Chocolate Zucchini Muffins | Vegan
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are made with wholesome ingredients and absolutely no eggs or dairy which makes them completely vegan and delicious!
Believe me, I know. When you think of delectable chocolatey muffins, zucchini is not the first thing that comes to mind, but I’m telling ya’ these are crazy good!
You’ll love these chocolate zucchini muffins because they’re…
- Chocolatey
- Perfectly sweet
- Moist
- Made with wholesome ingredients
- Vegan & oil-free
- Insanely satisfying
- Great for brunch, breakfast, or snack
Here in North Carolina, zucchini can usually be found in the grocery store year-round. And, if it’s summer, and you happen to have zucchini blowing up your garden, it is a perfect time to make these healthy zucchini muffins to eat and even freeze for later.
If you really have a LOT of zucchini and are looking for more recipes, this Zucchini Bread is pretty amazing too.
How to make chocolate zucchini muffins
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
These healthy vegan muffins are easy to make and can be eaten fresh, and they can even be frozen for later if desired.
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F and then getting all of your ingredients together.
You’ll need some fresh zucchini either from the local grocery store or farmer’s market. Better yet, maybe your garden is overflowing with it.
Make sure to wash the zucchini thoroughly to prepare for use in this muffin recipe.
I like to leave the peelings on the zucchini for a number of reasons. Since zucchini is quite watery when grated, having the peeling makes it much easier to hang onto during the grating process. It also adds lots of healthy insoluble fiber.
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Grate 1 to 1.5 cups of zucchini that will be used a bit later. Set the grated zucchini to the side while you prepare the batter.
In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients–whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and less-refined dry sugar (if using). Other options for sweetening are date paste or maple syrup.
If you plan to make these with date paste or maple syrup, save those for the wet ingredients in the next step.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients–applesauce, plant milk, vanilla, vinegar, and date paste or maple syrup (if subbing out for the dry sweetener).
Pour the well-blended wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and stir well. Then fold the chocolate chips and grated zucchini into the batter.
For scooping the batter into a muffin pan, I have found that a trigger-lever ice cream scoop is perfect. It allows you to do this effortlessly without needing to use a spoon or your finger to scrape the spoon with each dollop.
There are a couple of different options for pans. I sometimes use a metal muffin tin pan lined with paper muffin cups. Other times, I like to use my non-stick silicone muffin pan that allows me to bake without a drop of oil or cooking spray. Simply plop the muffin batter into the cups, place it on a baking sheet for support, and they’re ready to bake.
Place muffin pan in the oven to bake at 350°F for approximately 25 minutes. Test for doneness by pushing a toothpick into the center of one of the muffins. When it comes out clean, the muffins are ready.
Allow to cool and serve these for a delicious brunch or snack that the whole family will love.
Tips for making this muffin recipe
- Don’t skimp on the large bowl size. I love having enough room to combine the dry and wet ingredients with plenty of stirring room.
- These muffins are not gluten-free, but this link to the Minimalist Baker will help adjust it for those who want to give it a try.
- Test the doneness of the muffins after 20-25 minutes with a toothpick inserted into the middle of one. When the toothpick comes out clean, they are ready.
- If you decide to use a muffin pan for mini muffins, reduce the cooking time to about 15 minutes.
- Leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. These muffins also freeze well.
More great vegan muffin recipes
- Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Banana Oat Muffins
- Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
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If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins | Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup less refined sugar brown sugar, maple syrup, or date paste
- 1.5 cups applesauce
- 1/2 cup almond milk or other plant milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 full cup grated zucchini
- 3/4 cup or more dairy-free chocolate chips optional
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 2. In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, salt, brown sugar (if using).
- 3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients–applesauce, plant milk, vanilla, vinegar, and date paste or maple syrup (if subbing out for the dry sweetener).
- 4. Pour the well-blended wet mixture into the large bowl with dry ingredients.
- 5. Add grated zucchini and chocolate chips to the bowl and mix well.
- 6. Spoon or scoop batter into a silicone muffin baking non-stick pan or paper muffin cups. I recommend the silicone pan because these seem to stick to paper cups after baking.
- 7. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- 8. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and serve for breakfasts or a snack.
Equipment
Video
Notes
Tips for making this muffin recipe
- Don’t skimp on the large bowl size. I love having enough room to combine the dry and wet ingredients with plenty of stirring room.
- These muffins are not gluten-free, but this link to the Minimalist Baker will help adjust it for those that want to give it a try.
- Test the doneness of the muffins after 20-25 minutes with a toothpick inserted into the middle of one. When the toothpick comes out clean, they are ready.
- If you decide to use a muffin pan for mini muffins, reduce the cooking time to about 15 minutes.
- Leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. These muffins also freeze well.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
If I use date paste, how much?
Hi Alle- I have had success using date paste at approximately 1:1 ratio when substituting for sugar in most baking recipes, so 1/2 cup should be about right for this one.
Hi! I have questions about the grated zucchini. First of all, do you mean “finely grated”? Also, should the grated zucchini be squeezed until most of the moisture is gone or is that moisture important for the recipe to be moist enough? thank you!
Hi Janet- There is a picture in the article of my grated zucchini to give you an idea of texture that might help. I don’t squeeze my grated zucchini but keep the moisture for the muffins. Hope you enjoy them!
These muffins are awesome. I love anything chocolate. I had them for breakfast but they can pass as dessert! Very easy to make. I used a large muffin pan and cooked them for 25 minutes. I got 9 big muffins! Thanks Teri…it’s a great recipe.
Hi Beverly- I love reading your great review of this recipe! Thanks so much, and I’m glad that you enjoyed them. 🙂
So easy to make and loved by all – even the non plant-based picky eaters! Used a non-stick muffin pan and they were perfect.
Hi Melissa- I am so happy that you enjoyed these muffins. Thank you for the terrific feedback!
Hi! What do you mean by “grate”? My grater has 4 sides, from tiny to large grate size. Also, do you squeeze out the water from the grated zucchini until it’s dry? Thank you!
Hi Janet- I use an old-style grater like the one pictured in the article. It’s a smaller cut, if you want to take a peek. I leave the water in the zucchini rather than patting it dry. The wetness helps the muffins moist.
Can you substitute the zucchini for bananas instead?
Hi Charlene- This is a great banana version that can be turned into muffins.
I have frozen grated zucchini I need to use. Should I squeeze any of the moisture out of it?
Hi Tammy- Yes, I would definitely defrost it and then squeeze all the water out before using it in these muffins. Great idea to freeze it!
Hi! Thank your for your great recipes. I have found that using date paste makes muffins a little gummy. Any tips? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks!
Hi Susan- Perhaps using date sugar rather than date paste would be a good option. That’s what I usually use when baking.
I did the zucchini chocolate muffins going in oven now smells good I varried the recipe with ingredients I had and I’m sure they will be great I like zucchini going to try the bread next
I made these for my granddaughter who is a picky eater. Just for her. She saw the batter with the green stuff on the side of the bowl, and asked, ” What’s the stuff….?” I told her it was to help the muffins to be more moist. She loved them, and ate them gratefully. A big thumbs up from her. Literally. So , thank you, Terri. They are even better the next day! I used 1/2 maple syrup and half brown sugar . I doubled the batch and it was so very good! Also, I used half oatmeal flour and half whole wheat. So very good , Terri! Thx!!!
Hi Kim- I’m thrilled that your granddaughter gave this recipe the thumbs up. That’s awesome!
So so good when you want a snack. My hubby eats SAD so I need to have snacks and desserts ready for myself when he pulls out the bad stuff at night. These are so good and filling, I’m very thankful for you and this recipe!
Hi Judy- Wonderful! So glad that you like the muffins! These are one of my favs too!
Can the wheat flour be substituted with Chickpea flour or other?
Hi Mary- I think oat flour would be a great gluten-free substitution for the wheat flour.