Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins (Paleo, gluten-free)

These Paleo Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins are a healthy snack or breakfast!

These healthy zucchini muffins are still gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. They just happen to have a veggie AND chocolate.

So they’re basically the perfect treat.

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Why this recipe works

The funny thing about zucchini muffins is…you can’t really taste the zucchini.

It’s not exactly a strongly flavored vegetable.

But by shredding them and adding to a muffin, you get to feel good about eating a vegetable while, you know, actually eating a muffin.

And these are some muffins. Not tiny little pucks but big, beautiful, “normal”-sized muffins.

I was able to adapt the Blueberry Muffins in Paleo Perfected by America’s Test Kitchen to get their size and perfect texture. I tweaked the process to make it faster and easier and added my own special touches.

These Paleo zucchini muffins are light, fluffy and subtly flavored from lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

That might seem like there’s too much going on but it all comes together for a perfectly moist, healthy zucchini muffin.

Zucchini, almond flour, coconut flour, eggs, cinnamon – all natural, healthful ingredients.

And while they do contain some coconut sugar, they’re not overly sweet. After all, as Nigella Lawson says, “Nor should a muffin be merely an un-iced cupcake.” She’s the queen for a reason, folks.

But to make it a little fun, let’s throw some chocolate chips in there!

(Side question: is a single zucchini technically a zucchino? Something to think about while you stuff your face with a muffin.)

 

What you need

Ingredients:

• 1 pound zucchini
• 3 cups superfine blanched almond flour (do not use almond meal)
• 1 cup tapioca flour/starch or arrowroot flour/starch
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
• 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life! since they’re free of dairy, soy, corn, etc., although they do contain a small amount of cane sugar; if you want to use a Paleo chocolate that’s refined sugar-free, try Hu Chocolate)
• avocado oil spray (if you don’t use muffin cups)

Equipment:

• a box grater
• cheesecloth or flour sack towels for squeezing out the zucchini (or you can use paper towels but they rip easily)
• a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and/or mixing bowls and whisk
• a spatula
• measuring spoons (these are my favorite because they fit inside spice jars!)
• measuring cups
• a muffin pan
• muffins cups
• a microplane grater/zester

Want to learn more about the ingredients I use? Check out my Paleo pantry.

How to make these Paleo chocolate chip zucchini muffins

It’s a pretty straightforward baking recipe: mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, fold in your fillings and bake!

Step 1: Heat the oven to 325°.

Step 2: Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line it with muffin cups.

Step 3: Trim off the ends and grate the zucchini. Wrap up the shredded zucchini in cheesecloth or a flour sack towel (you can try paper towels but they might rip) and wring and squeeze out as much water as possible. When you think you’re done, twist and squeeze a bit more.

Step 4: In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, tapioca or arrowroot, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cream of tartar.

Step 5: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the coconut sugar, water, eggs, avocado oil, vanilla, lemon zest and juice until blended.

Step 6: If using a stand mixer with a whisk, with the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients then increase the speed to medium until everything is blended. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. If whisking by hand, whisk in the dry ingredients in 4 or 5 additions.

Step 7: Give the zucchini one last squeeze and add to the batter along with the chocolate chips. Stir in with a spatula, breaking up the clumps of zucchini, until evenly distributed.

Step 8: Portion the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup to to the top. Each cup will probably need 4-6 tablespoons of batter. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top of each one, if desired.

Step 9: Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan 180° halfway through, until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (unless it pierces a chocolate chip). Let the pan cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes.

And boom! You’ve got gorgeously golden, flavor-packed healthy zucchini muffins for breakfast, brunch, a snack or even dessert!

Eat them while they’re still warm with a smear of ghee or butter or maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Other Paleo and gluten-free baked goods

If you’re looking for other healthy but delicious treats, you can try:

1. Paleo double chocolate zucchini bread
2. Paleo strawberry rhubarb muffins
3. Paleo chocolate chunk cookies
4. Paleo apple bread
5. Paleo Blackberry Muffins

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