding chocolate chips and zucchini f you want to. However, I was looking to make as few dishes as possible, so I just poured them into the blender with the batter and stirred them in.
• Portion the batter out between the 12 lined muffin tin holes. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the muffins if desired.
• bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Cool for 15-20 minutes before enjoying. Allow the muffins to cool completely before transferring to an air-tight container. Store in fridge for 4-5 days or in freezer for up to a month.

Notes

*If making muffins for a child under age 1, use maple syrup instead of honey. 

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg

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