Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Quick Look: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 14-16 muffins
- Why You’ll Love It: One bowl, one whisk, and a full pound of zucchini disguised in fudgy chocolate. Nobody will ever guess.
I originally shared this chocolate zucchini recipe back in 2012, and I’ve updated it a few times since then to make the texture more soft and moist, and the chocolate flavor deeper. If you’ve got a garden overflowing with zucchini and a family that runs the other way from vegetables, these muffins solve both problems at once.
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Why Are My Chocolate Zucchini Muffins So Good!
- After testing squeezed and unsqueezed zucchini methods, I now always skip squeezing or draining the zucchini for muffins and let all that moisture bake straight into the crumb, so every muffin stays soft, never dry. Similar to the way I treat zucchini in my zucchini bread recipe.
- Cocoa powder AND a cup and a half of chocolate chips give you real, deep chocolate flavor in every bite, not just a hint of it.
- Both brown and white sugar work together here, so you get a muffin that’s tender in the center with a slightly chewy edge.
- You just need one bowl and a whisk, no mixer required, and you’re in the oven in 10 minutes flat.
- These are so packed with chocolate that my own kids stopped questioning what I call “chocolate muffins” years ago.
Ingredient Notes Before You Start
- Zucchini – this is a no fuss recipe! Just buy good looking zucchini, wash it, dry it, and grate it on the large holes of a box grater. That extra moisture is exactly what keeps these muffins soft and moist. Hot Tip: if you have a picky eater who notices the green flecks, you can peel the zucchini.
- 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!) Skip extra virgin olive oil in this one; it can turn bitter and overpowering once baked.
- 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!
- Cocoa powder – This recipe uses 100% unsweetened cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder (the kind in most grocery stores) will give you a classic, slightly tangy chocolate flavor. If you have Dutch-process cocoa on hand, it’ll bake up a touch darker and smoother, but either one works here.
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 Soft and Moist 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:
- 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.
- Then, whisk in the sugars and wet ingredients until combined, followed by the dry ingredients. Whisk until it’s just combined, don’t’ overmix.
- 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.
- Top off with more chocolate chips, because “why not!”
- 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 – great with nuts or on their own for a bright pop of tart flavor.
- Sweetened coconut flakes – mix in or add some on top.
- Chopped apple – pat it dry first to remove excess moisture before adding.
Ways to Serve Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
These are just as good on their own with a cup of coffee as they are dressed up for a bigger spread. A few of my favorite ways to serve them:
- Warm from the oven with a swipe of butter, while the chocolate chips are still a little melty.
- As part of a weekend brunch table alongside ricotta pancakes or a frittata for a spread that covers both sweet and savory.
- Packed into lunch boxes or a snack bag; they hold up well at room temperature for a day or two.
- With coffee in the morning, chocolate and coffee is a great pairing.
- Breakfast on the go! Grab one on the way out.
Storing and Freezing Zucchini Muffins
- Room temperature: Store baked muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Expert tip: shelf life is shorter in a humid climate.
- Refrigerator: For longer storage, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezer: Let the muffins cool completely, then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze on a cutting board for 2-3 hours until solid, then transfer to a large airtight freezer container or bag. They’ll keep for 2-3 months.
- To thaw, just pull one out, unwrap, and let it sit on the counter for 30-45 minutes.
- Reheat: A few seconds in the microwave brings a muffin right back to fresh-baked warmth.
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe FAQs
No. This recipe is built around leaving that moisture in. Squeezing it out will actually make your muffins drier, not better.
Overmixing is the most common culprit, since it develops gluten and toughens the crumb. The other common cause is too much flour, so make sure you’re spooning the flour into your measuring cup and leveling it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.
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.
Yes, a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend works as a straight swap for the all-purpose flour in this recipe.
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Fritters
- Zucchini Sheet Cake
- Blueberry Muffins
- White Chocolate Cranberry Muffins
- Chocolate Banana Muffins
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Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini, about 1 lb.)
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup 100% cocoa powder
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease a muffin pan. Line the muffin baking pan with cupcake liners.
- Wash zucchini and pat it dry. No need to peel it! Grate zucchini on the larger grate of the box grater and add it to a large mixing bowl. HOT TIP: if you have a picky kid and you think they would notice the little green specs, you can peel the zucchini. Otherwise, keep it unpeeled. (Mince still haven't noticed! Shhh.)
- Add eggs, oil, vanilla, and both sugars. Whisk until all evenly mixed and incorporated.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk well, until just combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips into the batter until evenly mixed throughout.
- Use an ice cream scoop with release to scoop out even amounts of batter into each muffin cup, filling it no more than 3/4 of the way.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for about 20 minutes.Expert Tip: to tell if you muffins are done you can either gently touch the top to feel if it's firm or still a little squishy. If you want a more definite way, use an instant read thermometer. Quick breads and muffins should have internal temperature of 200-205℉ when baked through.
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Breakfast Recipes, Brunch Recipes, Chocolate Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Fall Recipes, Muffin Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
These chocolate muffins came out so good 🤤 You’d never guess they’re made with zucchini-can’t even taste it, just super moist and chocolatey! They disappeared the second Mr. Jason saw them 😂
Yay!! I’m so glad you loved them 🤗 Isn’t it wild how the zucchini just melts right in for that extra moist texture? 😂 Love that Mr. Jason couldn’t resist themI take that , I take that as the ultimate compliment!