You know that smug feeling when you sneak veggies into something and no one notices? These protein chocolate and zucchini muffins are rich, fudgy, and secretly packed with zucchini and protein powder. The base of the recipe is similar to my banana carrot muffins, and both have been a hit for many!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Healthier muffins. They're made with protein powder and secret veggies, so they're more filling than your standard muffin- see my eggless blueberry muffins or protein carrot banana muffins for more inspo.
Secret veggies. Just like my single serve zucchini bread or feta zucchini muffins, these muffins sneak in extra veggies without anyone knowing (you literally can't even see them!!)
Chocolate. They're rich, fudgy, and satisfy a sweet tooth while still being suitable for a breakfast like my chocolate baked oats or banoffee overnight oats.
Ingredients
Butter. I recommend unsalted (but you can use salted if you want, this recipe isn't that strict). If you need dairy-free, swap for coconut-oil or a dairy-free butter.
Maple syrup. This will act as a natural sweetener with a caramely flavour. You can swap for honey, but I wouldn't recommend swapping for dry sugars as you won't have the same moistness in the muffin.
Mashed banana. Adds natural sweetness and moisture which can be substituted for apple sauce if needed.
Zucchini. Sneaks in veggies while keeping muffins soft and tender. You want to very finely grate and squeeze out excess water to avoid soggy muffins.
Cacao powder. Provides a rich chocolate flavour without being overpoweringly sweet like in my single serve brownie, but you can use cocoa powder if you want.
Protein powder. You can use a neutral, vanilla or chocolate. I recommend vegan protein powder as it acts most similar to flour.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Switch up the sweetness. Swap maple syrup for honey, agave, or date syrup. They'll all have a slightly different undertone but will act very similar to maple syrup in baking.
Add mix-ins. Try walnuts, shredded coconut, or dark chocolate chunks for extra texture. They are fantastic on their own, but if you need something with slightly more sweetness, I do recommend adding the dark chocolate chunks (especially if you're having this as an afternoon snack).
How to make chocolate zucchini muffins
Step 1: In a large bowl, using a stand mixer, hand mixer or whisk and beat together butter and maple syrup.
note - if you're in a cold climate, you might have to heat up the bowl. You may also be left with small solids (this is okay).
Step 2: Mix in eggs, mashed banana, baking powder, vanilla and salt.
Step 3: Mix in dry ingredients until combined and mousse-like. It should be thick and creamy
Squeeze excess liquid from zucchini and fold it into the mixture wet ingredients. If you want chocolate chips, add in now
Step 4: Line a muffin tray with muffin liners and add mixture using either a spoon or an icecream scoop. I use 2 icecream scoops for each muffin so they're about half full (large muffins).
Step 5: Bake for 7 minutes at 210C (410F), and 17 minutes at 175C (350F) or until a mostly dry skewer.
My Top Tips
Don't stress about the zucchini. Most recipes will tell you to squeeze the zucchini really really well. I found just a light pat was fine and the muffins weren't dense or soggy.
Cool before removing. Let muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Batch for meal prep. This recipe doubles and triples easily-plus it freezes really well for later.
Meal prepping, storing and freezing muffins
These muffins are perfect for making ahead because they keep well at room temperature, in the fridge, or frozen. But there are a few tricks to keep them tasting fresh and avoid soggy tops:
Storing at room temperature. Keep muffins in an airtight container lined with paper towels at the bottom. Add another layer of paper towel on top before sealing. This absorbs excess moisture and prevents soggy tops. Store for 2-3 days max.
Storing in the fridge. If you need them to last longer (up to a week), refrigerate in a paper towel-lined container. Let them cool completely before sealing-if they're even slightly warm, condensation will form, making the tops sticky.
Freezing. Wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap or store in freezer bags. They'll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or microwave straight from frozen for 30 seconds.
My Top Tip
If you love that "freshly baked" vibe, pop refrigerated or thawed muffins in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or warm them in the oven for a few minutes.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Nope, promise! I even had kids try these muffins and they said they were delish (which is perfect because they're getting in those sneaky veggies while thinking they have a chocolatey treat).
The zucchini just adds moisture and softness-you won't taste it at all. In fact, if you didn't tell anyone, they'd never guess there were veggies hiding inside. The cacao powder completely masks the zucchini flavour.
Yes! You can replace the banana with unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin puree, or even mashed avocado. Each swap slightly changes the texture-applesauce makes them softer, while avocado makes them denser and fudgier. If using pumpkin puree, you may need an extra tablespoon of maple syrup for sweetness.
Yes, but you don't have to go overboard. Zucchini has a lot of water, especially larger ones, which can make muffins dense and soggy. I found that a light pat with a paper towel was enough, rather than squeezing it completely dry. The bigger the zucchini, the more water it will release-so if you're using large ones, give it an extra squeeze to be safe.
My top tip: A little moisture from the zucchini is good-it keeps the muffins soft and prevents them from being dry when using protein powder.
Recipe
Protein Chocolate and Zucchini Muffins
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Equipment
- Muffin Tin, moderate depth
- Silicone Muffin Liners, optional
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer, optional (or hand-mixer)
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g (½ cups) unsalted butter, room temperature, See Note 1
- 160 g (½ cups) maple syrup, See Note 2
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 130 g (½ cups) banana, mashed, approx.1, See Note 3
- 60 g (¼ cups) milk, See Note 4
- 100 g (1 cups) zucchini, approx.2, See Note 5
Dry Ingredients
- 120 g (1 cups) flour, all purpose
- 30 g (¼ cups) cacao powder
- 90 g (¾ cups) vegan protein powder, vanilla, neutral or chocolate, See Note 6
- 10 g (1 tablespoon) baking powder
- 3 g (1 teaspoon) salt
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 80 g (½ cups) choc chips, optional
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F).
- Finely grate 100 g (1 cups) zucchini and remove excess liquid with a paper towel.
- Mash 130 g (½ cups) banana
Mix ingredients
- In a large bowl, mix together 115 g unsalted butter and 160 g (½ cups) maple syrupnote - in cold climates, you might have small amounts of solid and may need to warm up the bowl in the microwave. Small amounts are fine, but if it's not mixing, it'll need to be warmer.
- Add 2 eggs, 130 g (½ cups) banana, 60 g (¼ cups) milk, 10 g (1 tablespoon) baking powder, 3 g (1 teaspoon) salt, 5 g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- Mix in 120 g (1 cups) flour, 30 g (¼ cups) cacao powder, 90 g (¾ cups) vegan protein powder until just combined. It should be thick and creamy.
- (if using) gently fold in 80 g (½ cups) choc chips
Baking
- Line a muffin tray with muffin liners and add mixture to half way.
- Bake for 7 minutes then decrease heat to 175°C (350°F) for 17 minutes. You should get a mostly dry skewer with a couple of wet crumbs. Allow to cool once removed for 10 minutes.
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