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; 130 g all-purpose flour, organic unbleached preferred; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 75 g cacao powder; 5 eggs; 3 tsp white vinegar; 200 g cane sugar, organic unrefined preferred; 100 g avocado oil; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 4 tsp apple cider vinegar; 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
130 g all-purpose flour, organic unbleached preferred
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
75 g cacao powder
5 eggs
3 tsp white vinegar
200 g cane sugar, organic unrefined preferred
100 g avocado oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
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 4 tsp apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Add 3 tsp white vinegar into the mixing bowl of a Stand Mixer. Measure out all dry ingredients in a bowl including all-purpose flour, cacao powder, baking soda and salt.
Separate egg white from egg yolks using an egg separator and add the whites into the stand mixer bowl. Place egg yolks in the large mixing bowl with avocado oil.
Turn the Stand Mixer speed to medium-high, and set a timer for 6 minutes. Gradually add the sugar from the bowl during the process until the peak forms and stays. This usually takes about 6 minutes for my KitchenAid at speed level 6.
While waiting on the meringue to be made, use a hand mixer to blend oil, egg yolks, and other ingredients in the large mixing bowl well until fully blended.
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 liquid.
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.
Add half of the meringue into the mixing bowl, and fold it together. Then add the remaining meringue and fold it together.
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.
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.
All done! Enjoy a superfood yummy Zucchini Dark Chocolate Muffin!