Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are fluffy, oil-free, 1 bowl and ready in 30 minutes! These are super rich, decadent, moist and unbelievably vegan!
VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
There is nothing I enjoy more than creating decadent desserts in a much healthier, wholesome way. Like sneaking sweet potatoes in chocolate chip muffins. Creating baked goods that taste just as amazing as the oil and butter filled ones is something that I enjoy immensely. These Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are a prime example. These babies taste like pure decadence and are so moist, you’d swear they are full of oil. But, nope! No oil, no nuts and no coconut!
HOW TO SUBSTITUTE OIL IN BAKING
I’m an oil-free baker. On my blog I focus on oil-free vegan recipes and it’s one thing that readers rely on when they visit here. Oil-free options! But, fear not, as the reviews say, they taste every bit as decadent as the oil-laden recipes, I assure you. I don’t like mediocre diet-tasting desserts. I replace oil with other moisture ingredients like nuts, applesauce, pumpkin and nut butters. For these muffins, I used zucchini. For more oil-free tips, check out How to Cook and Bake Without Oil.
When a recipe calls for zucchini, it is often listed as shredded/grated by cup amounts. The issue with that can be adding too much or not enough or not wringing out the moisture and the results can be all over the place.
So, I came up with the easiest idea ever so that you get exactly the right amount of zucchini you need for perfect results in these muffins, and the zucchini is not only invisible to the eye, you cannot taste it whatsoever. Nobody will ever know!
MY TRICK?
Zucchini pureed with the water! No shreds or bits of zucchini in sight. This way the water and zucchini blended together become a super creamy, smooth puree that gives all the moisture and texture to the muffins. I came up with this idea based off of my Chocolate Peppermint Muffins from my Desserts EBook. My favorite muffin recipe ever are those because the texture is simply divine. So fluffy, so moist, but shockingly gluten-free. That recipe uses applesauce and water. So all I really did was sub the applesauce/water for zucchini and water and pureed so it would be the same texture as applesauce. It worked brilliantly.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
All you need is 1 bowl and 8 ingredients (+salt & water):
- superfine oat flour
- potato starch
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking soda
- maple syrup
- zucchini
- vanilla extract
- chocolate chips
First, peel and slice the zucchini and then weigh 150 grams.
It’s important to weigh the zucchini AFTER you’ve peeled and sliced it, so you get exactly the right amount of moisture.
Add the zucchini and the water to a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth.
Add the zucchini puree, maple syrup, vanilla extract and chocolate chips to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
The batter is insanely delicious, so try not to eat too much of it.
Divide the batter into 11 muffin liners. Using an ice cream scoop helps to make the perfect size and beautiful rounded dome tops while baking. Place a few extra chocolate chips on top, if desired.
Bake at 350°F for about 18 minutes until fluffy and a toothpick is basically clean.
I mean, that inside shot…fluffy, moist, chocolate perfection. Cool 15 minutes to allow them to finish cooking or they’ll be gummy. Devour!
MORE VEGAN MUFFIN RECIPES TO TRY
- Vegan Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins
- Best EVER Vegan Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Gluten-free Double Chocolate Muffins
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins
- Bakery-Style Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Caramel Crusted Pumpkin Muffins
- Sweet Potato Cinnamon Muffins
- Cinnamon Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Cherry Muffins
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If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (192g) superfine oat flour
- 2 tablespoons (20g) potato starch (this starch helps to make them tender/fluffy) I purchase mine here, it's very inexpensive and I use it for a lot of my recipes.
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (36g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 150 grams of peeled/sliced zucchini (see directions)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) water
- 1/2 cup (160g) pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180g) dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (I did a combo of dark and semi-sweet)
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl.
- I use this scale.
- This is the food processor I use for all of my recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a muffin pan with 11 liners. I use parchment paper liners or the Reynolds Staybrite and they never stick.
- To a large bowl, add the oat flour, potato starch, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and whisk very well. I then sifted everything over a mesh strainer to ensure everything was smooth, as my cocoa powder was very lumpy. If yours is, I highly recommend the same so you turn out smooth muffins. Set aside.
- Peel and slice some zucchini and THEN weigh 150 grams. I used about 1 1/2 small zucchini. It's important to weigh the zucchini AFTER you've peeled and sliced it, so you get the exact right amount of moisture.
- Add the sliced zucchini and the 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) water to a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth. See photo for reference. This will be your zucchini puree.
- Add the zucchini puree, syrup, vanilla and chocolate chips to the bowl of dry ingredients.
- Stir gently around the bowl and the bottom until smooth and mixed, being careful to mix just until combined, as oat-based batters can turn into dense muffins if over-mixed.
- Divide the batter into 11 muffin liners. Using an ice cream scoop helps to make the perfect size and nice rounded dome tops when they bake up. Place a few extra chocolate chips on top, if desired. Sure makes them look prettier.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. Mine were perfect at 18 minutes for each trial. They should be super fluffy and firm to the touch. A toothpick should basically be clean, but it's hard to check if they are done that way with all the chocolate chips in there, which can be deceptive, so poke around a few times with a couple of different toothpicks to check for doneness.
- Cool 15 minutes in the pan. This is rather important to let them cool before eating, as they will still be finishing cooking and if you try to eat one right out of the oven, they will taste under-baked and gummy. Cooling will result in a tender, fluffy muffin. Now devour and enjoy that amazing rich chocolate decadence!
I made these this weekend and they were absolutely delicious! My husband said they tasted like a brownie. I felt great giving them to my 3 yo since they didn’t have all of the junk in them. Do you think I could sub more oat flour for the cocoa powder to make more of a traditional zucchini bread muffin?
So I have been making these muffins every week at my family’s request. They are DELICIOUS. My mom even had to ask me if they were healthy-I am known for making sweets with healthy ingredients that sometimes taste…healthy. But these were THAT good that she thought I had just made regular muffins filled with oil and junk. Nope. These taste amazing and are healthy. I even tried them with a blend of whole wheat/all purpose flour and they were STILL excellent (not quite as soft and fluffy as with the oat flour but still really good). Thanks, Brandi, for another home run!!
Yay Stephanie, this makes me so happy to hear how much you love these muffins!! And that your family does too! Thank you very much for the lovely feedback!
Just made these today and they are delicious! Love your recipes!
Super yummy and moist, i probably took them out of the oven too quickly (18/19) minutes being impatient to taste them. The bottom of the muffin stayed stuck to the paper liner, I waited a good 20/30 minutes to cool down,so they wouldn’t fall apart, I ate one anyway and scraped the bottom of it, I didn’t want to waste any of this scrumpious muffin. I’ll be make them again soon, I enjoy all your new recipes and love your book I purchase a few weeks ago. Thank always Brandi 🌱💚 Diane
Haha, I understand the eagerness completely! I so happy you loved these!! Thank you for your kind words and for purchasing my book, it means so much to me!
FINALLY. Something vegan I’ve fed my kids that they didn’t complain about!! They loved them!! That’s an automatic 5-star from me!
Question: we are every one of them, but in the future, do these freeze well?
Yay! So glad to hear it! I’ve never tried freezing those so I’m not sure how they’d hold up!
I have zucchini in the freezer chunked. Do you think if I thawed and drsined that then weighed it it would work for this recipe?
Hi Cheryl! I don’t know, I’ve never used frozen but I think if you try it that way and as long as you get the correct weight of the puréed zucchini, I think it should work.
Omg these were so fun and easy to make by weighing the ingredients! This was the first recipe I have made of yours. They are just perfect! Even my husband loved them which was a surprise to me. He often is overwhelmed by too much chocolate but it was two thumbs up for these cupcakes. I am so grateful for your attention to detail and answering every question I might have before I even think of it. Congratulations on your beautiful cookbook and I look forward to making more of your recipes!🌈
Thank you so much Barbara! I’m so happy to hear both you and your husband loved this recipe! Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it!
Brandi — these muffins are fantastic! I have been looking for a recipe to try my hand at vegan baking and am so glad I went with this one. It was easy to follow and make! My whole family loved them – even my very non vegan son! They satisfy the sweet tooth and are decadent! Your cookbook was on my list to order and as soon as I made these I placed the order for the cookbook. I can not wait to try your other recipes! Thank you!
Thank you so much Roxane for making them, I’m really happy to hear how much everybody loved them!! Thank you for ordering my book, I appreciate it!
Wow, first time making these muffins and I followed to a T including weighing and they were fantastic. They were very simple to make which I loved. Thanks Brandi for all your recipes as it’s makes my life easier.
So glad you loved these Sheran, thank you for the feedback! So kind!
Hi it’s me again! I just made another batch, this time with carob powder and carob chips for my non-chocolate eating husband and he loves them! YEAH! Thanks again for a great recipe!
Oh man these are so good!!!! I forgot to peel the zucchini but I put them in the vitamix (I don’t have a food processor) and they turned out great! I also used the vitamix to make oat flour from steel cut oats I had languishing in the cupboard! (Did that before the zucchini so the blender pitcher stayed dry). Gonna make these again for the hubs with carob powder — he can’t eat chocolate so this batch was all for meeeeeee! 🙂 🙂
Yay, thank you Lisa for this amazing review! So glad they were such a hit, even with the carob option, too! I have a bag of that stuff I need to use!
I am excited to try some of your recipes and these look amazing! My 9 yr old son has just been diagnosed with EoE and may have to start an elimination diet of wheat, dairy, soy and eggs and I have been searching for recipes. Thank you so much , I think I have found what I need with your recipes. Cant wait to try them. Thank you .
Made these yesterday and tasted them today after microwaved till warm, so delicious, fluffy! This is a great and basic recipe, I love that you listed the weight of ingredients, this helped me a lot. I ate it with some peanut butter and coconut flakes on top, such a joy, thank you! (I didn’t have enough baking soda, so I replaced it with baking powder, also replaced chocolate chips with cacao nibs, turned out fantastic)
So glad you loved them Abby!! Would you mind clicking the star rating, they help me out, thank you!
Whoo-Hooo! You go girl! I made these muffins for our Five days of Festivities at work this week and they were a huge hit! I’ve referred a number of colleagues to your website. It will be interesting to see who is surprised by the zucchini as an ingredient. One of my colleagues took a muffin home to her son who is gluten free and he was amazed at how good they tasted! Thanks for all your hard work!
Oh yay Vicki! Such wonderful feedback, so glad to hear it!! Would you kind clicking the star rating too, they are so helpful, thank you!
These muffins are ABSOLUTELY MOORISH!!! Had to hide them from the resident sweet monster a.k.a my fiancé last night so that I have enough for tonight’s family dinner. 😄… Thanks Brandi for yet another outstanding recipe, there hasn’t been one recipe of yours that I have made that myself or family haven’t loved!!!!!!
I am so happy you loved these so much Nadine, thank you so much for making them!! You are so sweet!
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I reduced the maple syrup to 1/4 cup and added 1/4 cup of unsweetened soy milk. I also used 1/2 cup of chocolate chips instead of 3/4. They were so delicious! Thanks again for sharing your recipe 🙂
These look so amazing!! I wouldn’t change a darn thing because they look so perfectly fluffy and moist and just delicious. I made chocolate zucchini cupcakes for my sons 3rd birthday many years ago and none of the kids had any idea! It’s such a great way to get a little health in them!
Thanks girl! I agree! These were so moist and no clue the zucchini is there because you can’t see or taste it!
Could I leave out chips and still have it chocolatie enough? I love your recipes, they are all so delicious and healthy!
Thank you Heidi! They are chocolatey enough yes, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving them out, as they do add a lot of moisture too. You could always try adding dried Cherries if you like but I have no idea if they will add enough moisture.
Heidi,
I was wondering the same thing. Did you ever try these without the chips?
Hi! No, I don’t make these without the chips. They add a lot of moisture since these are so low-fat, so without them, I think they’d be lacking and a bit dry, but you are always welcome to try it!
can I make oat flour by blitzing rolled oats in a coffee grinder ?
Yes, definitely! Just make sure they are superfine.
Look at these beauties! Vegan Zucchini Chocolate Muffins from The Vegan 8
These by far are the BEST tasting ,most moist muffins we have ever had! Thanks Brandi for your relentless work in creating the best vegan recipes we have tried! #thevegan8 #wfpb #nooilcooking #didisayzucchinimuffins
Thank you so much for sharing this incredible feedback here and on your instagram Allyson! They looked so perfect and I’m so thrilled these are the BEST you’ve ever had, yay!!
Hi…can I use tapioca instead of potato starch? Also almond flour instead of oat flour?
Thanks much.
No, that would completely change the entire result. Make these instead, (as muffins) they are made with almond flour, but you must use potato starch for them to turn out right and fluffy. Tapioca will make them gummy and gross. Potato starch is found at most grocery stores in the flour section or online at Amazon. https://thevegan8.com/2018/12/12/vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-peppermint-cake-oil-free/
Wow these looks absolutely delicious!😍Do you think date syrup could replace the maple syrup?
I’m sure it would but I’ve never tried it so I can’t say how it would affect the texture since date syrup is thicker and less sweet, so you’ll just have to try it!
Brandi, I occasionally use date syrup in your recipes, and I will say that maple syrup is almost always better. But if you are into date syrup, it’s still very delicious. I use pure date syrup, but thin it with water to make the same consistency as maple. Yes, it’s not as sweet.
Hi Lauren, yes, exactly, date syrup is much, much thicker and not as sweet, so it will definitely have a different result!
Can a different flour be used?
Cassava, tigernut, tapioca, arrowroot, coconut and or almond?
Thank you!!
None of those will work here. Oat flour behaves completely different than all of those and is the entire base here for these muffins. I would use oat flour for best results. If you cannot have oats, make these instead…..(as muffins) they are made with almond flour, but you must use potato starch for them to turn out right and fluffy. Tapioca will make them gummy and gross. Potato starch is found at most grocery stores in the flour section or online at Amazon. https://thevegan8.com/2018/12/12/vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-peppermint-cake-oil-free/
Can these be made with a different flour? My GF family can’t eat the gf oats
I really don’t know. I’ve only tested with oat flour and it’s the whole base of the recipe so I do not believe another flour will work the same. You could always try a gluten-free blend like King Arthur gluten-free all-purpose blend (rice flour based) but I have no idea if it would work or turn them really dry. Oats help give some moisture and binding here.
Recipe looks delicious! I can’t eat potatoes though, any substitution you could suggest? Thanks
Cornstarch will possibly make them a bit gummier, chewier and not as fluffy or light. You can try it, but that’s usually my experience when subbing cornstarch for potato starch in baking. Potato starch does some serious fluffy magic, particularly in low-fat baking. Use the same weight amount 20g, just know I can’t vouch for the results since I haven’t tested these personally with them.
How about tapioca flour?
Hi Linda! Tapioca May make them a bit too chewy and dense. Do you have cornstarch? That would be better. Potato starch makes them the most fluffy. But you can try cornstarch instead, but since they weigh differently per tablespoon, you’ll need 3 tablespoons of cornstarch or just use 20grams. They will be less fluffy with cornstarch, but should still be good!
You have done it again! I will definitely be trying these and then hiding them from my husband, who cannot have chocolate. They look decadently delicious, Brandi, thank you for sharing your creations. 🙂
~Janis
So sweet, thank you Janis! Haha, yes, hide them! My hubby and daughter LOVED them and had chocolate faces and don’t even know there is zucchini in them, lol. I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!