Hands down my fave summer muffins are these crazy moist Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins made with ripe bananas, a magical combo of whole grain flour and almond flour, and fresh grated zucchini (no squeezing!). No eggs, dairy, or oil needed. Unbelievably decadent and rich tasting but no one believes they’re healthy! My kids are obsessed with these for breakfast (the only way they’ll eat zucchini, ha). Make a batch in 30 minutes!
It’s zucchini season, yo! That means I’m stuffing every baked good known to man with zucchini goodness. It’s a dream the moisture it provides and hello, extra nutrition so easily!
This recipe is like my mind-blowing healthy chocolate zucchini cake and healthy zucchini muffins had a bebé. How are they so delish AND so nourishing? After dinner (or at 3pm) when I have a hankering for something chocolatey, these are simplybeyond.
Or for breakfast when, ya know. Chocolate. But don’t take my word for it!
5-Star Reader Reviews ★★★★★
“These are my new favorite muffins! It’s astonishing how moist and tender they are with no oil. I fully expected these to taste ‘healthy,’ but they taste quite decadent. I am currently trying to be oil-free and these are making it easy.” –Shannon:
“Excellent recipe. I brought these to a function and they disappeared instantly, with requests for recipe! So moist and not too sweet. One muffin takes craving for sweets away!!” –Deb
“My son leaves for camp today and I made these for a quick breakfast. After devouring 3 muffins, he asked me if he’s allowed to take food with him to camp. The leftovers are packed with him for snacks!” –Kara
“These are BEYOND delicious!! So moist and chocolatey, and the perfect amount of sweet. I gave them to a friend who couldn’t believe they’re vegan and oil free.” –Claire
Let’s make ’em!
What I learned from recipe testing
- Don’t squeeze water out of zucchini: Most zucchini muffin recipes call for a bunch of added oil, milk and eggs eggs for moisture but I took a different approach! We’re relying solely on the natural liquid from zucchini and tons of banana. The batter seems thick but the muffins come out insanely moist and tender! (Yay for saving the lives of 87 paper towels.)
- The almond flour is key for texture: Here’s where my big aha moment came in recipe testing. I first tried all white whole wheat flour and they were too dry. Adding almond flour introduced much-needed healthy fats (and I swear it makes everything taste like cake). A small amount goes a long way! P.S. You can do half all purpose and half whole wheat if you can’t find white whole wheat flour.
- The riper the banana, the better (duh): This actually isn’t only for the sweetness though; it’s also for texture since riper bananas are wetter and that helps form the right batter. It took a bit a of trial and error but I found in recipe testing that a heaping cup of very overripe (brown!) bananas was perfect. I’ll take more banana for flavor over milk any day!
- Don’t skip the chocolate chips: The melty sweet chocolate takes these over the top. When I tested thee without them the texture wasn’t as fun. If they’re cold, they add an amazing bite, too!
Storage and freezing
Store muffins in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to five days. Freeze muffins for up to 3 months.
I recommend freezing them on a lined baking sheet or plate and then once frozen, pop them into a freezer baggie. To reheat, microwave straight from the freezer until warm and enjoy!
Go live your best muffin life!!
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (egg free!)
-
Prep Time:
15 mins -
Cook Time:
20 mins -
Total Time:
35 mins -
Yield:
12 muffins 1x -
Category:
Snack, Dessert -
Method:
Oven -
Cuisine:
American -
Diet:
Vegan
Description
Hands down my fave summer muffins are these crazy moist Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins made with ripe bananas, a magical combo of whole grain flour and almond flour, and fresh grated zucchini (no squeezing!). No eggs, dairy, or oil needed. Unbelievably decadent and rich tasting but no one believes they’re healthy! My kids are obsessed with these for breakfast (the only way they’ll eat zucchini, ha). Make a batch in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin tin/line with paper liners or silicone baking cups and set aside.
- Place bananas in a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork. Add zucchini, almond milk and vanilla.
- Place flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl, whisking until combined.
- Pour the dry mixture into wet mixture, stirring just until combined. The batter will be very thick–that’s normal! Fold in chocolate chips without over-mixing.
- Fill sprayed muffin tin evenly with batter, filling about ⅔ full (I use a muffin scoop). Top each muffin with 2-3 additional chocolate chips. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Devour sprinkled with flaky sea salt!
Notes
STORAGE: Store muffins in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze muffins for up to 3 months.
