Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate chip banana zucchini muffins are moist, tender zucchini muffins filled with rich pockets of melty chocolate chips. A great way to use up leftover bananas and zucchini!

If you love a traditional zucchini bread muffin and also love bananas, these chocolate chip banana zucchini muffins need to go next on your baking list!

These tender, moist muffins are filled with nutritious banana and zucchini, and rich, melty chocolate chips.  Because we're adding fruits and veggies to this bread, we're able to reduce other ingredients slightly, like eggs and oil.

Chocolate chips can be substituted with walnuts or pecans for a little crunch.

Serve chocolate chip banana zucchini muffins for breakfast with your morning coffee or enjoy as a dessert. 

Ingredients and substitutions

• Zucchini - You'll need one cup of finely grated zucchini (before squeezing out the liquid). We're squeezing the liquid out of the zucchini because we're also adding bananas and don't want to add too much moisture (which causes your bread to be gummy). One cup of shredded zucchini should weigh about 135 grams before, and about 70 grams after squeezing the liquid out. This equals about 1 medium or 1.5 small zucchini.
• Bananas - Ripe, medium-sized, several days old bananas work best. Bananas sweeten as they age, adding extra sweetness to your muffins. They're also softer and easier to incorporate into the batter.
• Sugars - We're using a combination or granulated and brown sugars in this recipe.
• Vegetable oil - Adds moisture to your muffins. Can be substituted with ghee or any neutral cooking oil you have on hand.
• Egg - You'll only need one egg for this recipe today, since the banana and zucchini help add structure to the muffins.
• Vanilla extract - Adds depth of flavor.
• All-purpose flour - Adds structure to your muffins and balances out the wet ingredients in the recipe. I have not tested this recipe with other types of flour. Baking is an exact science, so I can't say for sure whether other types of flour will work as a substitute.
• Leavening - You'll need a combination of baking soda and baking powder to get the proper rise in this recipe.
• Cinnamon - Adds a hint of warmth and depth of flavor to your muffins. Can be omitted if desired.
• Chocolate chips - Adds rich, melty pockets of chocolate throughout your muffins. To lighten up this recipe, omit the chocolate chips, use half as many, or substitute with chopped walnuts or pecans.

Do I need to peel my zucchini?

No, there's no need to peel your zucchini when making banana zucchini muffins. If you're using small or medium zucchini, the skin is soft and melts right into the batter when baked. Plus, the skin of the zucchini contains plenty of fiber and nutrients that you'd be missing out on by peeling it off.

The only sign of zucchini in your muffins are the tiny green flecks throughout. Otherwise, you'd have no idea it was in there. If you're trying to hide zucchini in your muffins, feel free to peel the skin off before grating.

Can you taste the zucchini?

Zucchini is mild and neutral, and won't add any noticeable flavor to your muffins. Make sure you're using zucchini, not other green vegetables like cucumber, which do have a noticeable flavor.

Not sure which one you have on hand? Check out my post - Zucchini vs cucumber - what's the difference?

Tips for making banana muffins

• Use several days old, very ripe bananas. They blend easily into the batter when mashed and become sweeter over time, making your muffins naturally sweeter.
• Bananas should have some brown spots but no mold and should smell sweet, not old or rotten.
• The best zucchini for bread and muffins are small to medium zucchini. Large zucchini can be tough and fibrous and may have hard seeds inside. Small to medium zucchini is tender and melts right into bread when baked.
• Don't forget to squeeze the liquid out of your shredded zucchini. Adding too much moisture to your muffins will make them soggy and dense.
• There's no need to peel your zucchini before shredding it, unless your zucchini is very large and has a tough skin. Any small or medium zucchini (skin included) blends seamlessly into the batter when baked, leaving only a few pretty green flecks as evidence.
• Don't overmix your muffin batter. Muffins are very simple - the batter can be stirred together with a wooden spoon or a hand mixer on low speed. Overmixing batter can make your muffins turn out tough because you're overworking the gluten. Or, your muffins will rise up quickly, then deflate, because too much air was whipped into the batter.
• Reserve a few chocolate chips to sprinkle on top just before baking.

Muffin storage

Muffins can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container.

If, for some reason, your banana zucchini muffins turns out extremely moist, I'd suggest storing them in the refrigerator. Zucchini muffins will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week in a tightly sealed container.

Muffins can also be frozen for up to six months in a tightly sealed, freezer safe container. To thaw, place muffins on the counter top and allow to come to room temperature for about an hour.