Loaded Chocolate Banana Zucchini Muffins

Super moist & fluffy muffins that you’d never know are packed with fruit and veggies! These chocolate banana zucchini muffins are a great way to satisfy a morning sweet tooth, yet give your body nutrients to fuel the day. Add in your favorite mix ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or coconut. An easy swap makes these yummy muffins gluten free, too!

A half eaten chocolate zucchini muffin on a white plate.

Why This Recipe Works

99.9% of the time we have a stash of muffins sitting on our counter. I make them weekly because they’re so easy to just grab for some fuel any time of day. Plus, they’re delish! I love this zucchini banana chocolate chip recipe so much for a few reasons:

I’m a Registered Dietitian so I love that these zucchini muffins have a fruit and veggie punch in there.
I’m all about intuitive eating and not depriving yourself of cravings. Which includes chocolate in the morning– a frequent craving of mine!
They’re so freaking EASY to make!

Yes, I’m a dietitian but I HATE recipes that “taste healthy”. Ya know what I mean? Like bland, dry, and just NOT satisfying. I believe in gentle nutrition, so sure, add some extra fruit and veggies, but I also believe that satisfaction and enjoying your food is key! This recipe is the perfect combo of those!

Plus? These zucchini banana muffins are a fab way to use those spotty bananas. If you need more ideas for that check out my recipes for banana donuts, swirled peanut butter banana brownies, banana protein muffins or dairy free banana bread!

Ingredients Needed

Bananas. Make sure your bananas are spotty! This allows them to mash easily and to add extra sweetness. Checkout this post from Spruce Eats for how to quickly ripen bananas if you only have non-spotty ones!
Zucchini: What would banana chocolate zucchini muffins be without zucchini!? This adds a lovely moist texture plus a nice dose of veggies in every bite.
Butter: This makes these muffins ultra soft and the flavor is just incredible!
Flour: I use all purpose, but you can swap out for 1:1 gluten free blend if you want your muffins to be gluten free!
Cocoa Powder:
Baking Staples: Like vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, sugar, and eggs.
Mix Ins: These are optional, and you can get as creative as you like! I enjoy chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even shredded coconut, but you can add whatever you like best.

How To Make This Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place liners (I love these silicone muffin liners! 45 of them for $12 is such a steal.) in a muffin tin and set aside.

Step One: Place your ripe banana in a large bowl.

Step Two: Mash bananas with a potato masher until uniformly smooth.

Mashing bananas in a large bowl, and adding wet ingredients to form the base of a batter.

Step Three: Add in butter, eggs and vanilla.

Step Four: Mix well to combine.

Adding dry ingredients and cocoa to a muffin batter base.

Step Five: Add in sugar, flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

Step Six: Stir until just combined.

Step Seven: Shred your zucchini, and press it between two paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Shredding zucchini, and then pressing it between paper towels to remove excess moisture.

NOTE: It’s important to press your zucchini between two sheets of paper towel before adding it to the batter. This will remove excess water that can make your muffins turn out mushy. See below for photo directions!

Step Eight: Add the pressed zucchini to the banana chocolate muffin batter.

Step Nine: Mix it in until the zucchini is coated in muffin batter.

Adding zucchini to a chocolate muffin batter, and folding it in gently.

Step Ten: Add in chocolate chips, nuts, or coconut, or any of your favorite mix ins.

Step Eleven: Fold your chocolate chips or mix ins of choice into the muffin batter gently.

Step Twelve: Use a cookie scoop to transfer the batter into a muffin tin lined with paper or silicone liners. Fill ~3/4 of the way full.

Step Thirteen: Bake for ~25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean!

Scooping chocolate banana muffin batter into a lined muffin tin, and baking until cooked through.

Step Fourteen: Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely inside of the pan.

Step Fifteen: Once your chocolate banana zucchini muffins have cooled to room temperature, remove them from the pan and enjoy!

A lone chocolate chip zucchini muffin in a green silicone muffin liner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you peel zucchini before shredding for muffins?

If your zucchini is small and tender, you don’t need to peel the zucchini before shredding. If your zucchini is very large and tough, go ahead and both peel and seed your zucchini before shredding.

How do you make your muffins fluffy?

Make sure to use room temperature ingredients (like butter and egg) so everything blends together nicely. Also, don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until the flour is absorbed, and fold in any additional ingredients very gently. Finally, make sure not to overbake your muffins. Bake just until a toothpick comes out clean, and then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Why are my zucchini muffins soggy?

If your zucchini muffins are soggy, it’s likely that you did not squeeze out enough moisture after shredding. In the future, make sure to gently squeeze your zucchini OR place it between paper towels to remove any excess moisture.

Can you substitute zucchini for carrots in muffins?

These two shredded vegetables, while both delicious additions, can’t be used interchangeably in baked goods. Zucchini contains more water and it tends to “melt” into the muffins, while carrot is more firm and tends to add a hearty, chewy texture to muffins.

A chocolate zucchini muffin, half eaten and laying face up on a white plate.

Variations

Gluten Free: Substitute the all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour. Make sure any mix ins that you add (like chocolate chips) are also gluten free.

Expert Tips

When scooping my muffins in to the muffin tin I like to use an ice cream scoop to make sure they’re uniform in size. This helps them all to cook evenly so you don’t wind up with some under cooked and over cooked muffins!
If you’re adding chocolate chips or nuts reserve a few to add onto the top of the uncooked batter. This just makes them a little prettier!
Switch up the flour for a different taste or texture. You can use all purpose, whole wheat, or 1:1 gluten free flour. I wouldn’t recommend alternative flours like coconut flour, almond flour, or casava flour.
Make sure you don’t skip the step of pressing your shredded zucchini between paper towels! This removes any excess liquid, and ensures that your muffins don’t get weighed down or too wet.

More Easy Muffin Recipes

If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below!

Don’t forget to pin it on your Pinterest board for later, or tag me on IG @no.food.rules if you try the recipe and love it!

XOXO

-Colleen