Name: Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Ingredients: 2 cups grated zucchini; 3 whole eggs; 1 cup butter (melted); 1/4 cup brewed coffee; 3 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup sugar; 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour; 3/4 cup cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Love the rich, decadent taste of bakery muffins but not the hefty price tag? These healthy double chocolate zucchini muffins deliver all the flavor of a bakery treat right in your own kitchen—and at a fraction of the cost!

Double chocolate zucchini muffins cooling on a rack.

With their perfectly moist texture, rich chocolate-chocolate chip flavor, and a sneaky veggie twist, they’re guaranteed to be a favorite, even with picky eaters.

This recipe can also be used as a gluten-free alternative when using your favorite gluten-free flour.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love These Muffins

Close up shot of a double chocolate zucchini muffin.

Healthy Ingredients – Muffins are a great way to “sneak in health”. Fruit is a popular choice, think healthy cranberry muffins (made with fresh or dried cranberries), peach muffins, or raspberry cream cheese muffins. But, vegetables “hide” well in muffins, too. Our family loves blueberry zucchini muffins, these healthy pumpkin muffins, and of course, double chocolate zucchini muffins.
Improved Texture – Thanks to two cups of grated zucchini, these muffins are incredibly soft and tender without feeling dense. They hold their texture and flavor for up to a week, though you likely won’t have any hanging around that long because, seriously, they’re that good.
Double the Chocolate – Chocolate chip zucchini muffins are delicious, but for those die-hard chocolate lovers, the combination of cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips gives them a rich, decadent chocolate flavor that rivals your favorite grocery store, bakery, or coffee shop. (You chocolate lovers might enjoy this easy chocolate wacky cake recipe too!)
Better Than the Bakery – I love bakery muffins with their delicate texture and indulgent flavor, but what I don’t love are the artificial ingredients and hidden additives. This recipe yields a bakery-worthy result without inferior ingredients.
Inexpensive – It’s worth mentioning that bakery muffins come with a hefty price tag. This recipe saves money, too!

Ingredients Needed

Double chocolate muffin ingredients: zucchini, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, vanilla, melted butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, sugar and chocolate chips.

A full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

Unbleached All-purpose Flour – Fresh ground soft white wheat flour works wonderfully; see my post on how to grind your own flour, or you can use your favorite gluten-free flour blend, too. Pro-Tip: Check out my tips for successful gluten-free baking here.
Cocoa Powder – To release the full chocolate flavor, mix the cocoa powder with the melted butter and hot coffee in a separate bowl. Blend to release the oils in the cocoa powder, and add this mixture to the remaining wet ingredients.
Melted Butter – You can substitute coconut oil for dairy-free. I prefer to use half of each.
Brewed Coffee – You won’t taste the coffee, but it does enhance the chocolate flavor. Brewed espresso works, too.
Granulated Sugar – Do not substitute a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup. The added moisture will throw off the texture of this recipe. You can use a 1:1 sugar-free alternative such as monkfruit.
Vanilla Extract – Learn how to make vanilla extract here.
Grated Prepared Zucchini – Choose fresh and firm zucchinis for the best taste and texture. Follow the steps in the instructions to prepare your zucchini. If your preferred method of preserving zucchini is freeze-drying, refer to the “baked goods” notation in “ways to use zucchini” of my freeze-drying zucchini tutorial.

Step-by-Step Directions

Hands stirring together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder in a bowl.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). If you are not using muffin liners, grease muffin tins or loaf pans.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside.

Hands grating a fresh zucchini with a box grater.

Step 2: Grate your zucchinis with a box grater or food processor to release excess moisture.

Hands squeezing excess moisture from shredded zucchini.

Step 3: Prepare your zucchini for baking! Using your hands, squeeze out your zucchini. Then, use a paper towel to squeeze the shredded zucchini of remaining water. This is important, so don’t forget!

Pro-Tip: A large zucchini will provide about 6 cups grated. I grate all my zucchini at once and store it in two-cup portions in the freezer.

An electric mixer whisking eggs, vanilla, sugar and melted butter together.

Step 4: In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a fork or stand mixer until foamy. Add melted coconut oil (or butter), brewed coffee, sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.

Hands folding wet and dry muffin ingredients together in a bowl.

Step 5: Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, folding gently.

Hands folding shredded zucchini into a bowl of chocolate muffin batter.

Step 6: Fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips for that extra bakery-style richness.

A scoop filling the wells of a muffin tin with muffin batter.

Step 7: Divide the batter between 12 muffin tins and bake for 18–22 minutes. Check for doneness at 18 minutes.

For a loaf: Alternately, pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for about 40 minutes to make a delicious loaf of chocolate zucchini bread. Test with a toothpick—it should come out clean.

Step 8: Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a cooling rack.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Tips

Double chocolate zucchini muffins in an airtight container ready for storage.

Follow these muffin-making tips to achieve bakery-style muffins that are soft and moist with a tender crumb.

Detail	Tip
Prepare Your Zucchini	One common mistake people make when baking with zucchini is failing to prepare your zucchini properly. Follow the preparation method in the recipe instructions to properly prepare your zucchini. This step is crucial to avoid soggy muffins.
Measuring	Use proper measuring utensils to accurately measure your ingredients, and spoon and level your flour instead of scooping it from the container. Using too much flour is the top reason muffins come out dense.
Bloom the Cocoa Powder	This requires an extra step but really enhances the chocolate flavor. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder with the melted butter and hot coffee. Blend to release the oils in the cocoa powder, and add this mixture to the remaining wet ingredients.
Mixing	Bring your wet ingredients to room temperature and mix your wet and dry ingredients separately before mixing them together. Don’t use an electric mixer when combining wet and dry ingredients. You could overdevelop the gluten, resulting in dense muffins or large holes in the crumb.
Filling	Do not overfill your muffin tins. For mini muffins, fill 1 Tbs of batter per cup; standard muffins are about ¼ cup, and jumbo muffins are about ½ cup of batter per cup. Pro-Tip: Use a cookie scoop for ease of filling.
Baking	Don’t open the oven door, or the muffins may deflate. To check if they are ready, insert a toothpick into the center of one muffin. If it comes out clean with no wet batter, they have finished baking.
Storage	Before storing your chocolate zucchini muffins, make sure to cool completely. Then, store them at room temperature in airtight containers for up to a week.
Freezing	To freeze, place cooled muffins in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to thaw, simply remove the desired number of muffins from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature.
Extras	Press a few extra chocolate chips on top of the muffins for a prettier presentation. Sprinkle the top with sparkling sugar for an added touch.
Time Saver	This recipe works with my homemade muffin mix. Just use 2 1/4 cups muffin mix in place of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and reduce the sugar in this recipe to ½ cup.