Zucchini Double Chocolate Chip Muffins (w/ Almond Flour)
Decadent, rich, and made without a hint of flour or refined sugar, these wholesome zucchini double chocolate chip muffins are moist, fluffy, and super fast to make in just 30 minutes in one bowl!
5 star review
“These are one of the most delicious muffins I’ve ever had! I made them last week for my kids to have as a special snack after school on their first day of school. They loved them! And my husband said they are one of the best things he’s ever eaten. That’s big for a zucchini muffin coming from him! 😉 Thank you for this recipe! 🙂”
– Melissa
Fudgy Chocolate Muffins with Hidden Veggies That Even Picky Eaters Will Love
If you’ve ever wished your chocolate craving came with a little extra feel-good energy, this one’s for you. These chocolate zucchini muffins are fudgy, rich, and nourishing—all without feeling “healthy.” Just mix, bake, and enjoy a little moment of magic. Honestly, this is exactly the kind of recipe I reach for when I want something sweet but not overly sugary, cozy but not heavy, and secretly nourishing without any fuss.
The grated zucchini magically melts right in – I promise you probably won’t taste it! In fact, many readers who’ve made these muffins & my zucchini muffins with almond flour say their family can’t even tell there are veggies snuck into the batter! And the combo of almond flour and cocoa powder create a tender, brownie-like texture that’s deeply chocolatey and satisfying, while keeping these flourless. Maple syrup adds a subtle sweetness, and a handful of dark chocolate chips adds melty, rich pockets of chocolatey goodness. It’s perfect for lunchbox treats, afternoon snacks, or late-night bites.
Pro Tips for Success
- Less Mess: You can use a cookie scoop (or a large tablespoon) to scoop the batter into your muffin tin for perfectly portioned treats.
- Grated Zucchini: Don’t skip squeezing out the zucchini; otherwise they’ll add way too much moisture in your flourless zucchini muffin batter.
- Cool Completely: For the very best texture, the hardest part about this recipe is waiting for your freshly-baked muffins to cool before serving!
- Gimme More Chocolate: For extra chocolatey goodness, press a few additional chocolate chips on top of the batter before baking.
- Make-Ahead: I love making double batches and freezing half for later in the week. They can actually go directly from the freezer into a lunch box and will defrost by lunch!
Got leftover zucchini?
I like to grate it and stash it away in the back corner of the freezer. Bonus points if you pre-measure it, so you’ll be ready for baking even in the cold months.
Notes on Ingredients & Modifications
- Grated zucchini: Zucchini is the signature ingredient in these muffins and helps keep them extra tender, moist and filling. If you’re using these as a hidden-veggie muffin, you can peel the zucchini before grating to help the vegetable blend in. Otherwise no need to peel beforehand!
- Almond flour: Finely ground almond flour works best for these zucchini muffins and is my go-to choice for paleo baking recipes. For a nut-free option, you can substitute oat flour in place for almond flour.
- Cocoa powder: The unsweetened cocoa powder helps keep this flourless recipe extra rich, decadent and provides the extra chocolatey flavor to the batter.
- Dark chocolate chips: The dark chocolate chips are what make this a double chocolate zucchini muffin! They bring that ooey gooey chocolate texture and flavor that makes them drool-worthy.
- Coconut oil: I used melted coconut oil in this recipe, but you can substitute any neutral flavored oil in its place, such as avocado or canola.
- Eggs: I haven’t tested this as a vegan recipe with flax eggs or vegan egg replacer. If you try it, be sure to let us know how it turns out!
- Unsweetened applesauce: The applesauce adds subtle sweetness and helps keep these muffins super tender and moist.
- Pure maple syrup: I like the flavor of maple syrup in this recipe but you can also use honey as an alternative refined sugar free sweetener. You can add a bit more maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter muffin.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract always pairs well with chocolate baked goods and really helps to play up the dessert-like flavors in this muffin.
- Baking soda: Together with the eggs, the baking soda helps these gluten free muffins rise.
- Kosher salt: Look for kosher salt with the regular iodized salt at the grocery store (it has a subtler flavor). Use less iodized salt if that’s what you have on hand.
Reduce Food Waste
Look for individual-serve unsweetened applesauce cups, since each cup is typically ⅓ cup, which is the exact amount you need for this recipe.
Zucchini Double Chocolate Chip Muffins (w/ Almond Flour)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup finely-ground almond flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup loosely-packed grated zucchini
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir gently until just incorporated. Add the zucchini and stir again until just combined.
- Add in the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
- Fill each section of a 12-section muffin tin with roughly ¼ cup batter, then bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges begin to pull away from the sides and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then cool the rest on a cooling rack.
Notes
- Dairy-Free: Most chocolate chips include dairy. Be sure to use dairy-free if that’s important to you. I linked my favorite option for you in the ingredients list above.
- Nut-Free: For a nut-free version that’s still gluten-free, you can substitute oat flour in place of almond flour.
- Gluten-Free: There are so many gluten-free flour mixes on the market, but to keep this recipe easy and accessible, we use almond flour or oat flour. You can use these two flours interchangeably in many of my recipes.
- Storing: Store your cooled muffins in a tightly-sealed container at room temperature for 48 hours. Or store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Past 4 days you’ll want to freeze any leftover muffins for up to 2-3 months.
Hi there!
Can I use coconut flour instead?
Jana, sorry, no. Coconut flour is completely different than almond flour and will definitely not work as a substitute. You can use oat flour if you’re looking for an alternative.
Robin I just made these muffins. I’m sitting here eating one. Asked my husband to taste it. Now my husband does not eat or like veggies I don’t think he ever tasted zucchini. Well he liked these. Doctor has him on pills for slightly high cholesterol and pre-diabetes. I’m looking for desserts hThat will help his diet. I think this a winner. Thank you.
Sandra, this is so wonderful to hear! Thrilled that you both enjoyed (especially with the veggies added). Cheers. 🙂
Hi Robin! I just made these tonight but instead of chocolate I added cinnamon! Very delicious! Came out maybe a little too moist so I will probably need to add more (I used oat) flour but overall very pleased!! I love how there is no added sugar in this recipe.. which is pretty hard to find! Great for a healthy snack o the go. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful Theresa! I imagine the zucchini could have added extra moisture, too, so you can always squeeze it out before adding. So glad you enjoyed!
These are one of the most delicious muffins I’ve ever had! I made them last week for my kids to have as a special snack after school on their first day of school. They loved them! And my husband said they are one of the best things he’s ever eaten. That’s big for a zucchini muffin coming from him! 😉 Thank you for this recipe! 🙂
Melissa, yay, love hearing this! So happy this was a hit with you and your crew. 🙂
This recipe is delicious-just made my second batch this week! My fiancé swears that this is the best recipe
I have ever baked. Even my picky family members enjoyed them and couldn’t tell that they were on the healthier side!!
These are one of the best muffins I’ve ever had. Maybe the best!! I made a double batch for my always hungry sons and they love them. They have friends at school (teenage boys!) trying to trade parts of their lunch for them. I love that you are doing more Paleo recipes as I have transitioned to more of a grain-free lifestyle lately. Thanks for such yummy and easy recipes!
Love this, Lori. So glad these are a hit with you and your crew! 🙂
Just made these this afternoon. May have already eaten 3 :). So very yummy!
Yay Atie, so glad you enjoyed!
Hi Robyn! My kiddos really prefer mini muffins! Any idea what the bake time would be if I used a mini muffin tin instead of regular muffins? Thanks
Stephanie,
I’d aim for 12-15 for mini-muffins. Hope these are a hit!
Help! I wanna make these right now but don’t have applesauce. What can I substitute?
Rachel, mashed ripe banana would work as well.
Fantastic recipe and love the veggie component! My 5 year old loves them and normally won’t touch a veggie with a 10 foot pole. I would like them a little less sweet – would it be ok to swap some of the maple syrup for applesauce? Would the texture still stay the same? (Which is fabulous I might add!)
Betsy, yay, so happy you all enjoyed this one! You could just half the maple syrup to achieve a less sweet muffin–no need to add applesauce since it will change the moisture content.
Could I use a GF flour instead of almond flour? Almond flour is so expensive now.
Hi Miranda, I haven’t tested it, but I think it will work. GF flour can be drier than almond flour, but since there’s zucchini in this recipe I think it will balance out. If you give it at try let us know how it turns out!