Satisfy your sweet tooth and make use of your extra zucchini with these simple and satisfying gluten free chocolate zucchini muffins! The fresh zucchini makes for an extra moist crumb perfectly hidden in two forms of chocolate. This recipe is naturally gluten and nut free and has been tested with dairy free and egg free options as well.

How to Make these Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Just like the chocolate zucchini bread recipe I based these muffins off, these muffins are a no brainer!

When it comes to equipment you can keep it minimal with just a couple of mixing bowls and a box grater, or power up with a stand mixer and food processor for mixing and grating.

Either way – this recipe comes together in little time without too much effort. Before long you’ll be biting into one of these moist and tender, double chocolate muffins!

Key Ingredients

The ingredient list is made up of ingredients you likely already have stocked in your gluten free kitchen. If not, they can usually be found in most major grocery store chains.

• Shredded Zucchini – Adds extra moisture without flavor.
  • Use a regular box grater (cheese grater) or food processor with a fitted grating attachment.
  • A kitchen scale will help you get the more accurate conversion and measurement for the zucchini.
  • As a general rule of thumb for measuring grated zucchini: One loosely-packed and blotted measuring cup of zucchini weighs about 4 oz or 115 grams. This is the amount I use in all my zucchini recipes. While the excess moisture is useful for hydrating the batter, too much can make for soggy muffins.

• Gluten Free All Purpose Flour – Most gluten free all purpose flour blends should work here.
  • I have made these zucchini muffins using both my homemade gluten-free flour blend and Doves Freee Gluten Free Plain White Flour. Both turned out great with consistent results.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Needed for the rich chocolate flavor.
  • Make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder and not dutch processed cocoa powder.
• Baking Soda + Baking Powder – Adds lift.
  • The baking soda is required to react with the yogurt (more on that below). Gluten free muffins usually need a little extra help though which is why you also need baking powder.
• Xanthan Gum – Needed for binding and retaining moisture.
  • If your gluten free flour blend already contains xanthan gum then you don’t need to add more xanthan to the batter.
  • The muffins I tested without xanthan fell apart quite easily so I do recommend you include it here.

• Eggs or Flax Eggs – For moisture and binding.
  • I tested this with regular chicken eggs and with a flax egg.
  • The only noticeable difference is that the vegan zucchini muffins were less domed as they didn’t rise as much.
• Yogurt (dairy free if needed) – Adds protein, moisture and lift (better texture + more rise).
  • Yogurt is a Baker’s BFF. Chemically speaking: yogurt is an acid and baking soda is a base. When combined in the oven, the two react and form carbon dioxide bubbles helping baked goods rise up.
  • Including yogurt also means you can add less oil to the batter (reduced fat and calories).

Steps

A quick summary of the steps required to make these double chocolate chip zucchini muffins:

1. Grate the zucchini and set aside to add later.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl until combined.
3. Mix together the wet ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the dry then combine.
5. Stir in the zucchini then add the chocolate chips.
6. Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups (preferably with muffin liners).
7. Bake, cool and enjoy!

Freezer Friendly

These muffins are freezer-friendly!

After baking, allow them to cool completely then wrap individually in freezer-safe bags.

When you’re ready to enjoy, reheat for about 30-45 seconds in the microwave for a quick thaw or leave them in the fridge overnight.

More Delicious Zucchini Recipes To Check Out

If you still have spare squash hanging around this zucchini season – can I interest you in a delicious muffin?

In case you’re looking for more ways to use up your zucchini you might be interested in sorting through a few of my other baked zucchini treats:

• Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies – GF & Vegan
• Banana Zucchini Muffins
• Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
• Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
• Chocolate Chip Almond Flour Zucchini Cookies
• Almond Flour Paleo Zucchini Brownies
• Vegan Zucchini Brownies

Also be sure to check out my list of 55+ gluten free zucchini recipes!

Yield: 11-12 muffins

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

4.9 Stars (7 Reviews)

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

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The fresh zucchini makes for an extra moist crumb perfectly hidden in the rich chocolate flavor. Gluten Free and nut free with vegan options!

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten free flour blend (140g)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (60g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (leave out if your flour blend already contains xanthan)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs or 2 flax eggs (see notes)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil (60ml)
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt, dairy free if needed (60g)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar (165g)
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, lightly blotted dry (170g | 6oz)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, dairy free if needed (85 g)

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Grease and line 12 cup muffin pan. You'll only need about 10-11 cups lined/greased. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs (or flax eggs), oil, yogurt, brown sugar and vanilla extract until combined. Stir in the shredded zucchini.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix together into a thick batter until fully combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Spoon the batter into the greased muffins tins filling the liners about 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F/200°C then reduce the heat to 350°F/180°C and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the centre comes out clean when you stick it with a tooth pick.
7. While the muffins are still hot, sprinkle a few chocolate chips over top. Cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to fully cool.

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Gluten Free Snacks Cuisine: American