Cinnamon Zucchini Muffins
These muffins are a perfect way to start the morning. They are moist and delicious, and filled with luscious cinnamon chips. If you’re not familiar with cinnamon chips, they are essentially a white chocolate chip loaded with cinnamon. Hershey’s makes Cinnamon Chips, I used Merkens mini Cinnamon Baking Chips from Gygi, and King Arthur also sells mini cinnamon chips.
One of the nicest things about summer is all the wonderful produce that’s available. I don’t have a huge garden, but every year I plant at least one zucchini plant. Of course, if you’ve ever planted zucchini you know that one plant can often supply enough zucchini for several families.
My first zucchini this year was hiding and I didn’t notice it until it was huge. We don’t like to eat zucchini when they get that big, but they’re perfect for baking. Shredded zucchini adds a wonderful moistness to quick breads and muffins, and it just makes me feel better about baking for my family when I can sneak in some veggies.
If you don’t have zucchini in your yard, pick one up at your local farmer’s market or supermarket and try baking with it. You’ll only need a small one for this recipe. And if you don’t have or can’t find cinnamon chips, chocolate chips would be a great substitution.
Cinnamon Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 cup cinnamon chips (or substitute chocolate chips)
- Turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw), optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil, or line with paper muffin liners.
In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon and set aside.
In a large bowl combine sour cream, melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add zucchini and cinnamon chips and stir until just combined.
Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of batter if desired.
Bake at 350º for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Also makes a great zucchini bread, I cooked mini loaves for 35 minutes.)
When muffins are done, cool for a few minutes in the muffin pan before removing to cool on a wire rack.
Substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves for 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
More wonderful recipes using zucchini in baking:
Zucchini Brownies, Food Finery
Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Our Best Bites
Healthier Zucchini Bread, Mountain Mama Cooks
Grandma’s Zucchini Cake Recipe, Simply Recipes
Zucchini Pineapple Bread, Brown Eyed Baker
Zucchini Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries, Two Peas and Their Pod
Looks so yummy… Will try to surprise my family. Thank you!
Hi Barbara, I have just posted about the cinnamon chips and added some sprinkles. Loved them both! I linked back to you! Thanks for the great idea!
We are overflowing with zucchini – this is perfect for toddler (and adult!) snacks for back-to-school. Thanks, Barbara!
I’m glad to have discovered your blog. Hop over from My Little Space. These muffins look great. Have never tried baking with zucchini, must try after looking at yours!
Recipes like this always take me back to my youth. My mom used to make zucchini bread all the time and she even made a zucchini cobbler that was good enough to fool anyone into thinking it was apple!
Cinnamon chips sounds like the perfect addition to these muffins!
Oh BOY are these muffins wonderful! I made them over the weekend. I added 1 tsp. cinnamon extract (we LOVE cinnamon here) and used Greek yogurt since we were out of sour cream…oh-and I sprinkled a little raw sugar over top of each before baking to give the tops some crunch-they came out PERFECT. We absolutely love them.
Thanks again for the fabulous recipe, Barbara,
Carol
these look so good wish I had a few for breakfast tomorrow
Just stumbled on your site today–love it! And these zucchini muffins look terrific. My husband claims he doesn’t like zucchini, but I have a feeling he’d never know the difference in these. 🙂
Thanks!! Please feel free to stop by often. I’m sure you could get away with not telling your hubs there’s zucchini in there, just peel it before shredding.
I think I need to check my pantry for cinnamon chips. I cant enter Fall without them. Plus I want to make these terrific muffins!
Hope your having a great weekend! BTW-hows the baby? 🙂
Thanks for the sweet comments – my grandson is due Sept. 19 and mom and baby are doing great.
These look and sound fantastic! I am keeping this one for sure
Oh Barbara, these muffins sound so delicious, and I love the addition of cinnamon. By the way, thanks for sharing the little secret of the cinnamon chips, now I really want to try making some at home, seems feasible. Bookmarked.
Hi Renata – Thanks! Lorraine also suggested making cinnamon chips in this post. http://www.notquitenigella.com/2009/02/16/cinnadoodles-cookies/. I’d love to hear back if you give it a try.