Published: Jul 9, 2020 · Modified: Jul 4, 2024 by Carolyn

Keto Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

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Healthy double chocolate zucchini muffins for easy keto breakfast! Make a big batch of these dairy-free keto muffins for busy mornings.

Titled image of chocolate zucchini muffins piled around a zucchini

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?

Two double chocolate zucchini muffins sit on a white plate over a green patterned napkin. A cup of coffee, a bowl of berries, and a bowl of muffins in the background.

Why this recipe is so awesome

Reader Reviews

“These are by far the best keto muffins I have ever had. so many keto muffins are dry or fall apart easily, these are firm and super moist. I made these to take to a quilt retreat where there will be loads of non-keto items, but these will do triple duty as breakfast, a snack or dessert!” — Bonnie B.

“These were amazing! Only trouble is, they’re TOO good – Be careful not to eat them all in one sitting 🙂” — Gail

“My son said he wouldn’t have guessed they were keto. My “anti-keto” husband has been eating them without complaint!! And my picky daughter packs one every day in her school lunch. I normally don’t like keto baked goods made with almond flour because of the texture, but the texture of these muffins is really good! I did process the dry ingredients together in my blender, just to make sure the almond flour was very finely ground. Another winner from Carolyn, my favorite keto food blogger!” — Becky

Two keto chocolate zucchini muffins, one broken open, on a white plate with a white mug of coffee and a bowl of muffins in the background.

Ingredients needed:

Zucchini: This is a wonderful recipe to use up some fresh zucchini. You can grate it with a box grater or a food processor.
Almond flour: These are almond flour zucchini muffins and they won’t work with coconut flour. For a nut-free option, you can substitute with sunflower seed flour.
Sweetener: I like Swerve Granular in these keto blueberry muffins but any sweetener should work. The consistency does not rely on using a particular brand or kind. But allulose will likely make the tops brown a little more quickly.
Cocoa powder: I prefer Dutch process cocoa for its deeper chocolate flavor.
Protein powder: Like many of my other keto cake recipes, I use unflavored whey protein to help it rise and be more fluffy. You can also use egg white protein powder or pea protein powder. Do not use collagen as it will make things gummy and hard to bake through.
Cold coffee: Coffee enhances and deepens the chocolate flavor of baked goods, so I recommend it for these keto chocolate donuts. You can replace it with plain water if you prefer.
Dark chocolate chips: You will need sugar-free chocolate chips for this recipe. I like to use ChocZero. You can also use homemade sugar-free chocolate chips.
Kitchen staples: Eggs, vanilla extract, avocado oil, baking powder and salt.

Step-by-step directions

Grate the zucchini and place in a sieve in the sink. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and toss to combine. Let drain 1 hour, then squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
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 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a thick pourable consistency.
Stir in the vanilla extract and ⅓ cup of the chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly among 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).
Sprinkle the tops with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake at 350ºF for 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.

Expert tips

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!
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.

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.

Two double chocolate zucchini muffins sit on a white plate over a green patterned napkin. A cup of coffee and a bowl of berries in the background.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make chocolate zucchini muffins ahead of time?

Yes! These keto muffins can easily be made ahead and stored in the fridge or the freezer. For the fridge, I recommend just using a large resealable container. They will keep for up to a week.

Can I freeze chocolate zucchini muffins?

Absolutely! To freeze, place the keto muffins in a resealable container 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.

How many carbs are in a keto chocolate zucchini muffins?

This keto chocolate zucchini muffin recipe has 7.3g of carbs and 4.3g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.0g net carbs per muffin.

More delicious keto muffin recipes

Keto Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Healthy double chocolate zucchini muffins for easy keto breakfast! Make a big batch of these dairy-free keto muffins for busy mornings.

5 from 33 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate zucchini muffins, keto chocolate muffins

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

Draining time: 1

Total Time: 45

Servings: muffins

Calories: 156kcal

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini (about 200g)
½ teaspoon salt divided
2 cups almond flour (use sunflower seed flour for nut-free)
½ cup Swerve Sweetener
⅓ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup egg white protein powder
2 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
⅓ cup avocado oil
¼ cup cold coffee or water (more if needed)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free divided

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Grate the zucchini and place in a sieve in the sink. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon 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 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a thick pourable consistency.
Stir in the vanilla extract and ⅓ 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.

Video

Nutrition Facts

Keto Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)

Calories 156 Calories from Fat 133

% Daily Value*

Fat 14.8g23%

Carbohydrates 7.3g2%

Fiber 4.3g17%

Protein 6.2g12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Comments

5 from 33 votes (4 ratings without comment)

Keto Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Why this recipe is so awesome

Reader Reviews

Ingredients needed:

Step-by-step directions