You’d never guess these incredibly moist 100% whole grain Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins have zero oil and are packed with veggies! Whip up a batch for easy healthy breakfasts on-the-go.
It’s zucchini season, yo!
How are you celebrating? Fritters? Pie? Pancakes? Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread? I’m here for it.
Muffins are my favorite thing to make for easy grab-and-go snacks during the week. Like before a workout when I have a hankering for something chocolatey. Or after dinner when I again, have a hankering for something chocolatey.
Or for breakfast when, ya know. Chocolate.
I used to make Happy Herbivore’s Chocolate Zucchini Muffins alllll the time back in college. Such a staple!
All I know is having a boatload of zucchini, ripe nanners, and whole wheat pastry flour on hand made it all just so meant to be. I knew I wanted them to have a bit less sugar, so why not nix the almond milk and applesauce and triple the banana?
And since they’re oil-free, why not substitute some of the pastry flour for almond meal? Because…MOISTURE.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Use extra ripe bananas! The ripest bananas you have will get you the most natural sweetness bang for your buck. Mine were pretty much black.
A bit of coconut sugar helps round out the cocoa powder.
Add filling fiber and antioxidants with whole wheat pastry flour while keeping the texture of this healthy muffin recipe light and fluffy. It also makes the flavor less “wheaty,” but regular whole wheat flour and of course all purpose flour works fine, too. I would recommend this flour to make it gluten-free.
Since this recipe is oil-free, the almond flour adds the perfect amount of moisture.
Add chocolate chips for the maximum chocolate flavor! You could also use walnuts or leave them out completely, but that’s not living now is it? I get the big bag from Costco (you can buy them on Amazon, too).
Tools to Make Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins:
- I love this easy to clean muffin tin. I also have this one with a convenient lid for storage or transport!
- These silicone baking cups are a LIFE SAVOR. They make clean up a breeze. No more scrubbing the muffin tin!
- Muffin scoop for easy portioning.
- Genius two-sided measuring spoons that stay together in the drawer and take up less space.
How to Store and Freeze Muffins
Store muffins in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to two days, or in the refrigerator for up to five days. Freeze muffins for up to 3 months.
I recommend freezing them on a lined baking sheet or plate and then once frozen, pop them into a freezer baggie. To reheat, microwave straight from the freezer until warm and enjoy!
Craving more muffin mania? I got you! Try my other foolproof muffin recipes.
- Vegan Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Fluffy Orange Muffins
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Fluffy Pumpkin Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
When I took these beauties out of the oven, I was worried they wouldn’t be as good as the original. I worried they’d be too wet or too dry. OH NO.
They were BETTER. I immediately texted my fiancé (ahhh, what a word!) and told him how I’d just laid mouth on the best muffin I had ever made. I told him he should hurry his hiney over here to try one while they were hot and melty.
Really living my best life over here. I love that good food can take you to another place. Like music. Go ahead. Let these divine muffamillions take you to the moon!
Print
Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (Oil Free!)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Snack, Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
You’d never guess these incredibly moist 100% whole grain Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins have zero oil and are packed with veggies! Whip up a batch for easy healthy breakfasts on-the-go.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 small over-ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 heaping cup grated zucchini (don’t squeeze water out)
- 1 tbsp non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used mini) + more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin tin/line with silicone baking cups and set aside.
- Place flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl, stirring until combined.
- Place bananas in a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Add zucchini and almond milk, and vanilla.
- Pour half of dry mixture into wet mixture stirring just until combined. Repeat with the rest of the dry mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Fill sprayed muffin tin evenly with batter (I use a muffin scoop). Top each muffin with additional chocolate chips. Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
STORAGE: Store muffins in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze muffins for up to 3 months.
Just saw somebody else’s recipe for zucchini chocolate bundt cake (with eggs and oil), calculated the calories on myfitnesspal, and then decided to back the eff up. So happy that I ran across this recipe just 10 minutes later!
Perfect muffins on the first try. Girl that is a good day. And I love that you don’t have to squeeze the water out of the zucchini. That alone makes this recipe a winner!!
Perfect muffins on the first try. Girl that is a good day. And I love that you don’t have to squeeze the water out of the zucchini. That alone makes this recipe a winner!!
These are awesome muffins. When it cools down here in Austin, I am cooking up a batch.
These are awesome muffins. When it cools down here in Austin, I am cooking up a batch.
I can’t wait to sink my teeth into one of these beauties!! Nothing like chocolate to make you feel better about yourself. 🙂
I can’t wait to sink my teeth into one of these beauties!! Nothing like chocolate to make you feel better about yourself. 🙂
The stars are definitely aligned when your baking experiments come out perfect on the first try…at least for me haha! Can’t wait to try these! Might try to make then gluten free.
The stars are definitely aligned when your baking experiments come out perfect on the first try…at least for me haha! Can’t wait to try these! Might try to make then gluten free.
Would I need to make any changes to bake it into a loaf instead? Looks delicious
Would I need to make any changes to bake it into a loaf instead? Looks delicious
Hi! This looks so yummy and meets …..almost…. all my dietary restrictions. I need to make this totally grain free. To replace the cup of wheat flour—any idea how to substitute with coconut and/or more almond flour?
Try almond meal and let me know how they turn out! I’d leave out the almond milk and keep it a scant cup of zucchini. Maybe bake a bit longer? Hopefully they work well!
Hi! This looks so yummy and meets …..almost…. all my dietary restrictions. I need to make this totally grain free. To replace the cup of wheat flour—any idea how to substitute with coconut and/or more almond flour?
Try almond meal and let me know how they turn out! I’d leave out the almond milk and keep it a scant cup of zucchini. Maybe bake a bit longer? Hopefully they work well!
What kind of chocolate chips do you use?
Thank you for the recipes and ideas- you are so creative!
Awww thanks! I just used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips that were Kroger brand. I love Trader Joe’s chocolate chips too!
What kind of chocolate chips do you use?
Thank you for the recipes and ideas- you are so creative!
Awww thanks! I just used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips that were Kroger brand. I love Trader Joe’s chocolate chips too!
We loved these!…except my banana-adverse son. Do you think anything could be used in place? Applesauce?
You could try pumpkin or applesauce but add more sweetener!