Name: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ((stir, spoon & level)); 2 cups granulated sugar; ½ cup cocoa powder ((I use Hershey's Special Dark)); 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp baking powder; 3 large eggs; ½ cup milk; 1 cup oil ((canola/vegetable)); 1 Tbsp vanilla extract; 2 cups shredded zucchini (lightly packed (1-2 small zucchinis)); 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins have double the chocolate, with cocoa powder and chocolate chips in the batter. They’re unbelievably moist, delicious, and a great recipe to use up zucchini. Enjoy these double chocolate zucchini muffins for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. They freeze well too!

Plate full of chocolate zucchini muffins with chocolate chips.

Zucchini Recipes

Got lots of zucchini from the garden? My favorite way to use it is in desserts like Chocolate Zucchini Cake or Lemon Zucchini Bread.

So I took my chocolate cake recipe, removed the frosting, added chocolate chips and turned it into chocolate zucchini muffins! Perfect for a quick breakfast or on-the-go snack.

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Of course if you want to keep zucchini savory, we like to shred zucchini and carrots and cook them up as a side dish.

A chocolate zucchini muffin with a bite taken out showing melted chocolate chips on the inside and a moist crumb.

How To Shred Zucchini

This recipe for chocolate zucchini muffins uses 2 cups of shredded zucchini. I like to use my food processor (affiliate link) with the shredding attachment to make it super quick and easy.

Be sure to cut off the stem and end of the zucchini before shredding it. You can leave the skin on. Depending on how large the zucchini is, you may need to cut it to an appropriate size that will fit through the feeding tube.

For large zucchinis, I would quarter it, and scrape the seeds out before shredding it.

Place the shredding attachment inside the food processor, then attach the lid.
Remove the feeding tube pusher and insert the zucchini. Apply pressure to the zucchini in the tube with the pusher.
Turn the food processor on and push the zucchini down the feeding tube with the pusher. Carefully add additional pieces of zucchini, using the pusher to feed it through to the shredding blade. Do not overfill the bowl.
Turn machine off, carefully remove parts, and scoop out the shredded zucchini with a spatula.

NOTE: If your zucchini is especially large or watery, you will want to place it in a fine mesh strainer and press it with a spatula to drain the water out before adding the zucchini to the muffin batter. You can even wrap the shredded zucchini in a kitchen towel, twist the ends, and squeeze the water out. But I have found if the zucchini is smaller, I don’t need to strain it at all. A little water (a Tablespoon or so) is ok.

Food processor with shredding attachment taken off and shredded zucchini inside.

To Make the Zucchini Muffins

After the zucchini is shredded, all you have to do to make these chocolate zucchini muffins is to:

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Then fold in the zucchini.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop the chocolate zucchini muffin batter into paper lined muffin tins. Bake and enjoy!

Cooling wrack with double chocolate zucchini muffins.

Step 1- Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Bowl of labeled ingredients for chocolate zucchini muffins: Flour, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Salt, Baking Soda, and Baking Powder.

Step 2 – Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Then fold in the shredded zucchini.

Labeled ingredients for chocolate zucchini muffins: Eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, shredded zucchini, and chocolate chips.

Wet ingredients mixed together in a bowl with the shredded zucchini.

Steps 3 & 4 – Combine Ingredients and Bake

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine, then fold in the chocolate chips.

Fit muffin pan(s) with paper liners. Use a #24 scoop to fill each cup 2/3 full. Can sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top, if desired.

Bake chocolate zucchini muffins at 350˚F for 20-25 minutes. For high altitudes, bake at 400˚F for 18-20 minutes.

Muffins are done when the cake springs back when touched or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffin batter in a bowl with a spatula and scoop next to a muffin tray with paper liners and batter scooped inside.

Storing Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Allow the double chocolate zucchini muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Place muffins in an airtight container. I like these rectangle containers (affiliate link) for muffins and cupcakes. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Top view of cooling rack with chocolate zucchini muffins with chocolate chips inside.

Can I freeze these muffins?

Yes! These chocolate zucchini muffins freeze well. Just place them in a freezer safe container with parchment paper between the layers or place them in a freezer safe zip-top bag and freeze up to 3 months.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins