Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (with Almond Flour)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Aug 14, 2017 (last updated Apr 13, 2026) 
These chocolate zucchini muffins are made with almond flour, cocoa powder, and dark chocolate chips for a rich, fudgy texture that tastes more like a brownie than a typical muffin. The grated zucchini blends right in and keeps them moist without adding any detectable flavor. Gluten free, no refined sugar, and ready in about 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 without feeling “healthy.” This is exactly the kind of recipe I reach for when I want something sweet but not overly sugary, cozy but not heavy, and nourishing without any fuss.
The grated zucchini magically melts right in, I promise you won’t even taste it! The combo of almond flour and cocoa powder creates a brownie-like texture that’s deeply satisfying, while keeping these flourless. Maple syrup adds a subtle sweetness, and a handful of dark chocolate chips at the end adds melty pockets of chocolatey goodness.
They’re perfect for lunchbox treats, afternoon snacks, or late-night bites, like my chocolate chip banana bread muffins that follow the same gluten free approach. And for another classic zucchini bake without the chocolate, my oat flour zucchini bread is a great make-ahead option that uses a similar one-bowl method.
Tips from My Kitchen to Yours
- Don’t skip squeezing out the zucchini, too much moisture in the batter will throw off the texture of the whole muffin.
- Finely ground almond flour makes a real difference in the final texture here. For a nut-free option, swap in oat flour.
- Pressing a few extra chocolate chips on top of the batter before baking is the move here to make them look and taste like they came from a bakery.
- Let the muffins cool completely before digging in. The texture sets as they cool, so it’s totally worth the wait.
- Sometimes I double the batch and freeze half for later since these freeze beautifully and can go straight from freezer to lunchbox, defrosted and ready by noon.
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (with Almond Flour)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan (or any neutral oil such as avocado or canola oil)
- 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 zucchini, grated and loosely-packet
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for topping
Equipment
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line a muffin tin.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: 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.
- Bake: 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.
- Cool: Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then cool the rest on a cooling rack.
Notes
- Zucchini: Peeling the zucchini helps them bake right into the batter, but skip this step if you’re not trying to hide the veggies.
- 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!
Delicious muffins! Great texture and perfect amount of sweetness!!
Amy, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed these zucchini muffins! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review.