Ever heard the quote, “Feed a woman a fish, she eats for a day. Teach a woman to garden and the whole neighborhood gets zucchini”? If you’ve been drowning in zucchini in the summer months, then this recipe is for you. These gluten free zucchini chocolate chip muffins are moist and filled with subtle spices. The best part about these zucchini muffins is you will never know they’re gluten free.
This small batch muffin recipe makes just six bakery style zucchini muffins, which uses about half a 10-inch zucchini. If you have more on hand, you can easily double the recipe and freeze some for later or use that extra zucchini to make a loaf of my gluten free zucchini bread!
If you love muffins as much as I do, then take a look at my list of our favorite gluten free muffin recipes for more breakfast ideas the whole family will love.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- They are so easy to make, no mixer required.
- Thanks to the zucchini and applesauce they stay extra moist.
- They taste just like zucchini bread with chocolate chips.
- It’s a sneaky way to get your kids to eat vegetables
- They are gluten free & dairy free.
Ingredient List
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I use Bob’s Red Mill for almost all of my recipes. You can use your own flour blend, but know it may not turn out the same. If you substitute another brand, make sure it contains xanthan gum.
- Baking Powder – Helps the muffins rise to get those nice tall muffin tops.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg Salt
- Sugar
- Egg - I haven’t tried this recipe with an egg replacement, but I suspect a flax egg would work great here. If you try it, let me know in the comments.
- Olive Oil – I use olive oil for all of my baking, but you can use whichever light flavored cooking oil you prefer
- Vanilla
- Unsweetened Applesauce – Applesauce compliments the zucchini and spices in these muffins. Make sure it’s unsweetened, or your muffins will end up too sweet. If you don’t have any applesauce to hand, substitute with non-dairy milk.
- Zucchini - Shred the zucchini with the large size shreds on a box grater. This recipe used about half of a 10-inch long zucchini.
- Mini Chocolate Chips - I used the Enjoy Life brand because they’re allergen free. You can substitute with your brand of choice.
Instructions
As with all of my muffin recipes, I use the muffin method for mixing. It's easy and doesn't require an electric mixer. Plus it creates perfectly domed muffins every time.
STEP 1: Combine the gluten free flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. Whisk until well mixed.
STEP 2: Crack the egg into a second smaller bowl and whisk until frothy like soap bubbles.
STEP 3: Add the oil and vanilla to the beaten egg and whisk again until smooth.
STEP 4: Add the egg mixture, applesauce and shredded zucchini to the bowl of dry ingredients. Fold together about 10 strokes.
STEP 5: Add the chocolate chips to the batter and continue to fold about 5 more strokes until they are evenly incorporated and all flour has been mixed in.
STEP 6: Portion the zucchini muffin batter into six lined muffin cups. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using, and bake.
Baking Tip
To check for done: gently poke the top center of one muffin with your finger. If it springs right back it is baked through. If it leaves an indentation, bake another 2 minutes more and recheck.
How to store leftover muffins
Place leftover muffins in an airtight container and store for 3-4 days. If your home is especially warm, you may want to refrigerate the muffins. They will last around 5 days in the refrigerator.
Zucchini muffins can also be frozen for a quick breakfast later. Individually wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and place it inside a freezer bag or freezer safe container. Store for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
I leave the skin on mine. Just wash it well to remove any remaining dirt or grime. If you prefer to peel it, that is fine too. If you peel it, you won’t see any green flecks in the muffins after baking.
Use the largest size of grating on a box grater. Cut the stem end off of the zucchini and then begin shredding it by running the flat end up and down the box grater. Do not squeeze or dry the zucchini after it is shredded. We want the moisture for the muffin.
The larger your zucchini, the more moisture it has inside. The zucchini I used measured about 10 inches long and 2 inches thick. If yours is larger than that, you may have more liquid. You could try squeezing out some of the liquid in a paper towel or you could add a little bit of oat flour (1 Tbsp) to soak up some of the extra moisture in the batter.
More muffin recipes to consider:
If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.
Recipe
Gluten Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil substitute with vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ¼ Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- ⅔ Cup Zucchini shredded
- ½ Cup Allergen Free Mini Chocolate Chips
- Turbinado Sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 6 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and sugar. Stir together until well mixed.1 Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend, 1 ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ½ Cup Sugar
- In a small bowl, crack egg. Whisk egg until frothy.1 Egg
- Add the oil and vanilla. Whisk until combined.¼ Cup Olive Oil, 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Add the applesauce, egg mixture and shredded zucchini to the dry ingredients. Fold about 10 strokes. There will still be some flour visible.¼ Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce, ⅔ Cup Zucchini
- Add the mini chocolate chips and fold about 5 more times until they are evenly incorporated.½ Cup Allergen Free Mini Chocolate Chips
- Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan, filling to the top of the cup. Sprinkle the tops with a few chocolate chips and coarse sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 28-30 minutes until tops spring back when gently poked.Turbinado Sugar
- Remove from oven to cool. Cool no longer than 10 minutes in the muffin pan before removing them to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.
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