These Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are perfect if you are looking for a delicious hidden veggies snack your kids will love. The low sugar, Veggie Packed Chocolate Muffins are a delicious yet healthy sweet treat that is great for breakfast, afternoon tea or a sweet snack.
Why we love this recipe
Don't you just love Zucchini Muffins (or muffins in general, really...)? Adding Zucchinis or veggies to your muffins are awesome for so many different reasons:
- It is a great way to get picky eaters to eat more vegetables, just like making Carrot Cake Muffins!
- They make any cake batter more moist
- Grated veggies in a cake are a clever way to make it a bit healthier
Whether you make Sweet Zucchini Muffins like here with Chocolate or Savory Zucchini Muffins like my Goats Cheese Zucchini Muffins, they always turn out like great little treat that are easy to pack in a lunchbox or enjoy on the go!
This baked goods are just as delicious and decadent as my Double Chocolate Brownie Muffins or my Peanut Butter Chocolate Muffins, but with a great healthy twist on it!
Muffins Ingredients
The more important ingredients needed to make these zucchini chocolate muffins here are the obvious ones: the Chocolate and the Zucchini. Chocolate is added in two ways: with Cacao Powder and with chunks of Dark Chocolate.
The chopped Dark Chocolate will bring that deliciously gooey melted chocolate touch these muffins need!
To make these Sweet Zucchini Muffins, you will need (scroll down to recipe card for all quantities):
- Grated Zucchini: well drained to remove any water or moisture that would make the muffin texture soggy.
- Brown Sugar: I used Light Brown Sugar. This recipe is relatively low in sugar but feel free to increase the sugar quantity to suit your taste.
- Vegetable Oil: I used Canola Oil but you can use any neutral flavoured cooking oil as well.
- Eggs: at room temperature.
- Milk: Full Cream preferred, but you can also use a Plant-Based Milk to make this recipe Dairy-Free.
- Flour: Plain / All-Purpose, sifted
- Cacao Powder: unsweetened and preferably non-processed. Make sure it is sifted.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: to give these muffins a nice and light crumb
- Dark Chocolate Chunks or Chocolate Chips: I used 70% Dark Chocolate Chunks but you can use the type of chocolate you prefer.
How to make Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate
This first important step in making these Muffins is grating the Zucchini. You can use a Classic Boxed Grater or a Food Processor that will be much quicker and easier.
Use the thin to medium shred to grate the zucchini - you want them to be thin enough to be easily combined into the batter but not small enough to fall apart.
Once you have grated your zucchini, it is VERY important to drain them well so you don't get extra moisture while being baked. Transfer the grated zucchini into a thin mesh sieve and gently press on it to release as much moisture as possible.
Leave them to drain until ready to be folded in the cake batter.
Here are the steps to make these super zucchini chocolate muffins:
- Grate and Drain the Zucchini and set aside
- Whisk the Sugar and Oil together, then add the Eggs one at the time.
- Whisk in the Milk
- Mix and Sift all the dry ingredients together and stir them in the wet ingredients
- Fold in the Grated Zucchini and finally the chopped Chocolate or Chocolate Chips
Recipe FAQs
Yes, simply use a Dairy-Free / Plant-Based Milk and make sure you are using a Dairy-Free Chocolate.
Absolutely, you can replace the same quantity of Plain/AP Flour with Self-Rising Flour and discard the Baking Powder and Baking Soda.
These Zucchini and Chocolate Muffins will keep fresh for 2 to 3 days. Once completely cool, they need to be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature.
I love this tip from Well Plated by Erin to use Paper Towel below and above the muffins in the container to keep them super fresh. The Paper Towels will absorb any moisture that can come out of the muffins to assure they stay fresh and don't go soggy!
Simply put a layer of paper towel at the bottom of your container and put a layer of muffin over it. Cover with another layer of paper towel and if needed, repeat the process until all of your muffins are in the container. Finish with one last layer.
One of the best thing about these muffins is that they will very easily freeze and keep fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer. To freeze these muffins, first make sure they are completely cold.
Wrap each muffin individually with a layer of wrap and aluminium foil before freezing. Alternatively, you can also individually wrap the muffins with baking paper, plastic wrap or aluminium foil, then place them in freezing bags.
When ready to be eaten, take them out of the freezer and leave them to thaw at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge overnight. You can also re-heat them in the microwave or oven for a few minutes.
More small snacks and treats
- No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
- Lemon and Blueberry Muffins
- Almond Tahini Cookies
- Easy Chocolate Brownie Bites
- Raspberry Lemon Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Spiced Pear Muffins
- Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
- Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
Made this recipe? Let us know if you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below! And don't forget to share your creation on Instagram with the hashtag #abakingjourney and tag @a.baking.journey
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150gr) Zucchinis, grated and drained - about 1 medium size zucchini
- 1/3 cup (70gr) Brown Sugar (*)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) Canola Oil (or any cooking vegetable oil)
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup (120ml) Full Cream Milk - use a Plant-Based Milk to make this recipe Dairy Free
- 1 1/2 cup (225gr) Plain Flour
- 1/4 cup (25gr) Unsweetened Cacao Powder
- 1 1/2 teasp. Baking Powder
- 1/2 teasp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup (75gr) Dark Chocolate, chopped - or Chocolate Chips
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
- Grate your zucchini and place in a sieve to drain. Try to remove as much of the moisture as possible, then set aside.
- Preheat your oven on 180'C / 350'F. Line a Muffin Tray with Paper Cups.
- In a large bowl, whisk the Brown Sugar and Canola Oil until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Eggs one at the time, then the Milk.
- In a seperate bowl, sift the Plain Flour, Cacao Powder, Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Add the to the wet ingredient and stir until combined.
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently stir in the Grated Zucchinis then the Chopped Dark Chocolate or Chocolate Chips.
- Pour the muffin batter into each muffin cup and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tip of a knife comes out clean.
- Leave to cool down completely and store in an air-tight container.See instructions above for freezing these muffins.
Bonnie says
I literally just made these and tasted one. It tastes like there is no sugar whatsoever in it.
I’m disappointed in this recipe.
I checked over and over and did not miss anything but would definitely early add white sugar and maybe some vanilla.
Maybe it’s just me.
A Baking Journey says
Hi Bonnie, sorry to hear you were disappointed in this recipe. It is a low sugar muffin recipe so it is definitely on the less sweet side, and I can understand it might not be sweet enough for everybody! You can absolutely increase the brown sugar from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup or more to suit your taste if preferred. Cheers!
Jenny Walters says
Gosh these sound darkly good. I have always wanted to try the courgette/chocolate combo and these sound perfect! Love the sound of the goats cheese and courgette muffins too! Thanks so much for bringing these delicious bakes to #BakingCrumbs
A Baking Journey says
Thank you Jenny! You definitely should try it, it is a great combo!