Today, I’ve got the most delicious and nutritious peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini muffins. These whole grain muffins work amazingly for breakfast on the go or after school snacks. My kids love anything with chocolate and these are a favourite.
Peanut butter and chocolate is a classic for a reason and these muffins won’t disappoint on that flavour profile. The zucchini adds a little more moisture and nutrition without adding any taste. If you’ve got picky kids like me, the little flecks of zucchini become green sprinkles!
These muffins are made with whole wheat flour which increases the fibre content making these perfect for a filling snack or breakfast in the car if your in a hurry like us in the mornings. The peanut butter while obviously adding to the flavour, also adds some healthy fats and protein so you’ll stay full much longer than a store bought muffin that’s just full of sugar.
If you need some more easy kids snack ideas, try my double chocolate zucchini bread or my healthier chocolate chip muffins, both of which are also made with whole wheat flour to keep you full longer.
FAQ: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Do You Need To Squeeze The Zucchini?
Yes, but I don’t like waste so we’ll be squeezing the zucchini juice right into our mixing bowl.
Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter?
I haven’t tested the recipe with natural but it may alter the bake time or texture as it does tend to be runnier. If you try, let me know how it turns out and make sure it’s well stirred before using.
Can You Taste The Zucchini?
No, you cannot taste the zucchini at all.
Can I Use Regular Size Chocolate Chips?
Yes, I like to use mini in my healthier recipes as they disperse nicely so you don’t need to use as many but still get some chocolate in every bite.
How To Get The Tall Muffin Tops
There’s a couple important steps here besides the recipe itself that will assure you taller bakery style tops. First is letting the batter rest for 15 minutes.
Next is starting the oven temperature higher at 425°F, forcing the muffins to rise quickly. Just make sure to turn the temperature back down after 5 minutes or they’ll become dry.
Third, is filling each one so it’s almost overflowing. This is also why you need to let the batter rest. The water molecules will start to absorb leading to a thicker batter. Then you can overfill without making a big mess.
Last is optional and it’s only filling 6 of the muffin cups in your pan. So you fill every other cup. This allows heat to better spread and gives the muffins more room to grow. You can skip this step but your muffins won’t rise as much. The muffins pictured were all baked at once in a 12 muffin tin so I skipped this last step.
How To Properly Measure Flour
So when it comes to measuring flour, the most accurate and easiest way is to use a kitchen scale. I always use a scale and could never go back to measuring in cups. It’s such a hassle and way more dishes!
If you don’t own a scale, there are a couple steps to properly measure flour as it becomes compacted just sitting in the bag or container. I highly recommend you follow these as just scooping flour out of the bag can potentially lead to at least an additional 1/4 cup of flour. This equals dry and dense baked goods which is not what anybody is going for.
1. Fluff the flour by giving it a mix with a whisk or fork.
2. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup.
3. Level the excess flour off using a butter knife. (With the back of the knife level to the top of the measuring cup, run it over top, pushing the excess flour back into it’s container.)
4. Repeat until you’ve measured the amount the recipe calls for.
How To Store Muffins
When storing these peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini muffins, follow these steps:
- Fully cool the muffins, otherwise they’ll get gummy and soggy.
- Place a paper towel on the bottom of an airtight container or bag.
- Put the muffins on top of the paper towel.
- Lay another paper towel on top of the muffins.
- Seal and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
How To Freeze Muffins
If you want to freeze these, follow these steps:
- Fully cool the muffins
- Place a paper towel on the bottom of an airtight container or bag.
- Put the muffins on top of the paper towel in a single layer.
- Lay another paper towel on top of the muffins.
- Seal and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To eat, take amount you need out and let thaw at room temperature for 2 hours or heat in the microwave in 20 second increments. Be cautious if using the microwave when feeding children or toddlers, it can leave hot spots.
Benefits of Whole Wheat vs. White Flour
When baking healthier snacks, treats or breakfasts, I’m a big fan of using whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, also known as white flour. There are many benefits to this including a higher concentration of minerals like copper, magnesium and iron. This is important for me personally as like many women, I’ve had issues with low iron in my life.
There is also a larger source of B vitamins in whole wheat flour which provides energy. Whole wheat flour has a higher protein content as well as more fibre, both of which can keep you feeling full longer. Another great thing about whole wheat flour is it can add a little extra flavour bringing a hint of nuttiness to certain bakes.
The only cons of using whole wheat flour that I know of is sometimes it can make a recipe more dense, which is why I typically add more moisture to my recipes. In doing this, I generally don’t notice that I’m eating a whole wheat flour muffin instead of a white flour muffin.
The other downside is I know everybody doesn’t keep whole wheat flour on hand. Well, I never used to either and now I can’t imagine not having it in the house. I buy a large 10kg bag for the exact same price as an all purpose bag of flour and have never had it go bad on me. I highly recommend keeping some on hand so you can make guilt free muffins, quick breads or whatever you want! In saying this, if the recipe doesn’t call for it, I don’t recommend swapping whole wheat flour for white flour, they’re generally not a 1 to 1 substitute.
If you’d like more information on the nutritional benefits, head to https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/whole-grains/. There are lots of great sources of nutritional information on the Harvard website that is backed up by multiple sources.
Baking Tips
- Make sure not to overmix the batter or you will end up with a very tough, dense muffin. Gently fold the batter until just combined.
- Ensure all your ingredients are at room temperature for the best bake and texture.
- Make sure you squeeze the water out of the zucchini into your mixing bowl.
- I create my recipes based off weights so I recommend measuring by weights if you own a scale. It’s actually so much easier and makes for much less cleanup. I wish I had baked by weight from the beginning, I could never go back now.
More Whole Grain Snacks
Today’s song is such a pretty song that I love singing along too. Here’s Soulfight by The Revivalists. Happy baking!! **Disclaimer: Liv’s Little Muffins owns no rights to this song.
Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW if you try my recipe! Follow me on Facebook or tag me on instagram @livslittlemuffins. Find more ideas on my Pinterest or Whisk.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (200g) finely grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup (110g) smooth peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (160g) maple syrup
- 1 cup (220g) unsweetened almond milk (or any kind of milk)
- 1/4 cup (45g) canola oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (55g) mini semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp peanut butter, warmed (optional drizzle)
Instructions
- Lay the grated zucchini on top of a couple layers of paper towel or on a thinner tea towel. Over a large mixing bowl, squeeze as much moisture out of the zucchini as you can into the bowl. Set the squeezed zucchini aside for now.
- In the same mixing bowl, add the peanut butter. Whisk until it's combined with the zucchini juice. Add the eggs and maple syrup and whisk until well combined. Add the milk, oil and vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a spatula, fold everything together until half combined. Then add in the chocolate chips and zucchini from earlier. Continue folding everything together until just combined.
- Let the batter rest for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 425℉ while you wait.
- Line or spray 12 muffin tins. Fill each tin to almost overflowing. Use all of the batter! As we've rested the batter, it won't actually spill out the sides. If you want to add the additional peanut butter, put 1 tsp on top of each unbaked muffin and gently swirl with a toothpick or butter knife.
- Bake at 425℉ for 5 minutes and then without opening the oven door, drop the temperature to 350℉ and bake for an additional 14-18 minutes or until they spring back when touched or a toothpick comes out clean. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
