Rich and fudgy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins with double the chocolate! Serve these for breakfast, dessert or a midnight snack. And don’t forget to make a few extra to stash in the freezer for later!
Some years my garden goes wild with zucchini. I never complain because it means more Zucchini Bread and Blueberry Zucchini Muffins to fill my freezer. Today’s chocolate zucchini muffin recipe is an all time favorite!
Why this Recipe Works
If you haven’t tried zucchini muffins with chocolate yet, what are you waiting for? This is the only recipe you’ll need to make fudgy chocolate zucchini muffins for any occasion! Be sure to try our Chocolate Zucchini Bread if you prefer a slice!
- Amazingly moist. Shredded zucchini and sour cream bring plenty of moisture to these chocolate muffins.
- Double chocolate. With cocoa powder in the batter and extra semi sweet morsels, this recipe gets a thumbs up from chocolate lovers. A secret ingredient makes the chocolate flavor even richer.
- Easy clean up. The batter for chocolate zucchini muffins gets mixed together in one bowl. No toppings, frostings or glazes to mess with either.
- Freezer friendly. These hold up beautifully in the freezer for up to 3 months.
While many people love savory zucchini recipes, like zoodles and zucchini roll ups…save some of this delicious vegetable to add to desserts too!
Ingredient Notes
- Espresso powder. Our secret ingredient! Adding just a little deepens the cocoa flavor in these muffins. It doesn’t make them taste like coffeee at all. We buy ours on Amazon!
- Shredded zucchini. Use a standard box grater or a food processor fitted with a grating attachment to shred zucchini. If using frozen zucchini, be sure to press out all the extra liquid. Use our guide on how to shred zucchini for more detailed instructions.
- Sour cream. Plain Greek yogurt can be substituted if preferred.
Easy Instructions
- Combine the wet ingredients. Mix together eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt and espresso powder. Mix with the wet ingredients until combined.
- Add zucchini. Fold zucchini and chocolate chips into the batter.
- Bake. Divide the batter into greased muffin tins and sprinkle on a few more chocolate chips. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature and bake for another 15.
Let the chocolate zucchini muffins cool completely before enjoying!
Tips & Tricks
- How to freeze. Slide cooled muffins into a gallon sized zip bags and freeze. When ready to enjoy, let thaw overnight.
- Fudgier muffins. Warm thawed muffins in the microwave for 10 seconds for an extra fudgy tasting chocolate muffnin.
- Recipe makes 24 muffins. Perfect for a crowd or for freezing. Feel free to cut the recipe in half to make an even dozen.
- Skip the chocolate. Make a batch of our delicious plain zucchini muffins for a perfect breakfast treat. Our Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffins are also a delicious fall treat.
- Add a glaze. Whether you drizzle with a simple icing, or top with chocolate ganache, you can’t go wrong with “more”!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, frozen zucchini can be used, but squeeze out the excess moisture before measuring.
A few exgtra morsels on top make these muffins look even more appealing. You can skip this step and fold them right into the batter if you prefer.
We have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour, so try at your own risk.
Store zucchini muffins in airtight container at room temperature for several days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Zucchini Bundt Cake
- Zucchini Banana Bread
- Orange Zucchini Muffins
- Zucchini Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Blueberry Bread
Favorite Muffin Recipes
See all Muffins recipes
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Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- 3 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided 11 ounce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray two 12-count muffin pans with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until blended. Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Mix until combined.
- Fold in zucchini and 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Using a large scoop (about 1/4 cup batter), fill each muffin tin nearly to the top. Top with remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake for 5 minutes. While keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce oven temperature to 350 degree F. Continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
- If freezing, cool completely. Slide each muffin carefully into a gallon sized ziploc bag (I can fit 9 per bag nicely) and freeze for several months. Place on room temperature counter to thaw overnight (still in bag).
- For extra deliciousness, heat muffin for ten seconds in the microwave to give it a warm, fudgy texture!
Notes
- Adding the Espresso Powder does NOT make it taste like coffee. It just brings out the richness of the chocolate. I use this one from amazon!
- How to freeze. Slide cooled muffins into a gallon sized zip bags and freeze. When ready to enjoy, let thaw overnight.
- Fudgier muffins. Warm thawed muffins in the microwave for 10 seconds for an extra fudgy tasting chocolate muffnin.
- Recipe makes 24 muffins. Perfect for a crowd or for freezing. Feel free to cut the recipe in half to make an even dozen.
- Skip the chocolate. Make a batch of our delicious plain zucchini muffins for a perfect breakfast treat.
Nutrition
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are rich and sweet enough to serve for dessert. . . but totally delicious for breakfast too! Enjoy friends over coffee or eat them on the go. Eaten right away or frozen for later, these easy muffins are the BEST way to use that garden zucchini.
These muffins look so delicious and very rich! My chocolate lovers are going to love how delicious these muffins are. I love using fresh zucchini in my baking, so yummy! Can’t wait to make these again!
We loved these so much! I am so glad i froze a few of them for later too.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing chocolate zucchini muffins recipe! It tasted really delicious and super easy to make! Highly recommended!
Delicious moist chocolate yummy muffins. I used paper liners and the muffins stuck. I’ll just spray the pans next time. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
These are so yummmm!! I love how easy your recipe is and the muffins are so soft n moist.
Oh my gosh, these are FANTASTIC! Will definitely make again!
Can I sub applesauce for the oil?
These muffins look super tasty and chocolatey! I can’t WAIT to try them!
I need to try these NOW!!! I love this idea!
These look so chocolaty and delicious! I’m going to have to make them soon 🙂
These would disappear in our house!
I freeze my shredded zucchini,as I have so much. Should i squeeze out water from zucchini,when I unthaw to use in recipe?
Yes definitely squeeze out the extra moisture. You’ll still need a full amount of zucchini for this recipe, so make sure you’re aware of that 🙂
So many great ideas to use zucchini in our Fall baking! And these muffins look incredible!
Chocolate in zucchini Muffins is the way to go! Can’t wait to use all my garden zucchini to make these!
Zucchini, pumpkin and peppermint are the trifecta of fall flavors! These look amazing and I love that these are freezer friendly. Not like delicious things ever last long in my freezer, but I like having that option :). Thanks, Aimee!
Fantastic way to get my kids to eat more veggies… They don’t even notice the zucchini!