Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins with Oat Streusel Topping

My mom is not really into baking. She is an excellent cook, but baking just never really interests her. So much to my surprise, some days I would come home for school and my mom would be making zucchini bread. And not just 1 or 2 loaves, but what seemed like 10 loaves. Everyday I would come home and she would be making more and more loaves. At the time, I don’t think I really liked zucchini bread, so I quickly tired of the countless loaves. Now, I realize my mistake. Were I to have an endless supply of zucchini bread being pumped out of my kitchen now, I would be ecstatic.

This recipe is not my mom’s recipe, but instead, one I found while perusing Pinterest. It looked amazing and the streusel topping really was calling my name. This was a quick and simple recipe to whip up and definitely didn’t disappoint. It is moist and full of flavor. I am in love with the topping and think I will use it on even more bread recipes! The original source of this recipe says that this bread has won awards, and I don’t doubt it!!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins with Oat Streusel Topping

Adapted from: Sally’s Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

For the topping

2/3 cups old fashioned or quick cooking oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

For the bread

1 cup of shredded zucchini

1 large egg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola oil*

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

To make the topping: Mix together all ingredients except for the butter. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut in the butter until the topping resembles small crumbs. You can even use your hands to crumble this together. Set aside.

For the muffins: In  small mixing bowl, mix together the zucchini, egg, vanilla, oil and both sugars. Mix until combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until combined. Mix wet ingredients into the dry and then add the chocolate chips. Stir until combined but be careful to not overmix.

Fill muffin tins with batter and then press a couple tbsp. of topping onto each muffin. My recipe made 9 muffins but I made them very large. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes and then, keeping muffins in the oven, lower temperature to 350 degrees and then bake for another 13-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These store well in an air tight container or you can freeze them!

Enjoy!