Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Listen up party people. Zucchini is about to be blowing up your gardens and therefore I plan on blowing your mind with my very famous annual #AKZUCCHINIWEEK starting sometime this August. We’ll celebrate all things zucchini with breakfast, sweets, savory meals and maybe even an epic cake.

Let me just say that if you’re thinking that you would never put zucchini in a baked good, it’s time to get out of your comfort zone because these muffins are MIND-BLOWING and full of chocolate love with zero zucchini taste.

I love when vegetables can taste like chocolate, don’t you?

Remember my skinny banana chocolate chip zucchini muffins from a few summers ago? Or how about these chunky monkey zucchini muffins? Probably one of my favorite muffins on my blog.

I say that about every muffin I put on this blog though, so think what you will.

Chocolate zucchini muffin ingredients

You would think that the average zucchini bread or muffin would be healthy, but most recipes call for more than a cup of sugar and at least a 1/2 cup of oil. Healthy fats are absolutely wonderful but I’d rather put them on top of my muffin (like a big scoop of peanut butter). So I thought I’d try my best to make healthy chocolate zucchini muffins with nutritious, good-for-you ingredients, yet still keep them tasting amazing and moist. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Zucchini: of course, this veggie adds an insanely amount of moisture to the muffins. Shred it up, squeeze it of all excess moisture with a paper towel, then use it in this recipe.
• Banana or applesauce instead of lots of oil: leeps the muffins moist and adds natural sweetness. I prefer to use mashed ripe banana, but applesauce will also work well.
• Honey or pure maple syrup instead of sugar: I love using all natural sweeteners in baking and honey or pure maple syrup will work in this recipe.
• Coconut oil: you’ll just need a bit of coconut oil to add moisture to the muffins.
• Almond milk: delicious and dairy free. I’m cool with that. Feel free to use any milk you’d like.
• Egg: I like to use an egg for a boost of protein, but I think a flax egg would work if you are trying to keep these vegan.
• Whole wheat pastry flour: probably the best wheat flour out there. You can’t even tell these muffins are whole-grain. You can also use a gluten free all purpose flour or oat flour if you prefer.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: cocoa powder is my favorite way to boost chocolate flavor in recipes. I like using this brand. If you want a more nutritious alternative, you can try cacao powder (I use it all the time!)
• Chocolate chips: feel free to use regular or mini chocolate chips, dairy free if desired.

How to make healthy chocolate zucchini muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and generously spray inside of liners with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Squeeze shredded zucchini of excess water with a paper towel. This is important, so don’t forget!
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add coconut oil, honey/maple syrup, vanilla, egg; mix on medium-low until smooth and well combined. Add in zucchini, banana (or applesauce) and almond milk; mix again. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
5. Evenly divide batter into prepared liners. Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. After 5 minutes, remove muffins and transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Tips for making healthy chocolate zucchini muffins

• Squeeze out ALL of the extra moisture from your zucchini. This will ensure that they bake up well and aren’t too moist.
• Use an extra ripe banana for the perfect amount of sweetness. The more brown spots the better!
• Be careful not to overmix the batter. Mix the flour into your wet ingredients until it’s just combined. If you overmix the batter your muffins may turn out dense and almost rubbery, which we don’t want.

Freezer-friendly chocolate zucchini muffins

These healthy chocolate zucchini muffins are freezer-friendly! Wrap muffins individually in freezer-safe bags or store them in a large freezer bag. When you’re ready to enjoy them, reheat for 30-45 seconds in the microwave or simply thaw them at room temperature.

These chocolate zucchini muffins would be perfect for breakfast, an afternoon treat, or even dessert. You can even bake these as bars or as a bread, but of course you’ll need to adjust baking times. Dollop these with a big tablespoon of peanut butter and prepare to fall in love!

See how to make these chocolate zucchini muffins:

I hope you love these healthy chocolate zucchini muffins! If you make them I’d love for you to leave a comment and rating letting me know how you liked them. Enjoy xo!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Avocado Chocolate Frosting

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Glaze

Grain Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread (2 different ways!)

Healthy Marbled Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread

The Best Zucchini Brownies You’ll Ever Eat