Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are a sweet and delectable treat that you will be craving for every dessert! These moist and rich muffins will satisfy every chocolate lover’s taste buds! For more chocolate treats, try my Chocolate Zucchini Cake or Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes!
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
When I make or eat muffins, the talking muffin joke always comes to mind. I still don’t really get it, but it’s a classic at this point. Two muffins were sitting in an oven. One turned to the other and said: “Hey, it’s pretty hot in here, isn’t it?” The other turned and shouted, “Oh my gosh a talking muffin!” Anyway, these Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are no joke. No one will believe that they are made with zucchini, but that is actually the secret to the moistness! For those doubters who could never fathom putting zucchini in a dessert, this will change their minds!
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe
This Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe is taken from my Zucchini Brownies recipe but in a muffin form. Since muffins are more accepted as a breakfast food than brownies, it would be completely justified to have one of these muffins for breakfast! They are simple to make, and again, the zucchini does most of the work here!
You will notice that there are no eggs or butter added to this recipe. They are absolutely not needed! These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins bake up beautifully and do not need the added air and flavor that eggs usually add. This is a great recipe for vegan friends!
The Secret to Baking with Zucchini
Size matters. A large zucchini will be drier. A small zucchini with have more moisture. Certain recipes work best with different sizes. For instance, I tend to use a medium to small with this recipe because I want the moisture the zucchini brings, but I use a large zucchini for my Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes.
Use the fine side of your grater. Coarser pieces will have a slightly more noticeable flavor and texture in a finished cake or bread recipe. (Farm kids tend to want that!)
Some recipes ask that the zucchini is pressed well with a clean towel to soak up excess moisture or to prevent whatever your baking from getting too soggy. Pay close attention to the recipe that you are making with zucchini as the level of moisture they provide is important. For instance, in this Chocolate Zucchini Muffins recipe, the zucchini is the main source of moisture and should NOT be drained!
Can I Use Frozen Zucchini?
Yes, you can! First, bring the frozen zucchini to room temperature. Since frozen zucchini collects extra moisture, you WILL have to drain it before adding it to the recipe. If your batter looks too thick, you may need to add a little extra oil in the mix, starting with a teaspoon at a time.
How to Store Muffins
There are a few ways to properly store muffins.
- Room Temperature: Because they are best enjoyed at room temperature, this is usually the recommended way to storing. I use a larger sealable plastic bag or an airtight container to store the muffins in a single layer. Some folks recommend adding a piece of paper towel to the bottom so that it will soak up any condensation. If your muffins are properly cooled before storing, this may not be necessary. However, if I am using an airtight container, I will often add a piece of bread to the container, torn in half, and fit in between the muffins. The bread will soak up moisture as well. Best enjoyed within 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: (Refrigeration, in general, dries out baked goods faster so a typical muffin recipe shouldn’t be refrigerated.) Place in a sealable plastic bag or airtight container and then place into the refrigerator. They should keep for up to 5 days. To reheat, remove from refrigerator pop into the microwave for 10 seconds or just allow muffin to come to room temperature naturally, about 15 minutes.
- Freezer: Place cooled muffins into a freezer-safe sealable plastic bag or a freezer-safe airtight container and pack as closely as possible without crushing. Remove as much air as possible. Label with date and recipe name.
How to Reheat Frozen Muffins
Remove muffin from the freezer and allow to come to room temperature overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for a couple of hours.
More Zucchini Desserts
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup (112 g) vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (64 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups finely shredded zucchini, do not drain
- 1 ¼ cups (210g) semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare two muffin pan with 18 cupcake liners. (You will have anywhere from 14-22 muffins depending on how full you fill them.)
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil, sugar, and vanilla until fully incorporated.
- Add in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and mix until just combined.
- Fold in zucchini and the chocolate chunks by hand.
- Scoop 3 tablespoons of muffin batter into each cupcake liner. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
What if i cannot use all purpose flour(allergic to wheat)? Any substitute that works?!
Kathi, I’ve been 100% gluten-free since 1988 and gone through a lot of failures in regards to GF-flours. Cup-For-Cup and Kind Arthur flours are my main ones I use these days. They have the xanthan already in them and be sure to measure each cup. Give it a try, it will work and then experiment as you continue to bake with these gluten-free products. I’m making these today because it’s that time of year for garden veggies and the zucchini are fresh and ready to use. Happy baking, you’ve got this!
The kids absolutely DEVOURED these, and I had the whole gang of neighborhood kids knocking on the door for some! Absolutely a bookmarked recipe for this household!!!
I was skeptical of the no egg thing, and even as I began to mix, thought, “how is this going to become a batter???”, but obviously the recipe works as it’s written – and within a few minutes of mixing, the right consistency arrived! These are perfect! I’ll be experimenting with time for mini muffins my next time around!!!
My one teenage won’t eat anything but junk, made these and after she tried one she ate almost the whole batch and asked for more. Anyway I can get veggies into their growing bodies I’ll make again and again and it didn’t taste anything like zucchini bread just yummy dark chocolate!
do you have a recipe Zucchini breadGynger Garrison
https://iambaker.net/the-best-zucchini-bread/
Yes! There is a magnifying glass icon in the upper right hand corner of my website which allows you to search for any recipes you may be looking for.
looks great
To the doubters who feel the need to add eggs: I made the recipe just as it was printed and it came out just fine, which, quite honestly, surprised me. I got lots of complements on the muffins. I did add a teaspoon of instant coffee because I believe it enhances the chocolate flavor. In fact the muffins were such a hit that I’m getting to make it again!
Why did my comment get put as a reply to someone else? It was not meant to be that way. Sorry
One thing I really appreciate about your recipes is that you include the weight of the ingredients, not just cups. However, I noticed you didn’t list the weight for the zucchini. Is there a reason for that? I think it would be very helpful. It’s hard to know how much to put in the measuring cup… pack it tight, or do I need to leave it loose?… kind of in-between? I just start second-guessing myself and over-thinking it. 😆 I’m trying to remember how I did it last fall because these muffins came out great!
Made these and couldn’t wait to eat one. Delicious! I didn’t have chocolate chunks so I used chocolate chips.
Is the batter supposed to be crumbly???
It can be, before you add the zucchini.
Mine was a little thick even after adding the zuchinni so I added a bit of milk and they came out just perfect 😊