Healthy double chocolate zucchini muffins for easy keto breakfast! Make a big batch of these dairy-free keto muffins for busy mornings.
And so we continue with the keto zucchini recipes. It’s that time of year again when zucchini plants goes crazy and it’s all I can do to find enough recipes to keep up.
Today we will use up some of this delicious low carb vegetable in a tasty and easy muffin recipe. Double chocolate keto muffins are a great way to start your day, and great for meal planning. They freeze like a dream and appeal to all ages.
Well of course they appeal to everyone, silly. Who doesn’t want to eat chocolate for breakfast?
Baking with zucchini
Zucchini really is a wonderful addition to so many baked goods. Even if you don’t like zucchini on its own, chances are that you will enjoy it in muffins, cakes, and other treats.
You can see how I used it here in this Keto Lemon Blueberry Cake, as well as in some delicious Keto Zucchini Bread. It’s even delicious in these Zucchini Spice Waffles!
Because zucchini doesn’t have a strong flavor on its own, it lends itself well to being a “hidden” vegetable. It adds moisture and increases the nutrition of baked goods, but it doesn’t take over.
The best way to prep zucchini for baking is to grate it. You can do this in a food processor with a specialized blade, or you can simply grab a box cheese grater and do it by hand.
Zucchini also needs to be salted and drained, and then squeezed out. This helps to reduce the excess moisture so that your baked goods aren’t soggy. There’s no need rinse your zucchini after this, as the amount of salt is insufficient to make your cake or muffins salty.
Tips for making Keto Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
These delicious keto dairy-free muffins are super easy to make. Be sure to check out the video in the recipe card! Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- Take the time to drain your zucchini very well. I show you in the video how much moisture I manage to squeeze out of mine. It’s a surprising amount!
- If you ask me why I used protein powder or whether you can skip it, please watch the video. I answer this question directly.
- How much liquid you need to add to the recipe depends on a number of factors: your almond flour, your cocoa powder, and how well you managed to drain your zucchini. You want a batter that resembles cake batter.
- This recipe makes more than the standard 12 muffins. You may even get as many as 18 muffins. If you don’t have a second muffin tin, you can work in batches. Or you can put the batter into greased ramekins or mini loaf pans.
- Always save some keto chocolate chips for the tops of the muffins, as it makes them look more inviting. I used ChocZero for mine.
Freezer Friendly Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Because this recipe makes so many muffins, it’s perfect for large families and meal prep.
They can easily be made ahead and stored in the fridge or the freezer. For the fridge, I recommend just using a large tupperware container. They will keep for up to a week.
For the freezer, you can place them in a tupperware or in a large freezer bag. They can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature. You can also warm them gently in the microwave.
Ready to make these delicious Keto Chocolate Zucchini Muffins?
More delicious keto muffin recipes
- Keto Banana Muffins – Nut-Free!
- Keto Coffee Cake Muffins
- Keto Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Ricotta Muffins
- Maple Walnut Muffins
- Fresh Strawberry Muffins
Keto Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini (about 200g)
- 1/2 tsp salt divided
- 2 cups almond flour (use sunflower seed flour for nut-free)
- 1/2 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup egg white protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup cold coffee or water (more if needed)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free divided
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini and place in a sieve in the sink. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and toss to combine. Let drain 1 hour, then squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
- Preheat the oven 350F and line two muffin pans with 16 silicone or parchment paper liners. (If you do not have two muffin pans, you can do this in batches, or you can bake the remaining muffin batter in greased ramekins).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and the remaining salt.
- Stir in the eggs, oil and zucchini until well combined. Stir in the coffee or water, and stir until well mixed. If your batter is very thick, add a little more liquid, one tbsp at a time, until it reaches a thick pourable consistency.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, and sprinkle the tops with the remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins have risen and the tops are firm to the touch. Remove and let cool complete in the pan.
diana hetherington says
these are simply delicious!!! just made them, took out of the oven and let cool (for not very long) added a pad of butter and holy holy yummy!!!
and i have to say, i have been a follower for a few years and i totally and truly appreciate not just the recipes but the reason ‘why’ when reading through the posts
thank you so very much for all you do and share. i for, and my wife for two, truly appreciates all you do to make our keto lifestyle so much easier
Marsha Frankel says
Love your recipes. Just wanted to ask a question about weighing out almond flour either in grams or ounces. I sometimes have a problem with my cup of flour either being too much or too little for the recipe. I know you post some things in grams but could you post grams for the almond or other flours you use in your recipes. I would love mine to turn out better.. Thank you
Carolyn says
There are a lot of recipes I still need to go back and do that for. But if you want to weight almond flour, it’s about 100 to 105g per cup. Anywhere in there would be fine.
Karen Hyland says
Hi Carolyn,
These look amazing! Can I use Cacao powder instead of cocoa powder in this recipe?
Carolyn says
I find cacao harder to mix in but it should work well enough.
Carolyn says
Just made these wonderful muffins. Rich, chocolatey goodness. Delicious! Thank you for a great easy to follow recipe!
Kloss, Deborah says
So good! Thanks for the great recipe! These freeze very well.
hadas says
Hi! thank you for the great reciepe.
what can i replace the sweetner with if i dont have it available?
plus, any protein powder will work here?
Carolyn says
Any protein powder except collagen protein will work. I don’t know what sweeteners you have wherever you are so I can’t really advise there.
gail says
These were amazing! Only trouble is, they’re TOO good – Be careful not to eat them all in one sitting 🙂
Mori says
Can’t wait to make this! Would love to add walnuts or other nuts. Would that affect the cook time or the balance of any of the other ingredients?
Carolyn says
Shouldn’t change anything!
Alex says
Instead of egg white protein powder , can I use collagen powder to get the fluffy effect
Carolyn says
Nope! Collagen makes things gummy and hard to bake through.
Margaret says
Hi Carolyn, would BochaSweet work well as a substitute for Swerve in this recipe? If so, would I need to change the amount to get the equivalent sweetness?
Thanks very much!
Carolyn says
I think it’s fine as a direct sub.
Kellie H says
LOVE these muffins! I always make sure to save a zucchini just to make them….they’re the perfect snack!
Jen says
Such a great way to get a chocolate fix without any of the guilt. Loved it!
Beth says
This is our new favorite recipe! We love these muffins! They are so delicious and easy! Can’t wait to make these again soon!
Chris says
What do you think about using the zucchini juice for thinning the batter? Wondering if it would be nutritious.
Carolyn says
I am sure it would work. Not sure about the nutrients or not!
Jennifer says
Could you use monkfruit instead of the swerve?
Carolyn says
Should be fine.
Tammy says
I just made this and it turned out awesome! I can’t wait to take them to work.
Vicki says
I’ve made this recipe twice and I LOVE it, it’s easy, moist and delicious! I eat them for breakfast and any time I’m in need of a sweet snack! I have made so many of your wonderful recipes. You never disappoint Carolyn. Love your site and daily recipes! Thank you
Carolyn says
Thanks so much, Vicki!
Ana says
I made these zucchini Chocolate muffins yesterday night and I just tried them…. they are amazing, spectacular taste!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Kathy Grabham says
If we wanted to use the THM Baking Blend, to lighten them up a little, would we reduce the amount or just use equal amounts? Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!!
Carolyn says
I’m sorry, I don’t use it. I find it makes baked goods very dry. They may have some suggestions on how to replace it for almond flour, though.