These flourless chocolate zucchini muffins are gluten-free, grain-free, oil-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, but so soft and chocoately that you’d never be able to tell they’re healthy! Whipped up in the blender in under 5 minutes flat, they make a delicious breakfast or snack!
This probably isn’t the best time to admit that I’m not a fan of zucchini.
And when I say “not a fan,” what I really mean is that I hate it with a vengeance. As in… it’s on my hit list, and you will be too if you try to feed it to me. So please don’t.
I have a feeling that my disdain for the squishy summer squash has something to do with the handful of really bad experiences I had with things like zucchini noodles and soggy baked zucchini “fries” that I experimented with back in the day before I had any sort of idea as to what I was doing in the kitchen. Those recipes should come with warning labels. Seriously.
Needless to say, zucchini and I didn’t start off on the right foot and I’ve been giving it the stank eye ever since.
That’s why I’ve never been able to understand why people would put it in things like loaves and muffins. Never. Like… why on earth would you ruin a perfectly good dessert by lacing it with a squishy squash?
Well, friends, I think I’ve figured out why…
Say hello to the newest batch of flourless muffins to grace my kitchen counters — flourless chocolate zucchini muffins. Yes, zucchini.
I can’t really tell you what prompted me to throw a zucchini into these guys, other than the fact that: a) I believe in second chances, b) we’re going into summer and zucchini is in season, and c) I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Well… I get it. I do. And I’m, quite literally, eating my own words…
These may just be some of the softest muffins I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.
And the best part is that they’re loaded with chocolate flavour without even a hint of zucchini. Trust me. I was looking for it. I wanted to be all “HAHAHAHA! I knew it! It tastes like squishy squash!” But nope. Not a trace. Heck, I couldn’t even see it in there, which means you could easily sneak some extra veggies into someone’s diet by feeding them some of these delicious muffins…
That being said, I don’t recommend being sneaky. I mean, you’re looking at a girl who still has trust issues stemming from the fact that the cookies her mom told her were chocolate chip actually turned out to be raisin. Mmm hmm. Like I wasn’t supposed to notice that one… I know it’s hard to get kids to eat healthier and all, but you don’t lie about chocolate. You just don’t.
Then again, I’m probably not one to talk, seeing as I may have omitted the ‘zucchini’ part when I told my taste-testers what I was giving them, but that’s only because I wanted to see if it really was as undetectable as I thought. And it was.
These muffins are super soft and super chocolatey. They’re a little denser and fudgier than your average muffin because of the fact that they don’t have any flour to fluff them up, but that just puts them somewhere between a muffin and a brownie, which is never a bad thing in my books.
They’re gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, and 100% crazy delicious. And the best part is that you only need about 5 minutes and a blender/food processor to whip them up, followed by 20 minutes of delicious smells wafting out of your kitchen.
So whether you’re looking to get some more veggies into your diet, or you’re just in desperate need of a soft and chocolatey muffin, then I definitely recommend giving these flourless chocolate zucchini muffins a try!
I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!
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Flourless Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 9 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (128 g) almond butter*
- 1 ripe medium-sized banana (100 g or 1/2 cup mashed)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (80 g) honey
- 1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup (100 g) zucchini, shredded and squeezed of excess liquid
- 1/4 cup (60 g) chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F and prepare a muffin pan by spraying 9 cavities with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add all ingredients except for zucchini and chocolate chips to a blender and blend on high until batter is smooth and creamy. Stir in shredded zucchini and chocolate chips by hand.
- Pour batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity until it is about ¾ full. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the tops of your muffins are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in pan for ~10 minutes before removing. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.
Notes
* You can sub almond for your favourite nut butter, OR use a sunflower seed or soy nut butter to make these nut-free.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Looking for more flourless muffin recipes? Try one of these!
Flourless Banana Bread Muffins
Flourless Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
Flourless Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Flourless Vegan Banana Muffins
Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins
Is the zuchini cooked or raw?
I absolutely love these. I made them once and loved them. now I’ve been doubling the recipe and freezing some. They defrost well, and are super easy to make!
It. Was. Delicious! Will definitely make again and again and again!
They are my absolute favourite muffins! The recipe is perfect the way it is I think. I double the recipe all the time so I can freeze some for later. Thanks for creating the perfect chocolate muffin that is actually good for you!
These are wonderful! Have made as directed before, but this time made with sugar free syrup and Lily’s sugar free morsels, just to lower the sugar/carb load. Just as good!
I MADE THESE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE ZUCCINI MUFFINS THIS AFTERNOON. THEY ARE DELICIOUS. I WILL DOUBLE THE RECIPE NEXT TIME SO I WILL HAVE SOME TO SHARE WITH OTHERS. I USED TO HAVE A RECIPE FOR A CHOCOLATE ZUCCINI CAKE, BUT I COULD NOT FIND IT.. THIS RECIPE IS EVEN HEALTHIER AND BETTER THAN THAT WAS..THANK YOU.
I’ve made these multiple times and they are always a hit. No one can tell they’re “healthy”! I do have a question though–has anyone tried to freeze them for later? We have so much zucchini, I’d love to be able to make a bunch without worrying about waste.
I haven’t made this exact recipe but the one I have made is very similar. The only difference in the ingredients is the flax meal. I freeze the ones I make and when ready for one just pop in the microwave for about 10 second.. it’s like they just came out of the oven. Still super soft
What do you use instead of flax?
Yea, I freeze the ones I make and when ready for one just pop in the microwave for about 10 second.. it’s like they just came out of the oven. Still super soft
LOVED THESE! I baked an afternoon tea snack for my co-workers and I and needed a dairy free, gluten free, and sulphite free dessert/snack and these were perfect! Super easy to make in the food processor, took no less than 5-10 minutes. I baked them for 15 minutes and they turned out great. If you want them to be sweet you could add more sweetener but I think they were a good balance with the dairy free chocolate chips. No one even knew that there was zucchini!!
Hi Amanda, I am going to make this recipe and some of your other ones, but don’t want to use banana. If I substitute apple sauce, how much would equal 1 banana? Also, can you just skip the flax seed? Many thanks, Becky
I was doing a happy dance when I tasted the batter, it was so good! Then once baked: bland city.😢 I substituted unsweetened apple sauce for the banana and left out the chocolate chips – could that be the culprit for the post-bake blandness?
These were delicious, and I will be making them again soon! I only tasted chocolate and couldn’t tell the zucchini and peanut butter (subbed) were there. I used a food processor to shred the zucchini, so maybe that helped it not be visible.
For those counting calories or macros, my specific ingredients divided into 8 muffins came out to 186 calories, 20g carbs, 11g fat, and 5g protein per muffin. This did not include flaxseed because I didn’t have any.
These turned out absolutely divine. Though we could see the zucchini.. do you think it will work if the zucchini was blended in with the other ingredients??
I have made these at least a dozen times. I double the recipe and add 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup sugar free syrup. That is the only substitute I make other then not putting additional chocolate chips on top, I find them the perfect sweetness and better then brownies. They are my healthier treat. My 2 year old loves them too so it’s nice to sneak that extra zucchini into her!
OMG. This recipe is AMAZING. It tastes SO GOOD. I hate zucchini too (and almond butter for that matter) and there truly is no hint of either! I chopped the zucchini after grating to make it completely invisible to my texture-detective kids. 🙂 Thank you! Can’t wait to try out more of your recipes as I slowly (and strategically!) try to shift my kids off of refined sugar. They aren’t eating candy or even cookies very often, but store-bought smoothies and granola bars add up. Thank you again and stay safe!
My husband can’t believe these are healthy. They are delicious! I will make them again. Question- On the calories, how big is a “serving size” one muffin? Just curious since on Myfitness app these are in there as 252 calories. Wondering if someone put them in wrong.
I’m so glad you like them! And yes, a serving size is one muffin. I just went and double checked the nutritional info and it should be correct. 250 calories seems like a little too much for these muffins.
Thank you! I will update my calories info. I will be making these again for sure! And will try the banana bread muffins
GENIUS RECIPE! have made these countless times since I discovered the recipe a few years back. Everyone I have shared these with absolutely LOVES them! THANK YOU!!! 💗😋💗😋
I’m so glad you like them, Krista! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Delicious, moist, not to sweet! Great texture, too!
these are so delicious!! AND healthy! Mind blown. I made them once and have been craving them since, so I am making a double batch including some mini muffins for book club tonight and hope my friends love them as well! Thank you for the fabulous recipe!
Started my day with this delicious sweetness and my whole day went positively sweet and fantastic, thanks for sharing this recipe.
I am vegan and I am going to try this, it looks delicious. Thank you so much for this amanda :*
I LIKE THIS SITE AND THANK YOU SHARING KNOWLEDGE WITH US.
Made these in a mini muffin pan yesterday- delicious! More than half are already gone. Love love love them. They taste a bit like chocolate banana bread which I am ok with! My husband, who was extremely skeptical of this recipe, couldn’t stop eating them. Thanks for sharing such a yummy and healthy treat!
I am so excited to make these because they are flourless. I am vegetarian and very health conscious so recipes like this one are essential!
These flourless chocolate zucchini muffins are so Instagrammable and adorable! As you know I made it a short while ago and it was lovely! Thx for sharing!
These are phenomenal! And were quickly gobbled up by my whole picky-eater family! Other recipes like this can taste “healthy” and like a sad substitution for dessert but these are absolutely delicious!
Hi Amanda! These choc muffins are absolutely the best. I love veggies and love to substitute them in my food for my picky eaters at home. That being said. They LOVE this recipe. My youngest still doesn’t know there’s zucchini in them. Ha! I have a question. Once mine cool, they always deflate. What am I doing wrong? I squeeze water out of zucchini. And follow the rest of the recipe. Could it be my oven? It’s prob from the 80’s) How do I get them to stay full? Any tips would be GREATLY appreciated. Either way, deflated and all, we loooove these muffins. Best flourless recipe everrr!
A++ These are VERY VERY good! I am not normally a chocolate person but I had a hankering, saw the great reviews and made them. I added chia seeds instead of flaxseed and maple syrup instead of honey. They baked up beautifully! Absolutely gorgeous! And very tasty. These are not very sweet – and I love that! Thank you for a healthy wonderful recipe. These are perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon.
Gorgeous pictures. I made these flourless chocolate zucchini muffins for the super bowl party and it was a crowd favorite. I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it.
These look so good! I love zucchini and chocolate – how did you think of this? I’m going to try making these at the weekend – although mine never look as good as the pictures!
What can I use to replace the flaxseed? I am a gluten loving baker but I’m trying to expand my baking. I don’t have ground flax seed and I was hoping you could tell me if it is used to replace flour in the recipe?
Yum! I can’t wait to try this! Do the zucchini shreds break down or can you feel their fibrous texture?
It’s been a while since I’ve made these, but I don’t believe you can feel the zucchini. It just gets lost in the rest of the muffin 🙂