These Gluten-Free Zucchini and Chocolate Muffins are about to become your new favorite breakfast treat and snack! And I guarantee your kids will love them, too!
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Why You'll Love This
Gluten-free baking can be tricky, but after perfecting this recipe, these Zucchini and Chocolate Muffins are soft, light, and kid-approved with rich chocolate flavor and a hint of zucchini. The pillow-like texture and added chocolate chips make them a real treat, and I'm sharing all my tips to help you master this recipe!
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Ingredients
Here is everything you will need for this recipe!
- Zucchini, peeled and grated: Adds moisture and keeps muffins tender.
- Gluten-free baking flour: Provides structure without wheat.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and moisture with a rich flavor.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Provides deep chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder: Helps the muffins rise and become fluffy.
- Baking soda: Contributes lift and a soft texture.
- Espresso powder: Enhances chocolate flavor with depth.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Large eggs, room temperature: Bind ingredients and add moisture.
- Plain Greek yogurt: Adds moisture, richness, and tenderness.
- Almond milk: Keeps muffins moist and dairy-free.
- Vegetable oil: Ensures moisture and prevents dryness.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth to the flavor.
- Chocolate chunks: Create pockets of melty chocolate for texture and richness.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements!
Substitutions & Variations
Whether you're missing a few ingredients, or just looking for simple modifications, these tips below can help you adjust the recipe!
- A Decorative Touch: Add sifted powdered sugar to the top of the batch for added aesthetics!
- Warm and A La Mode: Add a scoop of ice cream to the side for a delicious treat!
Please note that this recipe hasn't been tested with substitutions beyond those listed. Adding or replacing ingredients may alter the results.
Equipment
Everything you need for this recipe includes; a muffin tin with liners, mixing bowls, a sifter, and electric mixer and a grater.
Instructions
To sneak vegetables into your kids' diets, try adding finely grated zucchini to baked goods. Its mild flavor becomes almost undetectable when cooked, making it perfect for breads, cakes, or muffins. The key is to remove excess moisture from the zucchini, which is 94% water.
Grate the zucchini into a bowl lined with paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 10-20 minutes. Then, wring out excess moisture to keep your baked goods moist but not chewy.
The Dry Ingredients
To make delicious gluten-free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, you'll need a few key ingredients:
Baking Flour: I recommend Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for its ideal consistency and built-in xanthan gum, which simplifies gluten-free baking.
Brown Sugar: This adds more flavor and moisture than granulated sugar due to its molasses content.
Espresso Powder: A pinch enhances the chocolate flavor, deepening the overall taste.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside to create the perfect muffin base!
Mixing the Batter
Mix together room temperature eggs, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, almond milk, and vanilla extract; the yogurt adds fluffiness and a tangy flavor.
Vegetable oil provides the perfect texture, but you can substitute with:
- Canola oil: Enhances rich chocolate notes.
- Safflower oil: A healthy fat rich in Vitamin E. Health benefits here.
- Butter: Amplifies chocolate flavors.
- Coconut oil: Yields a light, airy texture but less richness.
- Smashed bananas: Adds creaminess but may clash with chocolate.
- Applesauce: Adds moisture and sweetness.
Sift half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and use an electric mixer to combine thoroughly.
Time for Chocolate and Zucchini!
The best part: adding the chocolate chips and zucchini! But first, what kind of chocolate chips do you use?
Choosing the right chocolate chips matters! Sweet baking chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks are the best options for this recipe. Here, I am using dark chocolate chunks with 74% chocolate. It's also important to note that semi-sweet chocolate baking chips will melt better, while dark chocolate will hold its consistency while giving you that "ooey gooey-ness" that we love so much!
Once the chocolate is in, wring out any remaining moisture from the zucchini, then fold it into the batter with a spatula. Now your zucchini and chocolate muffin batter is ready to bake!
All That's Left To Do...
At long last, it's time to pour the batter into the muffin tins. First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners to prevent the muffins from sticking to the tin. Then, carefully pour the batter a little more than three fourths of the way high in the muffin tin. The muffins won't rise or spread much, so they'll remain on the smaller size. This is purposeful to ensure the consistency is the same throughout.
Once the muffin tins are filled with batter, bake for 20 minutes in the center rack.
Once baked, let the muffins rest for 15 minutes. They should come out easily with the liners; if needed, run a knife along the edges. Then, enjoy your zucchini and chocolate muffins!
Expert Tips
To test if the muffins are done, insert a toothpick in the center; if it comes out clean, they're ready. If there's batter, bake for another 3-5 minutes.
Storage
These muffins will last in a tightly sealed bag or container in a dry place for 3-5 days!
FAQ
Yes! Just swap out the gluten-free options to your preferred brands!
Related
Looking for more?
Zucchini and Chocolate Muffins
Course: Breakfast, SnacksDifficulty: Easy15
Muffins20
minutes25
minutesIt doesn't get much better than these soft, fluffy muffins!
Ingredients
1 cup of zucchini, peeled and grated
2 cups gluten-free baking flour
1 cup of brown sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of espresso powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup of plain Greek yogurt
½ cup of almond milk
½ cup of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of chocolate chunks
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place silicone or paper liners in a muffin tin.
- First, peel one small zucchini. Then, grate into a measurement bowl lined with paper towels. Once there is one cup of grated zucchini, add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the zucchini. Allow to sit.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder and salt. Then, set to the side.
- In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the eggs, greek yogurt, almond milk, oil and vanilla extract.
- Sift the dry ingredients, half at a time, into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Use the electric mixer to combine until thoroughly mixed, then sift in the rest of the dry ingredients and repeat.
- Pour the chocolate chips into the bowl and use a spatula to fold into the batter.
- Before adding the grated zucchini to the bowl, use the paper towels to wring out any moisture. Then, add the zucchini to the batter and fold in with the spatula.
- Carefully fill each muffin liner to the very top with the batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes on the center rack, then remove from the oven and allow to cool in the liners for 15 minutes.
- After the allotted time, remove from the liners and cool to room temperature on the wire rack or serve warm.
Recipe Video
Notes
- After 10 minutes, use your paper towels to wring out any excess water from the grated zucchini before adding it into your batter.
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