These chocolate zucchini muffins happened because our neighbor dumped three massive zucchini on our doorstep and disappeared before I could say no. Liam watched me grating all that green stuff and got really suspicious - "Mom, you better not be putting vegetables in something that's supposed to taste good." But when these dark, chocolatey muffins came out of the oven smelling incredible, he snagged one before I could even warn him about the secret ingredient. Two muffins later, he said "These taste like eating chocolate cake for breakfast!" He had no clue he'd just eaten a serving of vegetables.
Why You'll Love These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins have saved me every single summer when our neighbors start leaving zucchini on our porch like some kind of vegetable fairy. Instead of watching those giant things rot in my fridge, I can turn them into something Liam actually begs me to make. He has zero clue he's eating vegetables for breakfast - he just knows these taste like chocolate cake and stay soft for days without getting gross.
This Chocolate Zucchini Muffins doesn't fall apart if you mess things up, which is huge for me since I'm usually doing three things at once. I've made them while rushing to get Liam ready for school, when he was "helping" and flinging zucchini bits all over the kitchen, and even when I spaced out and left them in the oven too long. Still perfect every time. The zucchini keeps them from drying out even if you screw up the timing.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Ingredients
- How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Variations
- Swaps for Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Storage Tips
- Equipment For Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- The Ultimate Veggie-Hiding Victory!
- Related
- Pairing
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Ingredients
For the Muffins:
- Fresh zucchini
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Large eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
The Chocolate Boost:
- Mini chocolate chips
- Regular chocolate chips work too
Optional Extras:
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Extra chocolate chips for topping
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Prep the Zucchini:
- Wash and trim ends off zucchini
- Grate on small holes of box grater
- Put grated zucchini in clean kitchen towel
- Squeeze out excess water (this is important!)
- Set aside while you mix everything else
Get Ready to Bake:
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Line muffin tin with paper liners or grease well
- Get all your ingredients measured and ready
Mix the Wet Stuff:
- Beat eggs in large bowl
- Add both sugars and mix well
- Pour in oil and vanilla
- Stir until smooth
- Add squeezed zucchini and mix in
Combine the Dry Ingredients:
- In separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
- Mix just until combined - don't overmix!
- Fold in chocolate chips gently
Bake Them:
- Fill muffin cups about ¾ full
- Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top if you want
- Bake 18-22 minutes
- Test with toothpick - should come out with just a few moist crumbs
- Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to rack
Variations
Double Chocolate Version:
- Add extra cocoa powder to batter
- Mix in dark chocolate chips
- Drizzle with chocolate glaze after cooling
- Dust with powdered sugar
Chocolate Chip Paradise:
- Use both mini and regular chocolate chips
- Add white chocolate chips too
- Sprinkle extra chips on top before baking
- Perfect for serious chocolate lovers
Nutty Variations:
- Chopped walnuts mixed into batter
- Pecans on top before baking
- Almond extract instead of vanilla
- Coconut flakes for tropical twist
Spiced Up Versions:
- Add cinnamon to the dry ingredients
- Pinch of espresso powder for mocha flavor
- Orange zest for citrus brightness
- Cardamom for something different
Special Occasion Ideas:
- Halloween: Orange food coloring
- Christmas: Peppermint extract and crushed candy canes
- Valentine's: Heart-shaped mini muffins
- Summer: Lemon zest and blueberries
Swaps for Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Zucchini Alternatives:
- Zucchini → Yellow summer squash (exact same process)
- Fresh zucchini → Frozen, thawed and drained
- Zucchini → Shredded carrots (sweeter flavor)
- Fresh → Canned pumpkin puree (use ¾ cup)
Flour Options:
- All-purpose → Gluten-free 1:1 blend
- White flour → Whole wheat pastry flour
- Regular → Almond flour (reduce liquid slightly)
- Standard → Half white, half wheat
Sugar Changes:
- White sugar → All brown sugar
- Granulated → Coconut sugar
- Both sugars → Maple syrup (reduce other liquids)
- Regular → Sugar substitute (use ¾ amount)
Oil Substitutions:
- Vegetable oil → Melted coconut oil
- Regular oil → Applesauce (use ¾ amount)
- Oil → Melted butter
- Standard → Greek yogurt
Egg Replacements:
- Regular eggs → Flax eggs (vegan option)
- Chicken eggs → Applesauce (¼ cup per egg)
- Whole eggs → Egg substitute
Chocolate Options:
- Mini chips → Regular chocolate chips
- Chocolate chips → Cocoa nibs
- Semi-sweet → Dark chocolate chips
- Regular → White chocolate chips
Storage Tips
These chocolate zucchini muffins actually get better as they sit, which is awesome because it means you can make them ahead without worrying:
Counter Storage (4-5 days):
- Cool completely before storing
- Airtight container or zip-top bag
- Room temperature works best
- Don't refrigerate unless really hot weather
Lunch Box Perfect:
- Wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap
- Stay soft and moist all day
- Perfect for school lunches
- No crumbs like some muffins
Freezer Storage (up to 3 months):
- Cool completely first
- Wrap individually in plastic wrap
- Store in freezer bags
- Thaw at room temperature or microwave 30 seconds
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Bake and store up to 3 days before serving
- Actually taste better after sitting overnight
- Perfect for busy school mornings
- Great for meal prep
Equipment For Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Box grater
- Large mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Clean kitchen towel
Top Tip
- I've screwed up these muffins enough times to know exactly what goes wrong! The biggest disaster is not squeezing the water out of the grated zucchini. I used to think this was just an extra step I could skip until I made a batch that came out like soggy chocolate sponges. Zucchini is basically a water balloon with skin, and if you don't get that water out, your muffins will be wet and gross. I wrap the grated stuff in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze until my arms ache - you wouldn't believe how much water pours out.
- Don't grate the zucchini way ahead of time. I tried being smart once and prepped everything the night before, only to find a pool of zucchini water in my bowl the next morning. Fresh grated zucchini that gets squeezed and used right away works way better than stuff that's been sitting around making its own little lake.
- Use the small holes on your grater, not the big shredding ones. Big chunks of zucchini are weird to bite and Liam will spot the green stuff immediately. Small shreds just vanish into the chocolate and add moisture without any gross texture. The first batch I made had big pieces and Liam took one look and said "There's green stuff in this!"
FAQ
How long do you bake chocolate zucchini muffins?
How long do you bake chocolate zucchini muffins? Bake chocolate zucchini muffins at 375°F for 18-22 minutes. Start checking at 18 minutes with a toothpick - it should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not completely clean. The zucchini keeps them moist, so they'll always look slightly underdone compared to regular muffins. If your oven runs hot or you're using dark muffin pans, start checking at 16 minutes to avoid overbaking.
Should you squeeze water out of zucchini for muffins?
Absolutely! This is the most important step and the one most people skip. Grated zucchini holds tons of water that will make your muffins soggy and dense if you don't remove it. Wrap the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze hard until no more water comes out. You'll be shocked how much liquid you get. Liam learned this lesson when he skipped this step and we got zucchini soup instead of muffin batter.
How can I make my muffins more moist?
The zucchini already makes these incredibly moist, but don't overmix the batter and don't overbake them. Mix just until the flour disappears, and pull them out when a toothpick has a few moist crumbs. Also, make sure you're using oil rather than butter - oil keeps muffins tender longer. Store them in an airtight container to maintain moisture, and they'll actually get more moist after sitting overnight.
Why is my chocolate zucchini bread dry?
Usually it's from overbaking or not squeezing enough water out of the zucchini. The zucchini should add moisture, but if there's too much water in the batter, it evaporates during baking and leaves you with dry results. Also check your flour measurement - too much flour makes everything dry and dense. Use the spoon-and-level method rather than scooping directly from the bag.
The Ultimate Veggie-Hiding Victory!
These chocolate zucchini muffins have completely changed how we deal with summer's zucchini invasion. What started as a desperate attempt to use up giant vegetables has become Liam's most requested breakfast treat. He still has no idea he's eating a full serving of vegetables every time he devours one of these - he just knows they taste like chocolate cake and stay soft for days. Sometimes the best parenting wins happen when nobody realizes they're being tricked into being healthy.
These chocolate zucchini muffins have earned their spot alongside our other family favorites that never disappoint. Looking for more crowd-pleasing treats? Try our Easy Oreo Brownies Recipe when you need something purely indulgent and completely chocolatey. Our Best Spinach Pie Recipe is another sneaky way to get vegetables into your family. And don't miss our Best Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe for when you want something impressive but surprisingly simple.
Share your chocolate zucchini muffins photos with us! Liam gets so excited seeing other families successfully hiding vegetables in chocolate treats.
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Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with chocolate zucchini muffins
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin (For baking the muffins)
- Box grater (Use the small holes for fine zucchini)
- Mixing bowls (One large, one medium)
- Whisk (For mixing dry ingredients)
- Rubber spatula (For folding in chocolate chips)
- Measuring cups (Dry and liquid measurements)
- Measuring spoons (For precise baking measurements)
- Clean Kitchen Towel (For squeezing excess moisture from zucchini)
Ingredients
- 1 cup zucchini - Grated, water squeezed out
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar - Packed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil - Or use coconut oil or applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips - Or regular chips
Instructions
- Wash, trim, grate zucchini, and squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare muffin tin with liners or grease.
- Beat eggs, add sugars, oil, vanilla, and stir in zucchini.
- Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Fill muffin cups ¾ full and add extra chips if desired.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes until toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
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