These healthy chocolate zucchini muffins are super-moist and fluffy, without the use of flour or oil, and they’re so easy to make. I can’t think of a tastier way to eat zucchini.
Inspired by my Flourless Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins that I made last fall, I decided this would be a tasty way to use up some of our summer zucchini. The chocolate hides the zucchini almost completely, so any picky family members might not even notice it’s in there! (My 3-year-old son had no idea.)
Health Benefits of Zucchini
Zucchini is a great source of vitamin C (just one medium zucchini has 50% of your daily vitamin C needs!) and manganese, which is thought to contribute to healthy bones, and also contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids and plenty of fiber. I love sneaking zucchini into recipes, as its flavor is mild and can go completely unnoticed, like in my Dairy-Free Chocolate Cheesecake and Bean-Free Zucchini Hummus.
Summer squash is particularly high in the fiber pectin, which is a polysaccharide that has been linked to naturally lowering cholesterol and improving cardiovascular health. Pectin fiber (which is also found in apples) may also help to reduce inflammation and protect against insulin resistance.
Because this recipe calls for no flour, it’s also higher in protein and lower in sugar than traditional recipes. It makes a filling snack or treat, and if you leave out the optional dark chocolate chips, it’s free of refined sugar, too. (Feel free to cacao nibs as a sugar-free alternative!)
I hope you’ll enjoy these rich chocolate zucchini muffins soon. They’d make a great breakfast on the go, or fun after-school treat! (I think they’d freeze well, too.)
These fluffy chocolate muffins are naturally gluten-free and sweetened with coconut sugar. Made with almond butter and eggs for a high protein treat, with a sneaky serving of zucchini.
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 1 cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a standard muffin tin with 12 baking cups. (I use these reusable silicone muffin cups)
Pour the shredded zucchini into the center of a dish towel, cover with the towel, and press firmly to remove some of the excess moisture. Transfer the squeezed zucchini into a large bowl.
To the zucchini, add in the almond butter, coconut sugar, cacao powder, eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Stir well until a thick batter is formed, then fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
Divide the batter among the 12 baking cups, and top with a few additional chocolate chips, if desired. Bake at 350ºF until the muffins have risen and feel firm to a light touch, about 20 minutes. (Your kitchen should smell like brownies when they are done!)
Remove the pan from the oven and let them cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. You can serve them warm or cold, but I think they have the best flavor when they are at room temperature.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Recipe Notes:
- I don’t recommend swapping flax eggs for real eggs in flourless recipes like this, because the results are usually really gooey and under-baked in texture. (If you don’t mind that, go for it!) I’ll be working on a vegan alternative, so stay tuned.
- If zucchini is out of season where you live, try these flourless chocolate pumpkin muffins instead.
- Any nut or seed butter should work well for this recipe. I’ve tested it with peanut butter and almond butter, and both worked well. (I imagine sunflower seed butter or tahini would work as a nut-free option, too.)
- I haven’t tested this recipe with a liquid sweetener, like maple syrup or honey, so I’m not sure how that will work for you, but my best guess is that 1/2 cup of honey would replace the coconut sugar just fine in this recipe– the results might be slightly more moist.
As always, if you make a modification, please let us know how it worked for you in the comments below so we can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite way to use zucchini?
KAREn
My favourite is just like what you do. Chocolate zucchini cakes, zucchini fritters, quiches, spaghetti sauce, Soups, they are aweSome in smoothies sonce they really are pretty tasteless. I Also like to add it to home made apple sauce. (Or butternut squash puree with lots of cinnamon) My mother taugh me to do that as a way to “stRetch” out the applesauce.
Rachel
looking forward to the vegan version!
Kara
Megan, did you know trader joes has the nibs for1.99? They will order for you if they do not normally stock. Also, they hAve preshreddeD zucchini in the frezer section. Im not sure why my ipad is typing in caps noW… im not yelling… these muffins look great! Just want you to save time and money 😊
Megan Gilmore
Wow, thanks for letting me know! I’ll have to check that out next time I’m at Trader Joe’s!!
stephanie
Thank you for this recipe! This might just be the ticket to getting out the door on time during the first week of school next week! 🙂
Kathryn Lloyd
I can hardly wait for the eggless version! ! ! ! ! They look Delicious.
jengen
Though zucchini is plentiful, we have more yellow squash than what we know what to do with. Megan do you think the two are interchangeable in this recipe?
pet1234
Made these last night with cashew butter (since that’s what I had). these are amazing.
Pat
Are you using unsalted almond butter?
Milissa
These muffins look so delicious and beautiful. When I first glanced at the recipe, I was super excited because I didn’t see the eggs listed. We try to eat a mostly plant-based diet, but I do buy eggs laid by humanely raised, pastured chickens…as these eggs are nearly $7 a dozen, I am loathe to use them in my baking adventures. However, these muffins are just too tempting. I am planning a blog post about back-to-school life and have been searching for recipes that can serve as nutritious breakfast, snack or lunch box items, and these muffins would fit all three categories. I will sacrifice our precious eggs for this recipe. Provided i do them justice, would you mind if I take a photo of them and include them in my post with a shout out to you and a link to this recipe? I think they’d make a great addition to the recipes I’ve already got lined up!
Megan Gilmore
Yes, you can always share a link back to my recipes! I appreciate you thinking to include them.
Mary
I’m making these right now. One batch with sun butter and a second batch with cashew butter. I only used a half cup of sugar. This recipe is so easy. Thank you for posting it. Just wondering if a serving size would be one muffin if eating for a snack. Thanks.
amanda
Just made these using local honey and peanut butter in place of coconut sugar and almond butter and they turned out amazing! Even the kids loved them! Definitely our new goto for all of our garden zucchini…Thanks!
Heather
Hey Amanda, did you replace the 3/4C coconut sugar with the same amount of honey? I love this idea as I don’t typically have coconut sugar.
JULIE Armstrong
Will be making these muffins tomorrow with honey. Will let you know how it goes
amanda
Excellent recipe! I replaced the 3/4 c sugar with 1/2 c maple syrup, and I used peanut butter. Everyone loved them, including the kids. Thanks for the recipe!
Megan Gilmore
Thanks for sharing! Glad everyone enjoyed them!!
Teresa
I don’t even know where to start with these, but I’ll try… First off, I love having yet another use for the gobs of zucchini we’ve been getting from our garden (yahoo). Second, they’re chocolate, so immediate yum factor. Third, the almond butter gives them a quasi-gooey texture, which is pure awesome. We’ve been enjoying them as a breakfast muffin, as well as a dessert. It really doesn’t get much better than that. Thanks once again, Megan!
Brenda
I love this recipe, they are absolutely delish, even my husband agree! Actually I like all of your Recipies I have made!
I want to share that when I was making these I was trying to multitask…it didn’t go well. After I placed them into the oven I saw the 2 eggs sitting on the counter that was meant to go into the muffins🙄They still came out delish, more fudgey which my husband and I both like. So I learned a lesson and also was so happy I didn’t ruin my muffins! Lol
Megan Gilmore
Ha, that’s good to know that they weren’t ruined without the eggs! Perfect for any vegan friends. 🙂
Paul
I cut back to 1/8 c. coco sugar (+ chopped dark chocolate), and they were still fabulous.
Jo
Can these be made ahead of time and frozen?
Natalie
I’ve made this recipe today and I simply lovehese muffins!!!.
I’ve used peanut butter instead of almond butter and half raw sugar, half raw honey as sweetener because coconut sugar is a bit hard to find here; the result? They’re soft and taste delicious, that’s why my family loves them.
I just wanna thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe!
I think I’m going to make almond flour banana bread tomorrow.