Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

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Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins — These muffins are incredibly chocolatey without being too sweet. They’re studded with mini chocolate chips and packed with grated zucchini. Warning: these are addicting! 

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins on countertop with mini chocolate chips

The BEST Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

These chocolate zucchini muffins are wonderfully chocolaty, and anytime I can eat chocolate for breakfast, I’m happy. And when a recipe is on the healthier side, even better. There’s no dairy, no butter, and only 1/4 cup oil in the entire batch!

These zucchini bread muffins are easy to make and you don’t need a mixer. They’re extremely soft, tender, and moist all thanks to zucchini. If you’ve never baked with zucchini before, this is the recipe to start with.

If you’re not a zucchini fan, I promise you can’t taste it. I think it’s fairly neutral-tasting and takes on the flavor of the ingredients it’s prepared with, but my family has keen tastebuds for zucchini and they couldn’t detect it. I recommend finely grating the zucchini with a box grater. It incorporates better both in terms of texture and undetectable flavor when it’s finely grated.

Love Zucchini Recipes?

If you loved these double chocolate zucchini muffins, you’re bound to love my classic zucchini bread recipe as well!

two Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

What’s in Chocolate Zucchini Muffins? 

For this easy zucchini muffin recipe, you’ll need:

  • Grated zucchini
  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Baking soda 
  • Salt
  • Egg
  • Silk Dark Chocolate + Walnut Nutchello
  • White vinegar
  • Vegetable oil
  • Vanilla extract
  • Boiling water
  • Mini chocolate chips

This is the perfect recipe to have on hand during the warmer months when zucchini is in season! Make a big batch and share some with your neighbors — they’ll love you for it!

Is There a Nutchello Substitute I Can Use? 

To intensify the chocolate flavor, I used Silk Dark Chocolate + Walnut Nutchello. However, this product is no longer available. Instead, feel free to use another of Silk’s non-dairy milks in this. Their regular soy, almond, or coconut milk would work well in these chocolate zucchini muffins, as would regular chocolate milk. Use whatever you can find! 

three Chocolate Zucchini Muffins next to bottle of Silk Nutchello

How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

To make these chocolate zucchini muffins, you’ll first need to grate the zucchini. Then, add the wet ingredients to one bowl and the dry to another. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then stir in the zucchini and boiling water. Note that the batter will be very thin! 

Stir in the mini chocolate chips, then divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake the zucchini muffins until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for a few minute in the tins before removing them (otherwise you might break them). 

holding half of a Chocolate Zucchini Muffin

How to Freeze Muffins

If you have a lot of zucchini to use up, make a few batches of chocolate zucchini muffins and freeze them for later! To do so, let the muffins first come to room temperature, then pop them into a zip-top bag and freeze.

When you’re ready to eat the frozen muffins, either nuke them in the microwave for 30 seconds or let them come to room temperature on your countertop.

I like having frozen muffins on hand for quick afternoon snacks or grab-and-go breakfasts. These muffins are so flavorful on their own that you don’t need to worry about adding toppings to them (although these taste amazing with a little peanut butter on them!). 

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins - NO dairy or butter and only 1/4 cup oil in the entire batch!! Promise you CANNOT taste the zucchini but it keeps the muffins so soft and moist! Love sneaking in extra veggies with lots of CHOCOLATE!!

Tips for Making Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

First and foremost, the water MUST be boiling when you add it to the batter. Hot tap water won’t cut it here — you actually need to boil the water in a kettle. It makes a big difference, trust me! 

Also, if you don’t have white vinegar on hand, another neutral vinegar (like apple cider vinegar) will work. Just don’t use a really flavorful vinegar like balsamic in this recipe, since that would alter the flavor of the muffins. 

To make these chocolate zucchini muffins prettier, I like to sprinkle a few more mini chocolate chips on top before baking them. It just adds a little something, and makes these zucchini bread muffins seem even more decadent. 

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins — These muffins are incredibly chocolatey without being too sweet. They're studded with mini chocolate chips and packed with grated zucchini. Warning: these are addicting! 


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4.35 from 32 votes

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

By Averie Sunshine
These muffins are incredibly chocolatey without being too sweet. They're studded with mini chocolate chips and packed with grated zucchini. Warning: these are addicting!ย 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 13 muffins
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Ingredients  

  • 1 cup finely grated zucchini, measured loosely laid and not packed in the cup (from about 1 medium zucchini)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ยพ cup granulated sugar
  • โ…“ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ยผ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 large egg
  • ยฝ cup Silk Dark Chocolate + Walnut Nutchello, Silk Soy, Almond, or Coconutmilk, or chocolate milk, may be substituted
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • ยผ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ยฝ cup boiling water
  • ยฝ cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
  • about 12 teaspoons semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, divided

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan with liners; set aside.*
  • Grate the zucchini on the fine blade of a box grater; set aside.
  • To a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and whisk to combine; set aside.
  • To a medium bowl, add the egg, Nutchello, vinegar, oil, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
  • Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir to combine; donโ€™t overmix but take care to make sure all dry bits are incorporated at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Add the zucchini and stir to combine.
  • Add the boiling water and stir to combine. Batter will be thin.
  • Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.
  • Fill each muffin liner 3/4 full. Some of mine were a bit fuller than 3/4 because the batter is thin and was โ€˜pouring fastโ€™ but itโ€™s okay because the muffins donโ€™t rise a ridiculous amount.
  • Evenly top each muffin with a generous pinch of mini chocolate chips, about 1 teaspoon per muffin.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes or until tops are domed, set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool muffins in pan on a wire rack for about 10 to 15 minutes or until you can remove them. Muffins will keep airtight at room temp for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Notes

*Note: I had enough batter for about 13 to 14 muffins, but opted to make a mini loaf that I baked alongside the 12-count muffin pan because my oven is too small for two large pans at once. Do whatโ€™s most convenient or discard excess batter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 248kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 159mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 23g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Even More Zucchini Dessert Recipes:

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache — The best zucchini cake ever!! Soft, moist, and you can’t even taste the zucchini! Tastes like a yellow bakery cake drenched in chocolate!!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache - The best zucchini cake ever!! Soft, moist, and you can't even taste the zucchini! Tastes like a yellow bakery cake drenched in chocolate!!

Carrot Zucchini Bread — Fast, easy, one bowl, no mixer!! Super soft, moist, and tastes so good you’ll forget it’s on the healthier side!!

Carrot Zucchini Bread - Fast, easy, one bowl, no mixer!! Super soft, moist, and tastes so good you'll forget it's on the healthier side!!

Zucchini Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Glaze – Soft and moist with a special ingredient!

Slices of Zucchini Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Glaze  on a blue plate

Banana Zucchini Pudding Cake with Vanilla Browned Butter Glaze – The softest, moistest cake ever! So easy and the glaze is heavenly!

Banana Zucchini Pudding Cake with Vanilla Browned Butter Glaze - The softest, moistest cake ever! So easy and the glaze is heavenly!

Post is brought to you by Silk. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own. #Nutchello @LoveMySilk

4.35 from 32 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. “Discard excess batter” what no wayyyy !!! Wasting is not good :(
    If I have excess sometimes I just keep it in the fridge for a few days and bake up a nice treat for myself a bit later :) or you can freeze it I think
    The muffins look chocolatey and spectacular !! And healthy enough for breakfast. Mini chocolate chips are so underrated. These also eminded me of the banana zucchini muffins I made recently which were pretty tasty :)

    1. Some people get panicked and worried and write to me…what should I do with the excess batter? Ummm I don’t know…use it, or discard it :) so I tend to be very explicit in my directions!

      Glad the banana zucchini muffins were tasty for you!

  2. I’ve had some zucchini in my freezer just chillin’ with nowhere to go. Now I know where it’s going to go. Is it o.k. to eat these for breakfast?

  3. I am also a happy girl any time I can have chocolate for breakfast! Have not tried Nutchello yet, but this recipe is a great one to start with! My husband is not a fan of zucchini, and I have a feeling he’d never know the difference if I made these muffins for him. Tons of chocolaty goodness!

  4. That milk sounds AMAZING!! And these muffins, I love my zucchini in desserts better than for dinner. Gotta try them!

  5. I’ve seen this milk on several blogs but never in the store! ย I know it isn’t like nutella, but the name is so close…..and that’s probably why I want to try it so badly. ย :D

  6. Ooh I love sneaking zucchini into desserts! These would be great in the summertime when the zucchini just won’t stop :-)

  7. This looks really good, as I’ve never tried a baked good with zucchini before, but I’ve read and reread this recipe. I think I’m missing when to add the zucchini. Am I being a doof, or is it not listed when? Please advise on where to add it. Thanks! Saving this recipe though?

    1. Right in step 6. You’re going to love baking with zucchini and I hope you try the muffins!

  8. I’ve been eyeing up Nutchello but haven’t yet tried it. ย Here’s hoping for a good zucchini crop this summer! ย I love your muffin recipes. ย :)

  9. Chocolate and zucchini are a match made in heaven! Which is something I never thought I’d say considering I’m not keen on zucchini on its own. These look great, Averie. And I just wanted to give you a head’s up that I think you left the flour out of the instructions.

    1. Fixed :) and no one in my family could detect the zucchini and they’re very sensitive to it so I think you’re safe!

  10. I love a not-so-sinful version of baked goods as long as texture isn’t sacrificed. These look incredible!! I am always curious about the boiling water. It’s usually called for in chocolate mayonnaise cake recipes also. I need to check out that nutchello–it looks pretty good!

    1. I know – something about boiling water and chocolate cakes. Especially recipes that have been around for years and years. It always seems like an ‘old-fashioned’ thing but it works like a charm here!

  11. Oh man, I love anything with zucchini, and I love the texture it gives baked goods. And these muffins look so incredibly moist! I’ve been wanting to try the Nutchello, so here’s a reason to do it!