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These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are rich, tender, and packed with double the chocolate! Sweetened with honey and packed with whole grains and plenty of shredded zucchini, they taste like a bakery-style chocolate muffin, yet they sneak in enough wholesome ingredients that I happily serve these muffins for breakfast or an after-school snack.
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins at a Glance
- Yield: 12 muffins
- Time Involved: 15-minute prep + 20-minute bake + 10-minute cool
- Wholesome Ingredients: Made with whole wheat flour, sweetened with honey and applesauce, and loaded with shredded zucchini.
- Why This Recipe Works: Double the chocolate doesn't hurt, but zucchini adds moisture to the whole wheat muffin, and because of its mild, neutral flavor, it disappears almost entirely.
Kristen's Keys for Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
With a few tricks, this recipe delivers a muffin packed with veggies, yet tastes like dessert!
- Squeeze the zucchini well. Squeezing the zucchini well keeps the muffins tender instead of dense or mushy. The same trick works when making my Pineapple Zucchini Bread and even my Savory Zucchini Pie.
- Sift the cocoa powder. Cocoa powder loves to clump, and sifting it keeps the batter smooth.
- Applesauce is key. It helps keep the batter moist, adds natural sweetness, and reduces the amount of oil needed, just as it does in my Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffin recipe.
- Don't skip the chocolate chips. Just like my recipes for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins and Peanut Butter Banana Muffins, adding chocolate chips to the batter, plus a few on top, gives these wholesome muffins a rich, decadent finish that makes them taste like a treat, not a compromise.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Zucchini: This calls for 1 cup of shredded zucchini, equivalent to 1 large zucchini or 2-3 small zucchini. Be sure to measure after shredding and squeezing. Too much moisture can make the muffins heavy.
- Whole White Wheat Flour: I recommend using whole white wheat flour, as it is still 100% whole grain, yet bakes up lighter and fluffier than traditional whole wheat flour.
- Cocoa Powder: Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder, not hot cocoa mix.
- Oil: Coconut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, or even melted and cooled unsalted butter works here.
- Milk: Use your favorite milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk.
- Honey: Pure maple syrup works just as well.
Recipe Modifications
- No Whole Wheat Flour? All-purpose flour works too.
- Gluten-Free: This recipe works well using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Egg-Free: To make these muffins egg-free, combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water and let sit for 5 minutes, then use the flax egg in place of the egg in the batter.
- Dairy-Free: Use unsweetened non-dairy milk (any variety) and your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips.
How to Make Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
After preparing the zucchini, these muffins come together with minimal effort.
- Prepare zucchini. Using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grating blade, shred the zucchini. Then place the shredded zucchini in a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and give it a good squeeze over the sink to remove the excess water. Then measure out the zucchini.
- Sift dry ingredients. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a fine-mesh strainer and sift over a large mixing bowl. Then give it a quick whisk to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Mix the wet ingredients separately. Whisk the egg, applesauce, honey, milk, oil, and vanilla together in a separate mixing bowl. This helps everything blend evenly before it hits the flour, which reduces the risk of overmixing.
- Gently fold wet and dry ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold until just combined. Once you no longer see pockets of flour, stop mixing. Overmixing can make muffins tough instead of soft.
- Add chocolate chips and zucchini. Add the grated zucchini and chocolate chips, then gently fold them into the batter.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin tin. Portion out the batter into a lined or greased muffin tin. Using an ice cream scoop will keep each muffin uniform in size and minimize mess.
- Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips. Optional, but encouraged -- at least by the kids. 😉
- Bake. You want to bake the muffins until the tops are puffed up and just set. A sure-fire way to know muffins are fully cooked is to insert a digital thermometer into the center of the muffin. They are done when they reach an internal temperature of 200°F to 205°F.
- Cool. Cool the muffins on a cooling rack for 10-20 minutes, then remove them from the tin.
Storage Instructions
- At Room Temperature: Because these chocolate zucchini muffins are loaded with zucchini and are whole grains, they can grow mold quickly at room temperature. It is best to let the muffins cool completely, then place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
- Refrigerate: Once cooled, place the muffins into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Place the cooled muffins on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30-60 minutes until solid. Once frozen solid, place them in a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, or warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to heat before serving.
More Recipes Starring Zucchini
Have an abundance of zucchini? After enjoying these Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, try out the following recipes:
- Zucchini Banana Bread
- Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- Grilled Mediterranean Zucchini Salad
- Sautéed Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are made with whole wheat flour, double the chocolate, and loads of zucchini to create a decadent-tasting muffin that is healthy enough for breakfast.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, ~1 large or 2 medium zucchini
- 1½ cups white whole wheat flour, or whole wheat, all-purpose, or 1:1 gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup honey, or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons canola oil , or melted and cooled coconut oil
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup milk, any variety
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips, + more for topping if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃). Prepare a muffin pan by lining it with paper or silicone liners or greasing the muffin cups really well with butter or nonstick spray.
- Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut off the stem of the zucchini and use a box grater or food processor fitted with a grating blade, shred the zucchini. Remove excess moisture from the shredded zucchini by placing it into a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel and squeezing it firmly over the sink. Alternatively, place the shredded zucchini into a fine-mesh colander and use your hands to really press down hard on the zucchini to remove the excess liquid. Measure out 1 cup shredded zucchini and set aside.
- Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift the 1½ cups white whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder over a large mixing bowl. Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together, just be sure to remove any lumps.
- In a separate smaller mixing bowl, whisk together the ½ cup honey, 2 tablespoons canola oil , ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup milk, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, careful to not overmix, as this can result in tough muffins.
- Fold the shredded, drained zucchini and ½ cup chocolate chips into the batter.
- Scoop out ¼ cup of batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle each muffin with a couple of chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry or until the internal temperature of the muffins reaches 200-205℉.
- Place the baked muffins on a cooling rack and allow them to sit in the muffin tin for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the tin. Allow the muffins to cool fully before enjoying.
Equipment
Notes
Flour Options: All-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten-free flour can replace whole white wheat flour.
Measuring Flour: Spoon and level flour into your measuring cup. For the most accurate results, weigh the flour. You will need 120 grams of flour per cup. For one batch of this recipe, that's 180 grams of flour.
Dairy-Free: Be sure you use dairy-free chocolate chips and use your favorite non-dairy milk in place of milk for this recipe.
Egg-Free: Use a flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 2 tablespoons water, then letting it sit for 5 minutes. Use in place of the egg.
Canola Oil Substitutes: Melted and cooled unsalted butter or coconut oil can be used in place of canola oil.
Storage: Store zucchini muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 155mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 3gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 68IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Have made dozens of times for my friend. She wanted oat flour, which I substituted with no probem. She also wanted blueberries for Chocolate chips. VERY GOOD. I’m going to able these again for a GF friend. I put in half the batter, add 3 or 4 blueberries and then top with rest of dough and place blueberries on top. Works great. THANK YOU for a great recipe.
Hi Linda! Thank you so much for sharing that you were able to use oat flour and blueberries and still enjoy a delicious muffin. I love hearing this!
These were great. I didn't have enough zucchini to measure 1 cup so made up the difference with shredded carrots.
Oh what a great idea to use carrots! Thanks for sharing, Sharon!
By this time of year (September) you have to really hide the zucchini. These muffins are the perfect cover up - delicious, moist, with just a touch of sweetness - enough to let the rich chocolaty goodness shine through. I love the list of wholesome ingredients, almost all pantry staples. Instructions are excellent and the recipe comes together quickly. I think we actually will be sad to see zucchini season end!
LOL! Right, by September everyone is getting tired of eating zucchini if you are lucky enough to grow it. I am glad this zucchini muffin recipe is your solution 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Very tasty. I'll bet nuts would be a great addition.