Name: Zucchini Chocolate Muffins Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 350 g zucchini, thin julienne cut sliced; 150 g all-purpose flour, organic unbleached preferred; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp baking soda; 75 g cacao powder; 5 eggs; 3 tsp white vinegar; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 150 g cane sugar, organic unrefined preferred; 100 g avocado oil; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, optional

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Diary-free Zucchini Chocolate Muffins featuring loads of zucchini, cacao powder, and eggs are so moist, yummy, and healthy. A dark chocolate nutritious treat for chocolate lovers.

We grow zucchini every year in our backyard garden. Besides making tasty refreshing zucchini fritters, a quick & easy zucchini stir fry, this dark chocolate zucchini muffin is another awesome way of consuming the superfood zucchini.

zucchini growing in home garden — zucchini growing in our home garden

How to make yummy and healthy zucchini chocolate muffins?

Tip No.1 is to shred the zucchini into thin julienne cut

A Mandoline slicer is a handy kitchen gadget. Use the superfine slice setting and turn shred the zucchini into thin julienne cut slices.

shredded zucchini for zucchini dark chocolate muffins

Tip No.2 is to use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder if possible

If you are not familiar with the difference between cocoa powder, dutch-processed cocoa powder, and cacao powder, here is a quick run-down.

While they are all made from cacao beans, the processing methods are very different. When processing cacao beans using high temperatures, they become cocoa powder, which is the most common on the market. If the temperature is extremely high to a degree that burns the cacao beans and darkens the color, you’ve got dutch-processed cocoa powder.

Cacao Powder’s Impressive Health Benefits

The organic cold-pressed cacao powder, just like the name suggests, involves minimal processing during production. It is a truly impressive superfood and naturally preserves all the nutrients cacao beans have to offer.

For instance, cacao beans’ fiber promotes healthy digestion. They are also rich in flavonoids, which contains concentrated antioxidant agent. These antioxidant substances help fight off free radicals, which helps restore the total well-being of our body systems.

ingredients for zucchini double chocolate muffins

Tip No.3 is freshly homemade meringue makes the zucchini chocolate muffins fluffy and healthy

Simply put, meringue is essentially beaten egg white with sugar till it expands the volumes multiple times and peaks. A stand mixer is a useful kitchen gadget to make this process quick and easy. I often add a few drops of white vinegar to help the beating process which also enhances the taste.

Meringue makes these zucchini chocolate muffins fluffy and healthy. It is healthy not only do eggs contain loads of nutrients, but it also makes it possible to use significantly less oil.

Like Chocolate Muffins? Don’t forget to check out my regular Dark Chocolate Muffins Recipe.

Zucchini Chocolate Muffins Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Diary-free zucchini dark chocolate muffins featuring loads of zucchini, cacao powder, and eggs are so moist, yummy, and healthy.

Ingredients

350 g zucchini, thin julienne cut sliced
150 g all-purpose flour, organic unbleached preferred
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
75 g cacao powder
5 eggs
3 tsp white vinegar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
150 g cane sugar, organic unrefined preferred
100 g avocado oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds, optional

Instructions

Gather ingredients. Measure out avocado oil in a large mixing bowl using a kitchen scale and add 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp vanilla extract and egg yolks. Measure out all dry ingredients in a bowl including all-purpose flour, cacao powder, baking soda and salt. Add sugar to a small bowl.
ingredients for zucchini double chocolate muffins

Add egg whites and 3 tsp white vinegar to the stand mixer. Turn the power to medium and start to beat. Set a timer of 5 minutes. Add sugar to the mixer in a circular motion until all sugar is in. The fluffy meringue starts to form around 5 minutes. Once the peak forms, turn the speed to medium low to wind down and beat for 2 minutes.
home freshly made meringue

Use a hand mixer to blend oil, eggs, and other ingredients in the large mixing bowl well until fully blended.
Use a hand mixer to blend egg yolks and oil

Use a hand mixer to blend egg yolks and oil

Wash & rinse the zucchini, trim both ends off, and use a Mandoline slicer to shred the zucchini into thin julienne-cut slices and then add to the large mixing bowl. Fold the zucchini into the batter.
shredded zucchini for zucchini dark chocolate muffins

Sift the dry ingredients in the bowl (all-purpose flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt) and add to the large mixing bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
sift in dry ingredients to the mixing bowl

sift in dry ingredients to the mixing bowl

Add half of the merigue, fold to blend and then add the rest.
fold homemade meringue into the muffin batter

Line the jumbo muffin pan with an unbleached muffin liner, and pour the batter into the holder. This recipe makes about 8 jumbo muffins. Sprinkle the raw pumpkin seeds on the top if you'd like.
zucchini chocolate muffin batter in the jumbo muffin pans

zucchini chocolate muffin batter in the jumbo muffin pans

Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for 40 minutes. Once it is done, turn off the heat and let the muffin pan rest for 10 minutes. Then let it cool on a wired rack.
freshly baked zucchini chocolate muffins