Gluten Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

This chocolate-y version of my gluten free zucchini muffins recipe adds, you guessed it, chocolate chips (I also like to stir in some walnuts for extra nutty flavor and crunch when I have them). A mix of my homemade gluten free flour blend and almond flour creates a sturdy yet moist muffin that bursts with threads of fresh, shredded zucchini. Easy to keep dairy-free if needed, these are anything but basic!

Yes, Please Add Chocolate Chips!

I'm a fan of adding chocolate to just about everything, and it's hard to go wrong when swirling little bites of semisweet goodness into muffins. Not as rich, of course, as a gluten free chocolate zucchini cake, these veg-heavy muffins can almost count as breakfast. But don't worry -- they're still sweet enough to taste like a treat. Here's why I love these gf muffins:

• The easiest. No mixer needed her - just a whisk and a spoon, meaning you'll have the batter ready to go fast without any fuss.
• Simple ingredients. (Gluten free) flour, baking powder, spice, eggs ... you know, the basics you need for almost any baking recipe. I love the accessible ingredients list for this one!
• That hit of chocolate. I already loved my gluten free zucchini muffins and when I throw in a handful of melty chocolate chips? It makes them even better.

Ingredients Needed

Here's a look at what you need for this recipe. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Gluten free flour - Use a preferred 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
• Almond flour - I love using fine-ground almond flour in muffins and quick breads for structure and moisture.
• Granulated sugar - Feel free to swap light brown sugar for a deeper flavor note.
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon - Or a spice blend such as pumpkin pie or apple pie spice mix.
• Salt - Use fine sea salt or table salt.
• Eggs - Large or medium eggs are fine.
• Milk - Any milk, including whole, 2%, or dairy-free milk, is great.
• Oil - A neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil, works well, and I've also had success with melted coconut oil and olive oil.
• Zucchini - No need to peel the zucchini, but do give it a squeeze before adding to the batter.
• Chocolate chips - I love semisweet chocolate chips, and milk chocolate is also nice.

Tips & Variation Ideas

• How to grate the zucchini? Like many other recipes that call for zucchini, you won't need to peel the zucchini before adding it to the batter. Just give it a wash, trim the ends, and grate. I use the large grate on my box grater for these muffins to give them a bit of texture, but you can also do a finer grate.
• Squeeze the zucchini - To prevent the muffins from getting too soggy, squeeze the shredded zucchini to remove as much water as possible. I just squeeze it between my (clean!) hands.
• Rest the batter - Let the batter rest while the oven heats, or for at least 15 minutes to hydrate the gluten free flours.
• Fill the muffin cups ⅔ full for this recipe - In this particular recipe, I've found that about ⅔ full is the sweet spot so that they rise nicely but don't overflow each muffin cup.
• Add nuts - For extra crunch, add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Refined sugar-free - Swap maple syrup or coconut sugar for the granulated sugar.
• Reduce the sugar - I like a sweet muffin, what can I say? However, if you like your muffins slightly less sweet, use ½ cup of sugar rather than ¾ cup of sugar.
• Dairy-free - Swap out the milk for dairy-free milk, or in a pinch, use water.
• Make whole grain muffins - Use your favorite whole grain gluten free flour, such as oat flour, sorghum flour, or brown rice flour, instead of the gluten-free all-purpose flour by weight.

Proper Storage

Make sure to cool fresh muffins thoroughly before placing them in an airtight container for storage; they may get soggy if they're added while still warm.

• Counter - Place the fully cooled muffins in an airtight container and store them on the counter for up to 3 days. Make sure the muffins are thoroughly cooled before placing them in the storage container so that they don't get soggy.
• Fridge - Keep the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Store the muffins in a freezer-safe bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw the muffins completely in the fridge before eating them.