Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
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Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are deliciously decadent and loaded with chocolate and freshly shredded zucchini. This one makes perfect gifts and your friends are going to want the recipe!
Try my Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Muffins next!
Best Zucchini Muffins
My mom loved baking, and this recipe was one of her regulars. She made gigantic muffins, and we could have one and not feel so guilty (for not eating two). We were known to eat them straight from the oven with a big dollop of butter, because that’s what Norma Jean taught us.
Have more zucchini than you can possibly eat? Try my Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins, Chocolate Banana Zucchini Bread, or the best Honey Cinnamon Zucchini Bread!
A Perfect Gift
One year for Christmas, I made several batches of this, and made it into loafs instead of muffins. I gave a loaf to all of my girlfriends, with the recipe attached. It was THE recipe of the winter, and I’m sure I ate well above my quota that season.
If you decide to make loafs instead of muffins, you will need to up the baking time to close to 50 – 60 minutes. Just watch them closely, and take them out of the oven when the center is still just a tiny bit soft. Don’t over-bake.
Ingredients Notes:
- Zucchini – I shredded about 2.5 cups of zucchini for these muffins, or about 1.5 medium zucchini. Leaving the skin on is just fine!
- Chocolate – There are two types of chocolate in these – 1) a 4 oz. bar of unsweetened chocolate and 2) about one cup of chocolate chips (plus more for the tops of the muffins).
- Dry Ingredients – Flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- Wet Ingredients – Eggs, oil, some applesauce, and vanilla extract.
How to make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins:
Step 1
Shred zucchini. Use a food processor or a veggie chopper to shred the zucchini. A box grater works as well.
Step 2
Mix the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add to the zucchini and stir.
Step 3
Melt chocolate. Break up the chocolate bar and add to a microwave safe bowl. Melt at 50% power for short increments until creamy, stirring frequently. Be careful to avoid overcooking because the chocolate will get stringy.
Step 4
Add chocolate to wet ingredients. Add the chocolate to the wet ingredients and stir well.
Step 5
Add dry ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients – the sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Stir again.
Step 6
Add chocolate chips. Add a couple of teaspoons to the chocolate chips and stir. (The flour will help them not sink to the bottom of the muffins.) Add them to the muffin batter and stir gently.
Step 7
Fill muffin tins. Spoon the batter into a regular muffin tin lined with muffin liners. Add batter to almost the tops of the liners.
Step 8
Bake. Bake muffins in a preheated 350 degree oven until done in the center, about 22 minutes. Be careful to avoid over-baking. I like to remove them from the oven when the tops are just a little soft on top.
Step 9
Cool. Let the muffins sit in the tins for about 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skimp on the zucchini. That’s what makes them SO moist.
- Be careful when melting the chocolate to avoid burning it. I always cook for two minutes at 50% power in the microwave and then let it sit a bit before stirring. If you overcook it, it will be stringy and the muffins won’t be chocolatey.
- Add a teaspoon or two of flour to the chocolate chips before adding them to the mixture. This will ensure that all the chips don’t sink to the bottom of the muffins. I also added a few chips to the top for presentation.
- Watch the oven really closely when they are close to being done. We like the centers just a tiny big gooey.
Enjoy!
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs – at room temperature
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 ½ cups shredded zucchini
- 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate bar – melted
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips – plus two teaspoons of flour
Instructions
- * NOTE: I recently adjusted this recipe. Instead of two cups of sugar, I used 1.5 cups. And instead of one cup of oil, I used 3/4 cup and added 1/2 cup of applesauce.
- Shred zucchini. Use a food processor or a veggie chopper to shred the zucchini.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the zucchini and stir.
- Melt chocolate. Break up the chocolate bar and add to a microwave safe bowl. Melt at 50% power for short increments until creamy, stirring frequently. Be careful to avoid overcooking because the chocolate will get stringy.
- Add chocolate to wet ingredients. Add the chocolate to the wet ingredients and stir well.
- Add dry ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients – the sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Gently stir again.
- Add chocolate chips. Add a couple of teaspoons to the chocolate chips and stir. Add them to the muffin batter and stir gently.
- Fill muffin tins. Spoon the muffin batter into a regular muffin tin lined with muffin liners. Add batter, filling to almost the tops of the liners.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until done in the center, about 22 minutes. Be careful to avoid over-baking. I like to remove them from the oven when the tops are just a little soft on top.
- Cool. Let the muffins sit in the tins for about 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Don’t skimp on the zucchini. That’s what makes them SO moist.
- Be careful when melting the chocolate to avoid burning it. I always cook for two minutes at 50% power in the microwave and then let it sit a bit before stirring. If you overcook it, it will be stringy and the muffins won’t be chocolatey.
- Add a teaspoon or two of flour to the chocolate chips before adding them to the mixture. This will ensure that all the chips don’t sink to the bottom of the muffins. I also added a few to the top for presentation.
- Watch the oven really closely when they are close to being done. We like the centers just a tiny big gooey.
Your muffins are soooo much better than anything I’ve ever purchased from our local specialty bakeries! Both your lemon cupcakes and these chocolate zucchini muffins are my absolute favorites!
Thanks Cathy!
These muffins are probably the best I’ve ever tasted. They literally melt in your mouth. If you haven’t tried them, you should make go them right NOW!
Also, in case you didn’t know, my mom is THE SueBee Homemaker. As a kid, she made me gourmet meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Yup, I’m lucky! 🙂
(Mom, if you’re reading this, I’m going to start calling you once a week.)
Wow, Zach! I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins and I’m also anxious to hear from you soon! 🙂
Mom used to put these on the table for breakfast, whenever we came home for a visit, and my mouth can taste them just thinking about it. Y’all have to try them!
You should really make them for your family sometime, Jackie! 🙂
I have!! And I will again 🙂
So delicious and “healthy”, which is a good reason to have more than one.
Well, they do have zucchini in them! 🙂
These are excellent!!! This recipe is a keeper! Thanks so much!
Thanks Christine! I’m so glad you like them!
Amazing Recipe. I’ve tried it at home. Everyone liked it so much. Thank You so much!!
Hi Kunal! I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins. Thanks for your sweet comments! 🙂
YUM! These muffins look so delicious and moist!
I hope you try them, Natalie! 🙂
These are the bomb and won’t last long! Get them when they are warm!
OMG! Break out the elastic waist pants!! These are SINFULLY DELICIOUS!!!
Ha! Glad you like them. Need to buy zucchini!! 🙂
Tastes Great !Thank you
You’re so welcome!