Chocolate Chip Zucchini Mini Muffins
Yields: 32 mini muffins
 
These mini muffins are one of my all-time favorites! The cozy cinnamon, the fresh zucchini, the rich chocolate chips… They’re the perfect trio and absolutely irresistible! These muffins will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • 2 cups (240g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup
  • ¾ tsp vanilla crème stevia
  • ½ cup + 2 tbsp (150mL) nonfat milk
  • 1 ½ cups (160g) grated zucchini, patted dry
  • ¼ cup (56g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 32 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, egg whites and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Mix in the maple syrup and stevia. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the zucchini and 3 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips.
  3. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, and gently press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
Notes: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought blends will work as well, if measured like this.

Whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.

Agave or honey may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.

If you prefer, an additional 6 tablespoons of pure maple syrup may be substituted for the vanilla crème stevia, and the milk should be reduced to 6 tablespoons to compensated for the added liquid.

Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.

Measure the zucchini before patting it dry. You must pat it dry to remove the excess moisture because that excess moisture will cause the muffins to collapse while cooling. To pat the zucchini dry, lay a double-thick layer of paper towels onto a cutting board, and arrange the freshly shredded zucchini on top. Place another double-thick layer of paper towels on the zucchini, and gently press down until the top towel turns wet.

Be VERY careful if using liners! Generously coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray before adding the muffin batter. This batter will stick to liners like superglue if they aren’t coated with cooking spray.

If you prefer, this recipe will yield 12 standard sized muffins. The baking temperature remains the same. Begin checking on them after about 15 minutes. The muffins will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops feel firm to the touch.

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/07/31/chocolate-chip-zucchini-mini-muffins/