The best chocolate zucchini muffins actually have double the chocolate while being easily adaptable to gluten free and dairy free. I categorize them under “healthy” because they’re filled with a whole zucchini’s worth of veggies and also because I want to eat them for breakfast.

One of my favorite things about making these muffins is that they take way less time than making zucchini bread. The zucchini literally melts away in these muffins which is quite honestly, magical.

chocolate zucchini muffins on white background with chocolate chips

The best chocolate zucchini muffins

In my never-ending quest to use up a zillion zucchini from the garden, I’ve turned to my normal handy checklist to find ways use up garden veggies:

Blend it into a dip, like my babagazuk.
Put it in a salad, like my zucchini salad with fresh herbs.
Fry it, like my zucchini fries with green goddess dip.
Shred it, and here we are making muffins!

I experimented with several different baked zucchini recipes and after all those dry “meh” zucchini breads, I’ve finally come up with the best chocolate zucchini muffins recipe.

Non-toxic ceramic bakeware

I used Caraway Home’s 12-cup muffin pan for my double chocolate zucchini muffins and the results were amazing. Everything baked super evenly and I had absolutely zero sticking when I went to scoop the muffins out of the tin. Was I hoping one would stick and I’d have to eat it right away? Maybe.

I love that I didn’t have to buy and then immediately throw away disposable muffin cups. Saving money + no waste + non-toxic bakeware is a win-win for me.

chocolate chip zucchini muffin in caraway muffin tin

chocolate chip zucchini muffins on white napkin wood platter

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Ingredients and Substitutions

Zucchini: You’ll want to use a small to medium sized zucchini for this recipe, about 1 lb. No need to peel or drain! Hooray.
Chocolate Chips: Use your favorite brand of chocolate chips. You could also go for chocolate chunks, mini chocolate chips or mix it up with butterscotch if you’re fancy! I use this brand.
Flour: Any all-purpose flour will work here, OR, if you want to easily adapt these to be gluten free, use your favorite 1-1 gluten free flour sub. My favorite white flour is the Lily White by Great River Milling. Both have worked for me!
Butter: Another amazing option to make these dairy-free is to use 1-1 vegan butter substitution. I’ve had perfect results with Earth Balance.
Coconut Sugar: I don’t like things that are too too sweet and so I love to use coconut sugar as a replacement for brown sugar in most recipes. It has a much mellower flavor that compliments the cacao. You can certainly use regular sugar if you prefer that.

caraway muffin tin with chocolate zucchini muffins

Questions about making the best chocolate zucchini muffins:

Do you peel the zucchini before shredding?

Nope! Just shred those babies up and start baking.

Do I need to refrigerate zucchini muffins?

They will last longer in the refrigerator but they can also be kept room temp for a few days. All of this depends on if there are even any left over after your whole family devours them straight from the oven.

What is the easiest way to shred zucchini?

The easiest and fastest way to shred zucchini is with the shredder attachment on a food processor. If you don’t have that, you can also use a regular box grater.

Are chocolate zucchini muffins vegan?

This recipe is easily adaptable to make it vegan. Simply swap out 1-1 vegan egg replacer and vegan butter and you’ll have delicious chocolate zucchini muffins.

Are chocolate zucchini muffins gluten free?

This recipe is easily adaptable to make it gluten free. Simply swap out 1-1 gluten free flour. I do this regularly with this recipe and it works great.