These Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are a fun way to sneak a little extra veg into your day! Made with whole food ingredients like almond flour, coconut oil, and maple syrup.

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I’ve been making these muffins for a few years now. They are one of my go-to baked goods because they are healthy, easy to make, and a crowd pleaser. Even my dad likes them! And he is highly skeptical of anything remotely healthy.

These are just about as healthy as it gets when it comes to Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. They are made with Paleo ingredients, meaning they are filled with whole, nutrient rich food – especially when compared to other baked good options.

Like I said, I’ve made these a *bunch* of times, so I have a few little tips to make the process even easier for you!

If you like this recipe, check out these Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins!

Paleo Ingredients

Zucchini – Aim for a green, medium-sized zucchini. Freshly shredded, it should make about 1 cup then reduce to about 1/2 cup after the water is squeezed out.
Eggs – Large eggs, ideally room temperature – but I usually don’t think that far ahead. Refrigerated eggs work just fine.
Almond Butter – I prefer to use almond butter for a more mild flavor. But I’ve also made them with peanut butter and they tasted just as great!
Maple Syrup – You can substitute honey with a 1:1 ratio.
Coconut Oil – Melted and cooled is ideal, but if you’re short on time (like I usually am), watch it carefully on the stove or microwave until half of it melts and there is still a semi-solid portion. Then remove from heat and mix together until it’ll all melted.
Almond Flour – My go to baking flour, I use it in nearly every baked good recipe. I buy the big 3lb bag from Costco.
Cacao Powder – Cocoa powder works too. Cacao powder is a less processed, antioxidant rich version with a slightly more bitter taste (hardly noticeable in this recipe).
Baking Powder – I’ve also used 1/2 tsp of baking soda if I’m in a pinch.
Salt – Feel free to also sprinkle on some extra on top of the muffins before you bake them. Salt and chocolate is always a good combo!
Chocolate Chips – Pick your favorite chocolate chips, I love dark chocolate ones. Opt for paleo, if that’s what you’re into.

How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

First things first, preheat the oven (I hate when I forget to do this) and prep your muffin tin with some oil or muffin papers.

Then, you’re going to want to grate the zucchini. Not my favorite task, especially when I’m in the mood to bake. So it’s best to get it out of the way and also let excess liquid drain from the zucchini as you mix together the batter. I use a very fine grater because that’s all I have at the moment, but I’ve also made this recipe with a grater with large holes and the zucchini shrinks down after being strained as well as baked. Use whatever you have – I promise you won’t notice in the recipe.

Next step is to strain the zucchini. Place the shreds on two or three paper towels and/or a dish cloth (preferably not your favorite because it can stain it) and squeeze out the liquid as best as you can with your hands. It goes without saying, but do this over the sink. Then wrap the semi-squeezed zucchini in dry paper towels or a dry side of a dish cloth to let it more liquid seep out.

Tip: This straining process can also be done in a salad spinner, if you have a spinner with small enough holes. I’ll let you be the judge. Just throw the zucchini shreds in the strainer bowl and spin away.

After the oven, muffin tin, and zucchini are all prepped, get out a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. I’m not one for fussy recipes and am not going to pretend like I use two mixing bowls (one for dry and another for wet ingredients). I usually just start with the wet, whisk them all together then add the dry and stir together. Works just fine for me.

Give the zucchini an extra squeeze to remove any more water before adding it to the chocolate batter. Use a spatula to incorporate the zucchini. Next, fold in the chocolate chips.

Once the everything is mixed together evenly, use a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop out the batter and place in the prepared muffin tin. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes – but I like to check them after 20, just to be safe.

Let the freshly baked muffins rest for at least 10 minutes before enjoying!