This chocolate zucchini muffin recipe hits the spot in the morning with a balance of green veggies, healthy fats, and delicious chocolate goodness. These really are the perfect way to start your day!
If your first thought is… “Wait, aren’t these muffins glorified chocolate cake?” The answer is… maybe a little. But eating chocolate cake for breakfast isn’t the most outlandish idea.
One study actually showed that people who ate chocolate cake for breakfast lost more weight and maintained that weight loss compared to folks whose breakfasts were, well, super boring. I’m paraphrasing, of course. You can read more about that study here.
So there. I’ve given you permission to eat chocolate zucchini muffins at 6:45 am.
You’re welcome.
Why Zucchini is So Awesome
Let’s face it: the zucchini part of “chocolate zucchini muffins” is the real winner. It’s what brings green veggies to the breakfast table.
Personally, I love zucchini with or without the chocolate. But the same can’t be said for everyone else in the house.
During zucchini season, we can easily get overrun with fresh zucchini. Even though I love baked zucchini – there can be too much of a good thing. That’s where these delicious muffins come in.
And did you know zucchini is actually pretty nutritious? It really doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Kale gets all the love these days, but our friend zucchini really has a lot to offer.
Zucchini is rich in:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B6
- Riboflavin
- Folate
- Potassium
- Manganese
- Vitamin K
Zucchini may also:
- Provide anti-inflammatory benefits to the digestive system. (source)
- Improve thyroid, adrenal, and insulin regulation. (source)
Now that we’ve determined that both chocolate and zucchini are awesome, here are some tips for making these muffins extra delicious:
The Key to Deliciously Moist Muffins
These zucchini muffins reach their peak of flavor and moistness after sitting overnight.
I’m really not kidding. They taste so much better, you’ll regret eating the one you gobbled down when the batch was fresh (I know, sometimes I can’t help myself either). It’s completely worth the wait.
So instead of worrying about cooking these first thing in the morning, make your muffins the night before and store them in an airtight container overnight.
You’ll thank me in the morning. 😉
Love chocolate? Then you’ll also love my homemade healthy chocolate hazelnut spread.
Recipe Tips + Questions
Hide the Zucchini
If you want to go super stealthy and completely hide the zucchini in this muffin recipe, I recommend shredding it very fine. I like mine at a medium shred, but you can do super fine and the recipe will still turn out delicious.
Mix Well
Spend an extra moment or two getting the zucchini well-mixed into the batter. I recommend folding the zucchini into the batter with a silicone spatula.
You don’t want to overdo the mixing, but you also want to eliminate “pockets” of zucchini so the moisture and flavor are dispersed evenly throughout the muffins. This makes for the best bake and perfectly moist muffins.
Freeze for Long-Term Storage
Did you know you can freeze muffins? You can! Store these chocolate zucchini muffins in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight so you can grab-n-go in the morning.
Substitute Ideas
You can substitute half of the oil in this recipe with Greek yogurt or applesauce if desired. If you do this, you can also cut back to 1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut sugar. This will reduce the calories, sugar, and fat (if that’s your goal).
Whole wheat flour can easily replace the all-purpose flour in this recipe – no need to change any measurements.
“Can you taste the zucchini?”
I promise, these muffins taste like crazy delicious chocolate breakfast cake – if you don’t tell anyone, no one will guess there’s zucchini in them! These are truly 100% kid-friendly, from toddlers to teens.
“Why chocolate zucchini muffins instead of bread?”
While chocolate zucchini bread is also mouth-watering, I chose to go with a muffin recipe because muffins are more “to-go” friendly and a little less messy to store and eat. They are also perfectly portioned, so I don’t end up slicing off an accidentally-way-too-big piece for myself. 😉
“Why no chocolate chips?”
Most recipes for chocolate zucchini muffins call for chocolate chips, but I found this recipe works incredibly well without any chocolate chips.
With only cocoa powder, they are still perfectly rich and moist and chocolate-y. I don’t normally keep chocolate chips in the house, but I always have cocoa powder on hand, so it makes this recipe easy to bake on a whim.
RELATED: My Metabolism-Boosting Coffee Breakfast Smoothie
If you try these chocolate zucchini muffins, please rate this recipe below and share it so your friends can enjoy it too! For more of my recipes, remedies, and lifestyle tips, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Homemade Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Deliciously moist and not too sweet – these chocolate zucchini muffins are the perfect way to get everyone to eat more greens!
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 2 tsp organic vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour ((I use Einkorn flour))
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini ((or about 2 medium-sized))
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds ((optional for topping – substitute walnuts or pecans if you prefer))
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
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Lightly grease your muffin tin (or use some parchment cupcake liners like these). I use this stainless steel muffin tin since I’m not a fan of non-stick pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar and coconut oil on medium-low speed until creamy (about 30-60 seconds).
- Add eggs and vanilla, mixing on low until just blended.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together your dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt).
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into your egg mixture and mix on low until just moistened.
- Add shredded zucchini and fold in until it’s evenly mixed.
- Fill muffin tin cups about 2/3 full with batter. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes.
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Allow muffins to cool completely before eating. I recommend cooling overnight in an airtight container for peak moistness and flavor.
- These can be stored in an airtight container for about 3 days at room temperature, or about one week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
- Use finely shredded zucchini to “hide” it better.
- Substitute half of the coconut oil with Greek yogurt or applesauce, if desired.
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