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Soft, fluffy, Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins that taste just like rich chocolate cake! These easy-to-make dark chocolate zucchini muffin treats will satisfy all of your chocolate cravings.
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Zucchini and chocolate? Together? In a muffin?
YES! And you will love it.
If you're worried about the taste, the texture, or little ones turning their noses up, there's no need to worry. You won't taste or see the zucchini in these muffins, at all, if you shred it the way the recipe instructs (see recipe notes below).
So this recipe gets bonus points for hidden veggies. (Also see below for a view of the inside of the muffins.)
When zucchini is added to baked treats, if made correctly, it adds a moistness that makes what you're baking taste like it's extra rich and decadent (like in my gluten-free banana zucchini bread!). When you add in chocolate, multiply that decadent richness by 100.
I mentioned above that these vegan double chocolate zucchini muffins taste like cake. That was my first thought when I took my first bite. They taste just like a perfect chocolate birthday cake.
This recipe contains two forms of chocolate: cocoa powder and chocolate chips in the batter, which I guess would make them vegan double chocolate zucchini muffins!
If you want to reach level 10 in baked chocolaty treats, then you'll want to add the third optional chocolate component to the recipe: mini chocolate chips sprinkled on the tops of the muffins.
If you add the optional mini chips, like I've done in the pictures above and below, you'll have yourself triple chocolate zucchini muffins. There's nothing wrong with adding a little extra chocolate when you can 🙂
And the best way to enjoy your vegan gluten free chocolate zucchini muffins?
I like to have them while they're still a little warm so the chocolate is melty. I also like to enjoy them with a cold glass of almond milk.
YUM. It's really one of the best ways to treat yourself and others.
At this time of year in Canada and the US (I'm writing this in August), zucchini is in season, easy to find, very inexpensive, and can be found everywhere: the farmers markets, the grocery stores, and if you have one, your garden!
Something smart to do during zucchini season is to freeze fresh zucchini so you have it on hand, any time you feel like making a recipe (like, gluten free chocolate zucchini muffins!) that calls for fresh zucchini in the middle of the winter...or any other time of year.
If you haven't prepared zucchini for freezing before, it's easy! Read this post about how to freeze zucchini. It will walk you through how to do it, step-by-step, so you can whip up these gluten free chocolate zucchini muffins any time you want.
Recipe FAQ
I've covered some FAQ here, if you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment below!
Can I use a different flour to make this recipe?
This recipe was tested with just two types of flour: this all purpose gluten-free flour and regular all-purpose flour. Since I have not tested with any others, I can't say for sure if the recipe will work out if you substitute with something else. I can say with certainty that this recipe, as written, will not work with coconut flour.
The recipe below is written for the gluten-free flour, but a few small modifications need to be made if using all purpose flour to make your vegan zucchini muffins. Info is included below in the recipe notes. NOTE: The video in this post shows the vegan gluten-free version of the muffins being made.
I don't have coconut sugar, can I substitute with something else?
Yes, brown sugar may be used in the place of coconut sugar.
Can I omit the chocolate and just make plain zucchini muffins?
If you prefer your zucchini muffins a little less chocolaty, instead of playing around with this recipe, check out this other recipe for Vegan Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins. Or if you prefer a chocolate free zucchini loaf, try this recipe.
What is a flax egg?
Flax eggs are my preferred egg replacement for baking. If you haven't worked with flax eggs before, be sure to read How to Make a Flax Egg (A Vegan Egg Substitute for Baking), for all the details you'll need!
And before you head down to the recipe, here's a look at the inner texture of these glorious gluten-free chocolate zucchini muffins:
If you liked this Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins recipe, you may also like these:
- Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
- Vegan Gluten Free Baked Chocolate Doughnuts
- Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- Vegan Gluten Free Muffin Recipes
- Zucchini Fritters (a savoury zucchini recipe!)
Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 6 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour blend OR all-purpose flour (see important notes about flour below)
- ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup melted coconut oil (plus extra for greasing muffin pan)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (approximately 1 ½ small zucchini or 1 medium, see note below about shred size)
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips for sprinkling on top (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C).
- Line a muffin tin with liners or generously grease the inside of each muffin cup with coconut oil.
- In a small bowl, prepare your flax eggs by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
- In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, mix the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar, vanilla, and flax mixture. Stir to combine. Add in shredded zucchini and stir again until well combined.
- Add dry mixture to wet mixture and stir until combined, taking care not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Divide batter into the 12 muffin cups. If using, sprinkle each muffin top with mini chocolate chips.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the largest muffin comes out clean.
Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Please read the info above before making the recipe.
- Shred zucchini using the smaller of the two shredders on your box grater. After shredding DO NOT squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini.
- If you are making the gluten-free version, it's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results will always vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of flour to make this recipe other than Bob's Red Mill (in the RED bag not the blue bag!), so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if substitute with another gluten-free flour blend.
- This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour.
- I've tested this recipe with all purpose flour and it works great, but you will need to make two small modifications to the recipe to make it work: 1) add ¼ cup of non-dairy milk to the wet ingredients, 2) bake for 22-24 minutes.
- Brown sugar may be used in place of the coconut sugar.
- Nutrition info is for the gluten-free vegan version and based on the recipe as it is written, no mini chocolate chips on top, and is to be used only as a rough guide. Click here to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website. Calorie count for the vegan version is 224 calories per muffin.
Shlomit says
Hello Gwen, I wanted to give you an update after making this using Robin Hood GF flour that contains xantham gum and you suggested to still use the flax egg as per the recipe. It worked fine and tasted nice. Today, I actually made this recipe again using the exact GF flour brand you use. I replaced the oil with apple sauce and cut down the baking soda by half, replace the sugar with blended pre-soaked pitted dates (9 pieces). I skipped the 1/4 c choco chips use as sprinkle on top of the muffin. I baked it using donut silicon mould because I don’t have muffin mould for 30 minutes instead of 20. I just tasted it and it is super delicious! Yaayy! Truly a keeper. You were right, different GF flour blend will give different result. Thank you, Gwen!
Gwen Leron says
Wonderful! I'm so glad it worked out for you, thanks for the update. Enjoy!
Jordan says
Hi there,
Can I sub oat flour without changing anything else in the recipe?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Jordan, I haven't tried making this recipe with oat flour, so I am not sure how well it would work. If you decide to go ahead and experiment, please come back and let me know how things went. Sorry I couldn't help you more with this!
Mo says
Wow these turned out amazing! I was a little hesitant because I used a gluten-free flour that contained xanthan gum. The batter was quite thick but I went ahead and baked them for about 19 minutes and they turned out perfect and moist! Thanks so much for sharing this keeper! My family loved them!
Gwen Leron says
I'm so glad to know your family loved them, Mo! Also good to know that it worked well with a blend that had xanthan gum in it. I'm happy you found the recipe and decided to give it a try, thanks for your note 🙂
Marie says
I’m gluten free and dairy free but not vegan. Wondering if I could add eggs in place of flaxseed? One or two?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Marie, I haven't made this recipe with eggs, but the flax eggs and water used is the equivalent to two eggs, so you should be fine if you use two!
Dylan says
These were amazing! Made them lastnight and had one for breakfast! Wish I could share my picture I took. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Gwen Leron says
Happy you liked them, Dylan! I wish I had one for my breakfast this morning, too 🙂 If you're on Instagram, you can post a pic and tag me and I'll see it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your note, I appreciate it.
Jenn says
Would Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 work the same as the all purpose? I'm new to baking gluten free and the 1 to 1 is currently all I have on hand!
Gwen Leron says
Hi Jenn! I have not tried the Bob's 1 to 1 for this recipe, so I am not 100% sure if it would work well. I have had other readers tell me they have made other recipes of mine with the 1 to 1 and they turned out fine. The 1 to 1 contains xanthan gum which acts as a binder, which is what the flax eggs are doing in this recipe, so you can maybe cut back to just 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water) and see if that works. If you do try with the 1 to 1, please come back and let me know, I'm curious!
Regina says
I’ve used the Bob’s 1:1 with this recipe and it’s great. I’m making them today, we love it!!
Gwen Leron says
So glad to know that it worked well for you with the 1:1, Regina! And I'm happy to know you like the recipe 🙂 Thanks for your note and rating, much appreciated!
Lois says
These were really good. I used 1 cup King Arthur GF Flour and 1/2 cup almond meal and it worked great. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Gwen Leron says
Hi Lois! Glad to hear you liked the recipe and that it worked well with your substitutions 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave your note!
Samantha says
The best baked chocolate treat ever! I've lost count how many times I have made these muffins but in donut tins.
Love them and it's my go to treat to make for my work team....one is a coeliac, one is lactose intolerant, one is anaphylactic to nuts and one is a vegan!
They barely last long in my house but I've just made a batch of donuts tonight (Tuesday) but need them for Friday.
Are they best stored in an airtight container in the fridge or on the bench?
Worried they might dry out by Friday 🙁
Gwen says
Hi Samantha! I am so, so happy that you love this recipe so much! I love it, too 🙂 If you are making the vegan gluten-free version, I find that they start to stiffen and dry out after 2-3 days, so I always make sure we eat them within a few days. If it's the vegan only version, they will last a bit longer, up to about 5 days. When storing, I put them in an airtight container and keep them on the kitchen counter but they can also be stored in the fridge. If you refrigerate, just be sure they come back to room temperature before serving since they may be a little hard because of the coconut oil. I hope this helps! Let me know how your co-workers like them! 🙂
Samantha says
Thanks for the quick response Gwen ! store them in the fridge and take them out when I need them in a couple of days.
Gwen says
No problem, Samantha! 🙂
Renee Elofson says
These are amazing! I only put about 1/4 cup of mini chips in them but they are chocolaty and delicious. The texture is perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
That is something I love about these muffins...the texture! So glad you like them, Renee! Thanks for your note 🙂
Geoffrey says
Hi! Is there any substitute for the coconut oil? Thanks for sharing!
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi Geoffrey! I have not made the recipe using a substitute for the coconut oil, but you may have success with plain unsweetened applesauce, which I have used in other recipes as a replacement for oil. If you try it out, let me know how it goes! 🙂
Maria says
I'm a huge fan of adding zucchini to baked treats - it seems odd, but definitely adds a wonderful texture and fluffiness :). Thanks for sharing this recipe
Gwen @ Delightful Adventures says
Hi Maria! Yes, zucchini sure does add a great texture to baked treats! I love adding it whenever I can. If you make these muffins, I hope you like them! 🙂 Thanks for your note.