These Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins are one of my favorite creations to come out of my garden, and a sneaky reminder that zucchini can and should belong in baked goods.

When my friend @Olivia.Adriance and I paired up last summer to make a few recipes at the same time my garden was bursting with zucchinis, this is what we came up with, and when I tell you we inhaled these veggie muffins…

They’re chocolatey and indulgent, but somehow include literally one whole serving of veggies, and are gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. What’s not to love about these easy-to-make, delish little muffins?

EAT YOUR GREENS, CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFIN STYLE

There is a high probability you’re familiar with the lifetime supply of zucchini I harvested from my garden last summer. And if you’re not, here’s a video for proof. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever get over it.

But I’m glad it happened because now we have these decadently delish, better-for-you Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins.

Zucchinis are such a great veggie. They’re easy to incorporate into any meal, and are packed with nutrients. They’re rich in antioxidants (making them great for skin health), high in carotenoids (aka vitamin A), and also provide fiber for healthy digestion and gut microbiome.

But when they’re blended together with cacao powder, creamy peanut butter, cinnamon, flour, applesauce (yep, we snuck a fruit in this one too), and a few other key baking ingredients – omg, you’ll be weak.

Best part is, for any picky eaters out there, you won’t even taste the zucchinis. You’ll be too caught up in the overall chocolatey goodness to remember what it is you’re actually eating.

Let’s all just agree now that whoever said veggies don’t belong in baked goods couldn’t have been more wrong. We’re really giving “eat your greens” a whole new meaning in this recipe.

A MUST-BAKE, DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BLENDER MUFFIN RECIPE

Better yet, these Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins are easy to make, require minimal dishes and are done in under 30 minutes. Convenience is key, people!

Only catch is once they’re baked, you have to give them some time to cool before indulging, but they’re 1000% worth the wait. I’m telling you; they taste phenomenal.

To quote Bridge, “Never have I ever been more attracted to a zucchini.” LOL. When you top the muffins with a little peanut butter drizzle and flakey sea salt, and take just one bite, you’ll know exactly why he said that.

Add these to your baking list immediately, because now there’s just no excuse not to get a serving of greens in today. Let’s put those late-summer zucchinis to good use!

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:

• Zucchini
• Gluten-free flour mix (I like Bob’s Red Mill Paleo flour)
• Eggs
• Cacao powder
• Creamy peanut butter
• Applesauce
• Honey (or maple syrup)
• Vanilla
• Cinnamon
• Baking soda
• Flakey sea salt
• Dairy-free chocolate chunks (we used @enjoylifefoods chunks)

HOW TO MAKE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BLENDER MUFFINS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray or line your muffin tins. This recipe will make 12 muffins.

Add your chopped zucchini to a blender, and blend until minced.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chunks, and blend until just combined.

Stir in the chocolate chunks, then add the batter to the muffin tin.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 45 minutes.

Top with creamy peanut butter and flakey sea salt. Enjoy!

To Store:

Store muffins, covered, on the counter for the first day or two, then move to the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.

RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS & QUESTIONS

Olivia and I love this recipe with a creamy peanut butter, but you could definitely use almond butter instead if you’d like. If any nut allergies, you could try making with sunflower seed butter or tahini, but we haven’t tested those.

Regular flour works instead of the gluten-free/paleo flour we used here, and almond flour may also be an option, but we haven’t tried that so I’m not 100% sure how that would work out. Also, mashed banana may be a good sub for the applesauce, but that’s another one I haven’t personally tested. Let me know how it goes if you try any of these subs, though!

I prefer cacao powder, but cocoa powder is another swap you could make, though cocoa powder tends to be more processed, so just make sure to read your labels, especially if any dairy sensitivities! For the sweetener, maple syrup or honey both work.

Lastly, feel free to use whichever chocolate chips you prefer. Sometimes, I’ll just roughly chop a chocolate bar which is equally delicious.

HOW TO PREVENT MUFFINS FROM STICKING TO LINERS?

A couple tips for preventing your muffins from sticking to the muffin tin or liners include using a melted butter, oil or spray to grease the bottom and sides of the muffin tin. When using liners, you can spray with an oil spray as well, and if you don’t have liners, you could try cutting pieces of parchment paper to line each tin with.

Most importantly, though it’s tempting to dig right in when they are fresh out of the oven, if you let them cool, they’ll shrink/loosen their grip on the liners a bit as they come to room temperature.

DO I NEED TO PEEL THE ZUCCHINI WHEN BAKING?

No! The good news is there’s no need to peel zucchini when making these Double Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins, or really in any baking recipe. Since it melts right into whatever you’re baking, it’s an unnecessary step.

MORE ZUCCHINI RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE:

Healthy Fried Zucchini Blossoms

The Best Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Protein-Packed Beef & Zucchini Lasagna

Herby Greek Chicken Skewers With Tzatziki

Click here to watch the reel I made of this recipe 🙂