Description
Deliciously rich and moist vegan chocolate zucchini muffins made with grated fresh zucchini, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chunks, and plant-based ingredients. These muffins are perfect for a healthy snack or dessert, offering a perfect balance of chocolate indulgence and vegetable goodness with no dairy or eggs.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 250 g zucchini/courgette (finely grated weight)
Dry Ingredients
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 180 ml non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 115 g coconut sugar
- 120 g vegan Greek-style yogurt
- 80 ml olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 150 g dark chocolate (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Prep courgette: Wash and tail the courgette, then grate it finely using a medium-hole box grater. Place the grated zucchini on a clean tea towel or kitchen paper in a bowl and set aside until needed.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine and set aside.
- Make vegan buttermilk: In a jug, combine the non-dairy milk with apple cider vinegar and allow to sit briefly to curdle; this acts as a vegan buttermilk substitute.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegan buttermilk, coconut sugar, vegan Greek-style yogurt, olive oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Make the batter: Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk thoroughly until fully combined. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients, grated courgette, and two-thirds of the chopped dark chocolate chunks, ensuring the mixture is well incorporated but not overmixed.
- Rest the batter (optional): Let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to help promote tall, domed muffin tops.
- Prepare the oven and muffin trays: Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) fan-forced or 210°C (410°F) conventional. Lightly grease two muffin trays and line 10 muffin liners, spacing them by filling every second cavity. If you only have one tray, bake in two batches to achieve the best shape.
- Assemble muffins: Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, distribute the batter evenly among the muffin liners, filling each to the top of the tray. Sprinkle the remaining chopped dark chocolate chunks on top of each muffin batter portion.
- Bake: Bake initially at 190°C (375°F) fan-forced or 210°C (410°F) conventional for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170°C (340°F) fan-forced or 190°C (375°F) conventional and continue baking for another 20 minutes. Once baked, allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely for about 30 minutes.
Notes
- Using Dutch-process cocoa powder gives a deeper chocolate flavor and better color than natural cocoa powder.
- Resting the batter is optional but recommended to help muffins develop tall, domed tops.
- Filling every second muffin cavity encourages better heat circulation and taller muffins.
- Ensure the zucchini is grated finely but do not squeeze out moisture; the batter will be moist but it contributes to the muffin’s softness.
- Dark chocolate chunks can be substituted with vegan chocolate chips.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
Keywords: vegan chocolate zucchini muffins, dairy-free muffins, healthy chocolate muffins, vegan baking, zucchini recipes, plant-based dessert
