Chocolate Zucchini Strawberry Muffins (Printable Version)
Rich chocolate muffins with fresh zucchini and strawberries—perfect for breakfast or snacking.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
08 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Add-ins
11 - 1 cup finely grated zucchini, excess moisture squeezed out
12 - 3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
13 - 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (plus extra for topping, optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease each cup.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
05 - Gently fold in the grated zucchini, chopped strawberries, and chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top if desired.
07 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with a few moist crumbs.
08 - Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The zucchini disappears completely into the crumb, leaving nothing but incredible moisture behind, and picky eaters will never guess it is in there.
- Those strawberry pieces soften into something close to a warm jam center, making each bite slightly different from the last.
02 -
- Do not rush the zucchini squeezing step, because I once skipped it and the muffins baked into soggy little puddles with flat tops that never recovered.
- The toothpick test matters here since chocolate chips can trick you into thinking the batter is underdone when it is actually a melted chip touching the skewer.
03 -
- Toss the chocolate chips and strawberry pieces in a half teaspoon of flour before folding them in, because this simple step keeps everything suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom.
- Rotate the muffin pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots, because even browning makes a real difference in both appearance and texture.