Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

I originally shared my chocolate zucchini recipe in 2012. Since then, I’ve updated my recipe a few times, improving the texture and flavor of these muffins. They are more soft and moist now as well as have a deeper chocolate flavor.

The very first time that I tried chocolate zucchini muffins was about 15 years ago at a farmer’s market. It was love at first sight and not just with the taste, but with the texture as well.

Ever since my first time trying zucchini muffins, I started making them at home for my family and over the years, my recipe got better and better. It may have been a few little tweaks but even a small step in a better direction is a win!

It’s not hard to get me to eat vegetable because I love them but my husband and my kids are a whole other story. They avoid veggies at all cost.

A good way to add some veggies into their diet is to disguise it. So I hide it in soups and stews, mix it with cheese or sauce, and now, I hide them in muffins with chocolate. These chocolate muffins might be packed with zucchini but they are still CHOCOLATE and you can’t pass that up. It’s gotten to the point that I just call these “chocolate muffins” and none of them even question me.

Ingredient Notes Before You Start

Zucchini – this is a no fuss recipe! Just buy good looking zucchini, wash it, dry it, and grate it.

Oil – I usually recommend vegetable or avocado oil in baking because of the mild flavor but still good amount of fats needed for the baking process. (Good for texture, baby!)

Chocolate chips – choose dark chocolate or milk chocolate, it’s up to you! This is also (not)coincidentally the only ingredient that contains dairy so you can substitute dairy free chocolate chips if you need to keep the recipe dairy-free.

Flour – AP flour will work perfectly in this recipe but for my gluten free friends, I have to day that I have tried it with a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour successfully!

Why using both brown sugar and white sugar?

White sugar in baked goods creates a lighter, sweeter, and crispier texture, while brown sugar results in a deeper, more caramelized, and chewier texture. So using both will create a more complex and balanced texture and flavor as opposed to using just one or the other.

How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

These are truly easy-peasy zucchini muffins that you will mix together in a few minutes and bake. This recipe hasn’t failed me yet after making it countless times, and there is no special tricks to it. Just carefully curated combination of ingredients that go perfectly together:

1. First, clean zucchini and grate it on a box grater. It takes 5 minutes, really no need to pull out and assemble the food processor.
2. Then, whisk in the sugars and wet ingredients until combined, followed by the dry ingredients. Whisk until it’s just combined, don’t’ overmix.
3. Divide the batter among the lined cups of the muffin tin and I highly recommend using an ice cream scoop with release to get an even amount each time.
4. Top off with more chocolate chips, because “why not!”
5. Bake for about 20 minutes and give it time to cool before you bite in!

Some Variations and Additional Flavors

There are a few fun ingredients you can add into the batter mix or on top to make the muffins more fun:

• Nuts – you can add chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
• Dried berries
• Sweetened coconut flakes
• Chopped apple (pat it dry to remove excess moisture)

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Can I Freeze Baked Zucchini Muffins?

This is a good recipe to freeze. Make sure that your baked zucchini muffins are cooled completely. You can even refrigerate them for a little bit to cool down more. Then, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and then place them on a cutting board. Place the cutting board into the freezer for about 2-3 hours.

Place the wrapped frozen muffins in a large air-tight freezer container, label, and keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.

To thaw, simply pull one out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter.

Can I Make This Recipe Into A Bread Loaf?

Yes, you can definitely make a loaf out of this recipe, just adjust the bake time. Use a 9×5 loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes.

HERE ARE SOME MORE EASY RECIPE YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

For another great zucchini baking recipes, my zucchini bread is a huge hit with family, friends and readers. It features a cinnamon crumb topping and icing over the top.

If you have more zucchini but you don’t want to bake with it, incorporate it into your menu with my zucchini fritters that are so cheesy, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. And roasted zucchini is a super easy side dish featuring parmesan cheese and Italian flavors.

If you want to make some more muffins, some of my most popular ones are easy blueberry muffins with a great addition if vanilla bean.

Great for holidays, my white chocolate cranberry muffins and so soft and have the best sweet and tart flavor balance.

And chocolate banana muffins is another easy muffin perfect for any time of the year.