The most moist zucchini muffins to hit the internet are here! And they are complete with their own cinnamon chocolate topping and chocolatey magic swirl – I just love them so much. This recipe took a bit of trial and error, and that’s because you can always make a pretty muffin, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a delicious muffin. This muffin took me a few rounds to find the perfect ratio of perfectly domed tops to interior fluffy moistness and delicious for days. Because if I’m making a batch of big, soft, bakery-style zucchini muffins, I want to be able to enjoy one a day for breakfast until they are gone (and believe me, that’s what I did with this recipe!)
The best part about these Zucchini Muffins with Cinnamon Chocolate is they are also slightly unique. They are loosely inspired by zucchini bread, meaning that they have (of course) a ribbon of chocolate in them. But not just any chocolate – cinnamon chocolate. It might not seem like the most intuitive pairing, but trust me, it just makes these muffins very, very good. If you are looking for a staple zucchini muffin recipe, these are one of my absolute favorites.
Table of contents
- First, let’s talk about zucchini muffins
- Ingredients you will need for these zucchini muffins
- How to make the zucchini muffin batter
- What makes zucchini muffins moist?
- How to make the cinnamon chocolate topping for these muffins
- Tips & tricks on how to store zucchini muffins and keep them moist
- Looking for other muffin recipes?
- Watch the recipe here
First, let’s talk about zucchini muffins
Zucchini get such a hassle for being a watery ingredient, but that’s also what makes them the best! They are one of the easiest ways to make a muffin insanely moist. And without much work on our end. Just make sure not to squeeze any excess moisture out of your zucchini, or else you lose half of the tender-muffin magic they provide, even before you bake.
Ingredients you will need for these zucchini muffins
While this looks like a long list (I know, I know) – it’s all relatively repeatable ingredients and pantry staples! I just outlined them into the three recipe sections, so that it will be easy for you to grab and decipher as you go. Here is everything you’ll need for these muffins:
For the muffin batter
- 2 medium zucchini, 340 grams
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt or skyr, 130 grams
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 110 grams
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 90 grams
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 120 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 350 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the cinnamon chocolate
- 1/2 cup 70% chocolate, 84 grams
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
How to make the zucchini muffin batter
The beautiful thing about most muffins, snacking cakes or batters, is that they are usually low-maintenance. This batter is no different. Just mix the ingredients in one bowl, grate the zucchinis, add the wet ingredients and then fold in the dry.
Mix to combine. You’ll have a thick, delicious zucchini batter in seconds. Try not to eat it all while you prep the rest of the recipe 😉
What makes zucchini muffins moist?
The moisture factor in baked goods comes from a LOT of external sources. I’m very well known for throwing whole vegetables into my cakes, just because I know how good the moisture can be. But zucchini, vegetables and other fruits alone are not the sole source of what makes a cake moist. It also depends on your flour-to-fat ratio, and if you are using any additional moistening agents. Moistening agents typically include a dairy product, like sour cream, crème fraîche, or in this case, skyr or yogurt.
But the zucchini does matter too – I mean, that’s why we started baking with them! The key is don’t squeeze the water out of your zucchini. That’s their secret ingredient! It keeps the muffins extra moist while eliminating an extra step of work for us.
How to make the cinnamon chocolate topping for these muffins
This is the easiest step of the recipe. The goal is to coat the chocolate in cinnamon fully so it both gets the flavor of the cinnamon, while also ensuring the chocolate doesn’t collapse into a melty, sticky mess on top of the muffins.
To do this, just chop the chocolate as finely as possible, you want it almost in shreds. In a small bowl toss it with the cinnamon and chocolate so that both almost become one, with the cinnamon fully coating the chocolate shards.
Tips & tricks on how to store zucchini muffins and keep them moist
How you store a baked good greatly impacts how it will taste over time. And don’t we all want our leftovers to be 10/10? These zucchini muffins will last up to a week, and here are my best tips on how to store them:
- Store in a cool, dry place like a pantry or a cool part of your kitchen – this is not the best recipe to store near the stove! Temperature variance won’t affect the moisture, but it will affect your muffin’s ability to keep for the full week.
- Store in an air-tight container – this is imperative to keeping a cake’s moisture. Let the muffins cool completely before moving them to a tupperware container with a snap-lock lid.
- For extra moisture, throw in a damp paper towel 12 hours before eating your next muffin – it’s wild, but it works!
- Forgot to do that step? Microwave your muffin for 20 seconds with a wet paper towel draped over it. I learned this from Emily Mariko and I’m never going back.
Looking for other muffin recipes?
Here are a few that are blog favorites!
And that’s everything for these Zucchini Muffins with Cinnamon Chocolate!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Zucchini Muffins with Cinnamon Chocolate
Equipment
- 1 jumbo muffin tin or one regular sized muffin tin
- 1 sheet of parchment paper cut into 6 5 by 5-inch squares
Ingredients
For the zucchini muffin batter
- 2 medium zucchini 340 grams
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt or skyr 130 grams
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 110 grams
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 90 grams
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 120 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 350 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the cinnamon chocolate
- 1/2 cup 70% chocolate 84 grams
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Use a rasp-style grater to grate the zucchini into a large bowl. Add in the eggs, yogurt or skyr, sugars, olive oil and vanilla and whisk together.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Use a whisk to begin mixing the batter, and switch to a spatula when it becomes thick.
- Chop the chocolate as finely as possible. Add it to a small bowl with the cinnamon and toss so that the cinnamon coats all the chocolate.
- Cut a sheet of parchment paper into squares and lay them the cups of a jumbo muffin tin. If you are baking this in a normal sized muffin tin, see recipe notes.
- Add a small amount of batter to each cup, then sprinkle in 1 heaping tablespoon of the chocolate cinnamon mixture. Layer more batter on top until the muffin tin is almost filled. Sprinkle a bit more of the chocolate cinnamon on top.
- Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, except for a touch of melted chocolate. Serve warm!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m an avid baker, and these were without a doubt the best muffins I have made! They were moist, flavorful, and had a beautiful rise.
This comment is so kind! I’m so thrilled you made them and liked them 🙂
I’m making these muffins for the 1st time right now. My zucchini is huge – 1.25 lb – and the seeds are large and do not grate. Do I leave them in? Will they cook down, or become chewy bits that ruin the muffin?
I’d omit them if you can! They might impact the bake time and texture.
Have you tried this with a GF flour by chance?
I personally have not tested this with gluten free flour yet, but I’ve had people report that the King Arthur Baking 1:1 blend is the best gluten free sub!
Or make your own oat flour. Grind oats to fine powder and sub 1 and 1/3 cups of oat flour for every cup of regular flour.
I did, with dove’s white flour blend and it was so good 😊
Simply can’t wait to make this! Do you think this could also would as a loaf or mini loaf for slicing?
Btw, the blueberry muffins you recently posted were beyond perfection. Thank you for sharing with us all!
This should work in loaf form, just up the baking time to 55-60 minutes at 350°F 🙂
I made this with a couple modifications – I switched out the regular sugar with stevia, and subbed half the oil with unsweetened applesauce. And they still turned out amazing! Very moist and light! Absolutely delicious!
K, Im giving a five star only because I know these are going to be amazing. I made your blueberry muffins last week and they were seriously killer 💚
Stayed tuned..
I think these are the best muffins I have ever had. I rarely bake, and often make mistakes, but this was simple and delicious and turned out wonderful. I did get lazy and blended my zucchini after first trying to shred it by hand. This didn’t seem to change anything except the colour- my muffins came out light green with chocolate swirls haha. So I’m calling them zombie muffins now- and I can’t wait to make them again!
This is my first time leaving a review on any internet recipe. And I am writing this because the muffins were THAT AMAZING. wow. So moist and fluffy. With just enough indulgence with the chocolate cinnamon. Mmmm so yummy. Will be making these over and over again. Good thing I have 27 zucchini’s to go through 😛 *chefs kiss*
Ahhhh this makes me so happy!! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice review <33
Oh I forgot to add to my first comment that I made a small adjustment – I used blended cottage cheese instead of Skyr (as I didn’t have any) and they still turned out wonderfully. Thank you so much for the recipe!! I love your videos on social media as well ❤️
A really amazing recipe. Super simple and delicious.
These muffins are fantastic! I am not a baker and they turned out lovely so they must be pretty darn fool proof. I’m also not usually crazy about zucchini muffins, they usually leave a lot to be desired but the addition of the cinnamon chocolate was complex without being overwhelming. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
These were so easy to make and so good!
I made a modification to the chocolate used, and did regular muffin tins.
Thanks for sharing this recipe
I’m so glad you liked it!
Best muffins i ever made!!
Thanks for the recipe, they are the new fav of my famille!!
Where did you find 70% chocolate?
At my local grocery store! Ghiradelli brand 🙂
Hi there– I don’t have a muffin tin. Any ideas/pointers for making this a loaf?
I haven’t personally tested it, but I saw someone post on their stories who had made it into a loaf! I suggest making the chocolate layer with 1/3 of the batter has been put in the loaf tin, then baking form 55-60 minutes.
Incredible!!! I’ve been searching high and low for my favorite zucchini bread recipe. I have a garden and we’re to the end of the season and just don’t know what to do with all our zucchini anymore. This is the 3rd recipe I’ve tried this summer and it’s by FAR the best. Extremely good in texture and taste. (Better than my great grandmother’s recipe). The only sub I made was 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 canola because $$. It made 12 regular muffins and 12 mini muffins. Saving this recipe!!!
Agree with all comments- delicious!!!
Can whole wheat flour be substituted in these? All I have at the moment and dying to try!
It might give them a bit of a drier texture (that’s my experience with baking with whole wheat flour), but otherwise gram to gram it’s a fine sub 🙂
This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it. Just a quick question though, can I substitute all purpose flour with oats flour?
That sub will make the muffins too crumbly to hold together, however I love the King Arthur GF baking blend for this if you are gluten free!
Very good just warm from the oven. I used a regular muffin tin. I love the addition of chocolate. I halved the sugar and used 1/3 whole wheat flour and they are still quite sweet and fluffy. I will experiment some more.
Also used 1/2 canola and 1/2 olive oil
How would I tweak this to have a little less sugar? I’m not much of a baker, so I wouldn’t know where to start. Any healthy subs recommended by anyone who has tried it? =)
I haven’t personally tested it with lower sugar, so I wouldn’t want to lead you astray, but I’ll let anyone else chime in if they’ve tried it!