Zucchini chocolate chip muffins with cream cheese frosting are so good. They're a yummy way to use up all of your summer zucchini and make the perfect treat anytime of day.
That is the problem. It is so hard to stop at eating only one zucchini muffin with cream cheese frosting!
Zucchini chocolate chip muffins are a delicious treat that you can easily whip up in your own kitchen. They're rich in flavor and incredibly moist, thanks to the inclusion of grated zucchini.
The combination of fresh zucchini and sweet chocolate chips creates a perfect balance that will delight your taste buds and satisfy your cravings.
This zucchini muffins with cream cheese frosting recipe is also a great way to incorporate more vegetables into treats.
Your kids (or husband) won't even know they are eating vegetables that are good for them. Hidden inside these amazing muffins.
If you loved these chocolate chip zucchini muffins, you might enjoy my collection of summer squash and zucchini recipes, coffee cake muffins, and apple pie muffin recipe. They're great in the morning with a berry smoothie or green smoothie recipe.
Why You Will Love These Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips
- Deliciously moist muffins with a rich, chocolaty flavor.
- A great snack or dessert for any occasion.
- A delicious treat that both adults and kids will enjoy.
- Quick and easy to make - only 30 minutes from start to finish!
- Great way to use up excess zucchini.
Ingredients
These zucchini cream cheese muffins are made with simple ingredients you most likely already have in the kitchen. Nothing fancy here!
- Salted butter: The fat in the butter makes for a moister muffin.
- Sugar: These zucchini muffins are made with a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
- Whole milk: Moistens the dry ingredients and brings everything together while also add a bit of richness to these muffins.
- Eggs: Use large eggs to add plenty of moisture to the muffin batter.
- Zucchini: Use fresh zucchini for sure!
- Leavening: This recipe uses a combination of baking powder and baking soda to give them plenty of lift.
- Cocoa powder: Adds rich chocolate flavor to these chocolate chocolate chip zucchini muffins.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for your chocolate zucchini muffins.
- Chocolate chips: You can use dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips depending on how sweet you prefer your muffins.
- Cream cheese: Make sure it's at room temperature to make everything easier to mix up.
- Powdered sugar: Perfect for the cream cheese frosting. It mixes and dissolves with the other ingredients much better than regular sugar.
- Vanilla extract: For a hint of warming flavors for the frosting.
- Whole milk: To thin out the frosting and make it more spreadable.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities needed to make this zucchini muffins recipe.
Substitutions and Variations
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this zucchini cream cheese muffins recipe.
- Go Nuts. Add your favorite chopped nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts or shredded coconut to the muffin batter or sprinkle over the frosting.
- Add Intense Chocolate Muffins: Add a half teaspoon of espresso powder or instant coffee to intensify the chocolate flavor.
- More Warming Spices. Add ground cinnamon or ground ginger to the batter for subtle spice flavor and aroma.
- Add Flavor to Frosting. Try adding a few tablespoons of melted white chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, hazelnut spread or almond butter to the cream cheese frosting before spreading over muffins.
- Need Gluten-Free Muffins? Use a gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
This recipe is so easy to make and goes together in just a handful of steps. Let's look at the highlights.
- Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes using an electric hand mixer.
- Add the milk, eggs, and shredded zucchini. Mix again until the eggs are fully incorporated into the batter.
- Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and flour on medium speed until the muffin batter is smooth and homogenous.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Divide the batter among well-sprayed muffin cups in your muffin pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then allow the muffins to cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing and placing on wire rack to finish cooling.
- Combine all the frosting ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Frost the chocolate zucchini muffins, serve, and enjoy!
⭐️ Hint: If you are unsure if the muffins are cooked, poke with a toothpick. If toothpick comes out basically clean, with a crumb or two, remove the pan from the oven.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy my blueberry cornbread muffins, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread, Cream Cheese Brownies or these pumpkin spice muffins with cream cheese swirl.
Storage and Make Ahead Options
Leftovers: Store any remaining muffins on counter up for up to 4 days if they are unfrosted. With the frosting, store them in the fridge in a single layer for up to four days.
Freezer: After the muffins are completely cooled, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper ensuring they do not touch each other. Freeze them until they are solid (1-2 hours). Then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead: These muffins can be frozen after they are fully cooled and frosted. I prefer to freeze without frosting whenever possible. Follow the instructions above for freezing. When ready to eat, thaw out either at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
What to Serve With Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Enjoy these muffins for breakfast, a snack, or an on-the-go option, there are several sides and beverages that complement these tasty muffins.
Here are a few ideas for a quick breakfast!
- A cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea.
- A bowl of yogurt topped with granola and fruits.
- A fruit salad, combining your favorite seasonal fruits.
- A berry smoothie or your favorite flavor!
- A portion of baked eggs or an omelette with veggies and cheese
- A small serving of oatmeal, cooked to your preferred consistency with fruits and nuts
They also work for special occasions and brunch! Serve them with your favorite breakfast casserole, quiche, or these easy egg bites.
Tips
Here are some tips to assist you in creating the best zucchini muffins with cream cheese frosting.
- Unsure if the muffins are still cooked all the way? Poke one with a toothpick. As long as only a few crumbs stick to the toothpick, you can remove the pan from the oven. The muffins will finish baking as they cool.
- Do not over mix your batter. It may cause the muffins to turn out tough or dense instead of light and fluffy.
- Allow muffins to totally cool before frosting them.
- Grate zucchini and use a clean dish towel to wring out as much moisture as possible from it before adding it to the batter mixture.
FAQ
Do you have questions about zucchini muffins with cream cheese frosting? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about them.
Yes, it is important to remove as much moisture from the zucchini as possible before adding it to the batter so that the muffins don't turn out overly wet. This can be done easily by wrapping the grated zucchini in a dish towel or paper towels and squeezing out any excess liquid.
It does not matter whether your grated zucchini is coarsely grated or finely grated as long as you squeeze out all the excess liquid before adding it to the batter. If there is too much moisture in your batter, your muffins may not bake properly and will have a dense texture.
When a toothpick inserted into one comes out clean with no dough sticking to it, they are done baking. If there is still dough sticking, bake them a few minutes longer and check again with a toothpick.
More Zucchini Recipes
Do you like zucchini? Here some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Muffins
- ¾ cup salted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup zucchini grated and wrung dry (about ½ medium zucchini)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature.
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together for 2-3 minutes using an electric hand mixer.
- Add the milk, eggs, and zucchini. Mix again until the eggs are fully incorporated into the batter.
- Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and flour on medium speed until the batter is smooth and homogenous.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the batter among the tin and bake for 20 minutes.
- Allow the muffins to cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing and placing on wire rack.
- Prepare the frosting by whipping all of the frosting ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the muffins, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Leave a Reply