Make the most of your zucchini harvest with these Sourdough Discard Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. Tender, moist, and packed with rich chocolate flavor, a delicious way to use your excess sourdough starter. They are so good, you’d never know you were eating veggies for dessert.
Why I made these Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
This recipe was inspired by a reader of Make It Dough, who asked if they could add zucchinis to my Sourdough Discard Chocolate Muffin recipe. Since I always try to test recipe additions and substitutions before recommending them, I was hesitant to say yes. Naturally, my interest was piqued and with zucchini season in full swing, I thought I’d give the combination a try.
Why I love this recipe
- Tender and plush muffins packed with zucchini and rich chocolate flavor.
- Uses 1 whole zucchini so nothing goes to waste.
- Effortless recipe that skips squeezing moisture out of the zucchini.
- Mixed by hand - no stand mixer required.
- Sourdough adds a tangy flavor and moisture that keeps muffins tasting fresh for longer.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Zucchini: You’ll need 1 small zucchini (about 200 to 260 grams before grating) for this recipe. I used the larger side of the grater to shred my zucchini, you can also use a food processor. Check out my Sourdough Zucchini Bread recipe for more ways to use up extra zucchini.
Sourdough discard: You can use your sourdough discard directly from the fridge for this recipe. If you don’t have any on hand, add 28 grams of flour and 28 grams of water to your batter.
All-purpose flour: The low protein content keeps the crumb light and velvety. Avoid bread flour or whole wheat flour for this recipe, as it may result in dense and gummy muffins.
Apple sauce: Adds moisture to these muffins without needing a ton of oil. You can substitute a mashed banana or pumpkin puree. I used unsweetened applesauce.
Cocoa powder: I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder to develop this recipe.
Oil: Imparts a light and airy texture to these muffins. Any neutral-flavored oil, such as grape seed oil, vegetable oil or canola oil will work. Do not use butter as it will make your muffins denser and drier.
Cinnamon and vanilla: Enhances the flavor and balances the bitterness of dark chocolate. Totally optional, but highly recommend.
Tip
Make sure your leaveners are fresh before attempting this recipe. To test whether yours will work, combine a pinch of baking soda or baking powder with a drop of vinegar. If the mixture fizzes yours are good to go.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information.
Adding Sourdough Discard to Muffins
Sourdough discard adds a delicious tang that balances the richness of chocolate in these Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. Don’t worry, it won’t make your muffins taste sour. It imparts a complex flavor that's hard to pinpoint but noticeably missed when absent.
Since muffins use baking soda and baking powder as the leavener, you can use your sourdough discard directly from the refrigerator. It doesn't need to be fed or activated to work in this recipe.
How to make Chocolate Sourdough Discard Zucchini Muffins
STEP 1: Mix the wet ingredients
Grate the zucchini. Whisk the oil and sugar together. Add the eggs in one at a time. Stir in the sourdough discard and vanilla.
Tip
Whisking the eggs in one at a time allows the mixture to emulsify better and results in a smoother batter.
STEP 2: Add in the dry ingredients
Fold the dry ingredients into the batter. Add in the chocolate chips and zucchini.
Tip
Fold your flour in a third at a time, this will prevent lumps in your batter and help you avoid building too much gluten development.
STEP 3: Bake
Distribute the batter evenly on a prepared muffin tin. Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes.
Baker's Tips
- Weigh your ingredients: Measuring with a kitchen scale instead of cups and tablespoons is more accurate and will help guarantee the success of your bake.
- Fill your muffin tins all the way: I like to use a large cookie scoop to measure out my batter evenly. Fill each well completely for tall muffin tops.
- Start with a hot oven: Preheat your oven to 425 F but bake your muffins at 375 F. The high initial temperature encourages the muffins to rise high. Lowering the temperature at the beginning of the bake will prevent the muffins from being burnt and drying out.
- No peeking!: Do not under any circumstances open the oven door. Heat escapes every time you open the oven door. If your muffins are not completely baked in the middle, this will cause your muffins to sink and become dense and gummy.
How to store Sourdough Discard Muffins
These muffins are best enjoyed fresh, the same day they are baked. Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If you have a sourdough starter, you can simply use your active starter. If not, add 28 grams of flour and 28 grams of water to your batter.
There’s a few reasons:
1. Your baking soda and baking powder may be past their prime and not able to leaven your muffins
2. You may have opened the oven door before the center of your muffins are fully baked, unfortunately this would cause them to sink and the center to be dense and gummy
3. You may have measured your ingredients incorrectly, weigh your ingredients to make sure your proportions are correct
5. Your oven temperature may have been too low, high temperatures encourage the muffins to rise
You may have developed too much gluten in your batter. It helps to fold your flour into the batter ⅓ at a time to ensure all of the flour is incorporated without over mixing.
Opening the oven door before your muffins are fully baked could also cause them to be too gummy. In this case, your muffins will sink and the interior will be gummy.
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Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe
Equipment
- muffin liners
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Ingredients
- 200 grams zucchini weigh the zucchini before you grate it
- 56 grams vegetable oil any neutral flavored oil
- 150 grams brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 113 grams unsweetened applesauce
- 56 grams sourdough discard
- 8 grams vanilla extract
- 180 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 30 grams cocoa powder
- 4 grams salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 100 grams chocolate chips
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini: Shred the zucchini using a coarse grater or a food processor. Set aside.200 grams zucchini
- Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, stir the brown sugar and oil together. Whisk the eggs in one at a time, waiting until each one is fully incorporated until adding the next. Continue whisking until the batter is smooth and looks lighter in color.56 grams vegetable oil, 150 grams brown sugar, 2 large eggs
- Whisk the remaining wet ingredients in. Continue stirring until no traces of sourdough remain.113 grams unsweetened applesauce, 56 grams sourdough discard, 8 grams vanilla extract
- Lightly fold the leaveners, cocoa powder and cinnamon in along with a third of the flour. Continue folding in the flour a third at a time until all of it is incorporated into the batter. Don’t work the batter too much, a few spots of dry flour is ok.180 grams all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 30 grams cocoa powder, 4 grams salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Fold the chocolate chips and zucchini into the batter until they are evenly distributed.100 grams chocolate chips
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature while the oven heats up. This short rest period, allows the gluten to relax and the flour to fully hydrate, the result is fluffier muffins with taller tops!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment liners. Spray the muffin liners with nonstick baking spray.
- Once the oven is preheated, distribute the muffin batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins.
- Place the muffin tin in the oven, close the door and turn the temperature down immediately to 375 F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops look dry and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not open the oven door while the muffins are baking.
- Transfer the muffins wire rack and let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy and store: Serve the muffins fresh from the oven and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
- Fill your muffin tins all the way: I like to use a large cookie scoop to measure out my batter evenly. Fill each well completely for tall muffin tops.
- Start with a hot oven: Preheat your oven to 425 F but bake your muffins at 375 F. The high initial temperature encourages the muffins to rise high. Lowering the temperature at the beginning of the bake will prevent the muffins from being burnt and drying out.
- No peeking!: Do not under any circumstances open the oven door. Heat escapes every time you open the oven door. If your muffins are not completely baked in the middle, this will cause your muffins to sink and become dense and gummy.
Mela
So delicious!!
Hannah Dela Cruz
So happy you loved it!