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!
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.
Why You’ll Love These Muffins
- Healthy Ingredients – Muffins are a great way to “sneak in health”. Fruit is a popular choice, think orange 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 buttermilk 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 or chocolate beet cake 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!
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Ingredients Needed
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.
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Step-by-Step Directions
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.
Step 2: Grate your zucchinis with a box grater or food processor to release excess moisture.
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.
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.
Step 5: Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, folding gently.
Step 6: Fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips for that extra bakery-style richness.
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
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 muffin mix recipe. 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. |
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Did you make this double chocolate zucchini muffin recipe? If so, please leave a star⭐️rating and your comments in the recipe card below (this really helps me out)… then, snap a photo and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see! I love getting a glimpse of what you all make in your kitchens.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Recipe
Equipment
- box grater or a food processor
- measureing utensils
- Mixing Bowls or whisk
- Electric Mixer
- Mixing Spoon
- Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 3 whole eggs Learn how to store and preserve farm-fresh eggs here.
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract Learn how to make vanilla extract here.
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt I love Redmond Real Salt. Use code “Pioneering” for 15% off
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- 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.
- Grate your zucchinis with a box grater or food processor to release excess moisture.
- 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.
- 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.
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, folding gently.
- Fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips for that extra bakery-style richness.
- Divide the batter into muffin tins and bake for 18–22 minutes. Check for doneness at 18 minutes. You can alternately pour the batter into prepared bread pans and bake for about 40 minutes to make a loaf of chocolate zucchini bread. Test with a toothpick—it should come out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a cooling rack. Allow to cool and then take a bite of chocolatey, bakery-style goodness!
Notes
| 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. |
Moist, chocolatey, not too sweet. They rise perfectly.
How do you remove water from frozen grated zucchini? Before or after frozen? Can’t wait to try this recipe as I have frozen to use from 2024. Grands love zucchini muffins and this one looks amazing!
Do you squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini when making the bread or leave it as is?
Hi! I can’t use regular flour. Can I substitute it for almond flour and if so do you know if it’s the same 2 1/4 cups for almond flour?
Holy smokes these are amazing! Thank goodness I over planted zucchini!
What can I sub for the applesauce, don’t have any right now.
Thank you !
Melted butter or oil.
Yummy stuff lady!
Thanks so much for sharing!!
For muffins would you bake at 350 for 20 minutes?
Yes, between 18 to 20 minutes is when I check mine.
Ok…I do not like coffee at all(not even coffee ice cream), but it is in the recipe. Any suggestions?
Just use water or milk instead.
Sounds delicious! can’t wait to try it. My oven quit on me and I love to bake. I must get my dutch oven out to bake this cake, one day. How did the pioneers do it way back then? I would like to think I could “hang” with them, but I’m not so sure, I love my A/C and Heater! I like making zucchini fritters, even my kids love them. just shred them up and all I add is salt pepper and flour to make it stick together and fry them in a little oil until brown and crispy on both sides.
Sarah,
Those zucchini fritters sound great! I’m the same way, even with the skills I have I know I’d be in for a lot bigger education if I had to do it all the real pioneer way.
[…] My picky child gave the zucchini the thumbs up! That doesn’t happen very often with veggies. We also made this zucchini pizza crust and really enjoyed it. And of course our double chocolate zucchini bread. […]
Love the twisty tie idea! Why did I never think of it???
[…] Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread From Melissa K. Norris […]
[…] Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread from Pioneering Today […]
Yum! I’m growing zucchini for the first time this summer, so I can’t wait to try this. Plus, your trick of saving 2 cup batches in one bag using a twist tie is nothing short of inspired. I NEVER in a million years would have thought of that, but I will use it a TON from now on! Thanks!!
Laura, zucchini is a great crop. It’s so versatile. One of my favorite ways to eat it is to grill it with a just a brush of olive oil and sea salt.
Yummy! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! It is really moist and fudgy tasting. We ate it for dessert one night and breakfast the next.