Rich, moist, and chocolatey, these vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are the best way to use up all of your extra zucchini. Freezer friendly and easy to make gluten free!

2 chocolate chip zucchini muffins piled on top of each other

Can you think of a better way to eat vegetables than when they’re baked into a chocolate dessert? I can’t!

My Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are incredibly fudgy and moist, just like your favorite vegan chocolate cake or double chocolate cookies. The only difference? These muffins are chock-full of grated zucchini to give them a boost of nutrients and moisture.

You’re going to love that these vegan muffins made with zucchini and chocolate chips don’t taste like vegetables. The subtle flavor of the grated zucchini blends right into the chocolatey batter and makes the muffins extra moist. It’s a great alternative when you don’t want to add more oil or vegan butter into the batter.

If your garden is overflowing with more zucchini than you know what to do with, make a double batch of these vegan zucchini muffins and my 1-bowl Zucchini Bread as well. Both are freezer-friendly so you can enjoy rich and soft desserts all summer long!

Closeup on chocolate zucchini muffins in a muffin tin

How to make chocolate zucchini muffins

Your muffin tin is lined, the oven is preheating, and the zucchini is grated and drained. It’s time to get these muffins going!

Whisk all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate medium bowl. Fold the grated zucchini into the wet ingredients.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide the muffin batter into the lined muffin cups, sprinkle the tops with extra chocolate chips, and bake.
The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave them to cool completely, then enjoy!

4 images showing the steps to making chocolate zucchini muffin batter

Baking with zucchini

There are a few tips you need to know if you’re baking with zucchini for the first time. To begin, grate the zucchini finely either using a box grater or food processor. Small pieces of zucchini baked into the muffins will help each one bake evenly and result in a much softer and enjoyable texture.

You’ll need to strain the grated zucchini of as much moisture as possible to ensure your muffins turn out decadent and rich. After grating, place the zucchini in a fine mesh strainer and gently press it down to drain the excess water. If you don’t have a strainer, wrap the zucchini tightly in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much water as you can over the sink.

unbaked chocolate batter in a lined muffin tin

Tips and substitutions

Sweetness – If you’d like the muffins to taste less sweet, use slightly less sugar in the recipe. If you’d rather they taste more sweet, add more sugar!
Gluten free – Swap the all purpose or whole wheat flour for a gluten free 1:1 flour blend instead.
Walnuts – For an added crunch, add in ½ cup of chopped walnuts into the batter.
Oil free – Replace the oil in the recipe with ¼ cup of applesauce instead.

baked chocolate chip muffins in a lined muffin tin

How to store

Double chocolate zucchini muffins stay fresh in a sealed container at room temperature for 2 days. To keep them longer, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

unwrapped baked chocolate muffin with chocolate chips on top

Can you freeze zucchini muffins?

Yes! Vegan zucchini chocolate chip muffins freeze so well and make for a quick and delicious snack. Just freeze the baked and cooled muffins in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and let them thaw first or pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before snacking.

unwrapped chocolate muffin with a bite out of it

Want more vegan muffin recipes?

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