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The best Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Muffins. Warm out of the oven with sweet cinnamon honey butter and a pinch of salt, these are everyone’s favorite muffins. One bowl, super quick to mix up, and made with wholesome ingredients like sweet bananas, zucchini, honey, and whole wheat flour. An incredibly delicious way to use up summer zucchini!
Happy Tuesday everyone! It’s been a minute since I shared something sweet and chocolatey on a Tuesday, but something has me in a baking mood. Between all the summertime peaches, berries, and zucchini, there are endless amounts of sweets to bake.
I have so many ideas that I’ve just been running with them and baking things up! Some are turning out, some are falling short. But these chocolate chip zucchini banana muffins really hit the mark.
When I made these I wasn’t sure I’d end up sharing them. But once I pulled them out of the oven and saw just how perfectly they baked up? Well I knew the recipe was a good one! Simple and not overly sweet – the perfect summertime treat.
And the cinnamon honey butter with a pinch of sea salt on top makes them even more special.
Ingredients
- Zucchini
- Over-ripe bananas
- Coconut oil
- Honey
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Whole wheat pastry flour
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Cinnamon Honey Butter
- Salted butter
- Honey
- Ground cinnamon
The details
All you need is ONE bowl, a handful of basic everyday ingredients, a few minutes to mix up the batter, and about 20 minutes for baking.
First step, the zucchini. When baking with zucchini it’s really important to remove any of the excess moisture (so the water). You want to do this so your baked goods don’t end up super dense and watered down. Simply shred the zucchini, then ring the zucchini out to squeeze out all the water. It’s really easy. The drier you can get the zucchini, the lighter your muffins will be.
Now that your zucchini is squeezed of excess water, the rest is quick and easy.
Before adding anything else, mash the bananas in a bowl. Use super ripe bananas. They’ll help keep the bread sweet and very moisturized. Next, add melted coconut oil, a couple of eggs, vanilla, and honey for some additional sweetness. Then stir in the zucchini and add in whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, cinnamon, plus a touch of salt.
Stir in a good amount of sweet chocolate chips. You can use dark chocolate or even vegan if you’d like, but semi-sweet seemed just right to me.
The cinni honey butter
While the muffins bake, I mix up the cinnamon honey butter. I’d say this is optional, but really, it’s not. You just have to smear this all over your warm muffins. It’s the most indulgent addition, and it’s absolutely what your muffins need.
Salted butter mixed with sweet honey and cinnamon is truly magical on a warm muffin.
The muffins aren’t too sweet, but we love them this way. Super soft and so incredibly tender. You can enjoy them warm with honey butter or save them for a snack.
Every last bite leaves you wanting another. Which is totally fine, the zucchini and bananas give you a good dose of healthy nutrients!
Looking for sweet zucchini recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread
Sneaky Zucchini Chocolate Chunk Coconut Bread
Zucchini Peach Streusel Muffins
Lastly, if you make my Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Muffins, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Honey Butter
Servings: 18 muffins
Calories Per Serving: 246 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, grated (about 2 cups grated before squeezing out water)
- 2-3 over-ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup mashed)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup honey (use 1/2 cup for sweeter muffin)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks
Cinnamon Honey Butter
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 18 muffin tins with paper liners.2. Lay a clean towel on the counter and spread the zucchini out in an even layer, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover with another towel, and let sit 5 minutes, then squeeze out any excess water. You should have 1 cup of zucchini. 3. In a bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, coconut oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the squeezed-out zucchini. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. 4. Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.5. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, honey, and cinnamon. 6. Serve the muffins warm or at room temperature smeared with cinnamon honey butter. Enjoy!
Notes
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Storing: These muffins keep well for 2-3 days at room temperature.
Freezing: Cool the muffins, wrap well with plastic wrap, then store in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw for a few hours on the counter before serving.
This post was originally published on July 26, 2022
My family loves these muffins! Great, healthy, alternative to granulated sugar. Plus, I get to use up my garden zucchini.
I accidentally ran out of wheat flour and only had a cup and a half. So I substituted all purpose for the last cup and they still turned out delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring recipes with us! It is such a gift having you in the kitchen with me.
Hey Cristen,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for trying this recipe and letting me know it went well! Thanks for your kind message:)
Love these so much! Have made as muffins and a loaf and both always turn out great. Excellent recipe for using up the last of the zucchini from the garden! Thanks!!
Hi Kimberly,
Happy Friday! Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe, I’m happy to hear it was a win!
The muffins turned out so yummy! They are for my granddaughter, and I will make them again.
Hi Elizabeth! So happy to hear you are loving these muffins! I hope your granddaughter loved them too! 🙂 xT
Excellent recipe for Zucchini/banana/chocolate chip! So soft, delicious and not so sweet! This is best recipe without the use of regular sugar!! 5stars!
Thank you so much Carole! Love to hear you enjoyed these muffins! Have a lovely Sunday! 🙂 xT
I make these ALL the time ! Especially end of summer when zucchini is plentiful. They have ALL the sweetness and clean ingredients for a healthy snack. And I dont forget to share the recipe maker! Thanks for the great muffins!😋
Thank you SO much Patty! I am so glad you loved these muffins! Thanks for giving them a try! xT
Soooo delicious 😋
So glad you loved these muffins Judy! Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xT
These were fantastic and moist! I added blueberries instead of the chocolate, and took them to tea with a friend. Would make again.
Hey Laurel! Thank you SO much! I’m so glad you are loving these muffins! Thanks for trying them out! 🙂 xT
I used Bob’s All-Purpose Gluten Free and they turned out great! Thanks!! (They did stick to the paper liners a bit.)
Hey Jen,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and your comment!!
If I wanted to add flax meal and sourdough discard, any recommendations?
Yummy the way they are!
Thanks so much, Andrea! So sorry, I have not tested this recipe with either of those ingredients so I am not sure the best way to go about that.
Such a great recipe- perfectly moist and flavourful and packed with goodness! Thank you!
Hey Arlene,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Hope you are enjoying fall! XxT
I’m actually in the southern hemisphere and at opposite seasons. Have been going through your recipes from Spring and Summer ☀️ hitting up a lot of your salads on rotation! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Arlene!!
These are bad, very dry. Maybe don’t squeeze out too much of the zucchini water or use less flour. At least the honey butter sort of redeems them.
Hi Carissa,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear they were not enjoyed. What kind of flour did you use? Let me know how I can help! x
What is a good substitute for coconut oil?
Hi Julie,
You can use butter or any other neutral oil. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Can you use something else other than coconut oil?
Hey Julie,
Yes, any other neutral oil will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
So excited to try this – it sounds delicious! Any suggestions on what modifications would be needed if I wanted to make a loaf instead of muffins?!
Thanks, Bre! I would just increase your bake time and start checking for doneness at 50 minutes. I hope you love this recipe! xx
I make these ALL the time and the honey butter sends them to an elevated level! Deliciously soft, sweet and healthy! Please make more recipes like this, healthy w/out sugar and seed oils.
Love love love and super easy to make.
Hi Patty,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and your comment, so glad it is always delish! Have a great weekend:) x
This recipe was a winner for sure! I used the 1/2 cup of honey and was worried it wouldn’t be sweet enough without any added sugar but it was perfect! I only had 1 zucchini so I used a total of 3 bananas instead and I still got 18 muffins with a perfect fluffy texture.
Hey Chris,
Wonderful! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well! Xx
I have a baby under 1 so I need to use something other than honey. Would maple syrup work in this recipe?
Hi Megan,
You bet, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Another HBH homerun. I love how quickly/easily these come together in one bowl and wow are they good. I followed the recipe 99% (only had WW flour, now WW pastry flour–but decided to give it a try and it subbed fine) and I may have been heavy-handed with the chocolate chips–no complaints there.
I shared some with two different friends, both to rave reviews. Hats off, Tieghan.
Hey Aimee,
Yay!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Have a great week! xT
I just made these and my kids devoured them! I made a couple substitutions. We are vegan so I used flax seed meal instead of eggs. I also used half oats and half flour and only about half the of chocolate chips. These were so moist and delicious. I will be able to use up my zucchini from my garden with these muffins!
Thank you for a great recipe!
Hey Lauren,
So glad to hear this! Thanks a lot for sharing what worked well for you! Have a great long weekend! xT