Easy Chocolate Cupcake Recipe with Zucchini & Whole Wheat
Try this chocolate cupcake recipe with zucchini for an easy, lightly sweetened treat that everyone will love. Made in about 30 minutes with whole wheat flour (and dairy free) it works for both a snack with peanut butter or a special occasion with fluffy frosting. If you’re looking for a chocolate treat that feels indulgent but uses real food ingredients, this recipe is one you’ll make again and again.
✩ What readers are saying…
“I used half the batter for full size muffins and half for mini muffins (mostly because I don’t have two muffin tins). We are still waiting for the full size cupcakes to finish but the mini ones are wonderful (no frosting, but we will top with straight peanut butter to make these little treats work as a breakfast). Thank you!” -Rachael
Chocolate and zucchini are a match made in heaven, as far as I’m concerned. But of course zucchini helps many baked goods stay moist and tender whether they have chocolate or not, like Zucchini Lemon Bread, No Fail Zucchini Bread, and Zucchini Cinnamon Freezer Muffins, and this recipe for zucchini chocolate cupcakes is no exception.
Of course we probably all hope that adding zucchini to breads and cakes adds a bit of nutritional value – and maybe it does, but mainly they are fun recipes to eat and share.
I did try to make these zucchini chocolate cupcakes as real-food-healthy as possible by using less sugar and more cocoa powder than normal cupcakes in addition to using a healthy fat and 100% whole wheat pastry flour. Because of these changes (subtle changes that no one notices, trust me), I think they make a good snack plain, with a nut butter, or with powdered sugar.
But of course when frosted like I show here with my amazing chocolate frosting, they can also be a show-stopping dessert that just happens to be a bit healthier.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need basic pantry ingredients besides the zucchini for this recipe, which also happens to be dairy free!
- Zucchini: If it’s one of those huge ones, remove the spongy center with the big seeds (see tip below).
- Brown sugar: You can also use coconut sugar or regular cane sugar.
- Oil: Either cold-pressed sunflower oil, melted coconut oil, or lightly flavored olive oil
- Whole wheat pastry flour: I use this to increase the fiber and nutrients, but all-purpose flour will work as well, or even half regular whole wheat and half all-purpose.
- Cocoa powder: I use regular cocoa powder, though you can use a dark cocoa powder too.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Or use dark chocolate chips or even peanut butter chips.
TIP: Do you have huge zucchinis you missed in the garden or friends gave you?
To use the best part of gigantic zucchinis, you’ll want to remove the spongy center with the giant seeds. To do this:
- Cut the ends off and then cut the whole zucchini in half or thirds, depending on the size to be more manageable.
- Cut each of those pieces into halves, and then into quarters.
- With one of the quartered pieces on it’s end, hold a sharp knife at the top inner seedy portion and cut down to remove the pithy center.
- Repeat with all your pieces, discard the centers and shred the outer portions only.
How to Make Zucchini Chocolate Cupcakes
Step 1: Make Batter. Mix the wet ingredients (zucchini, eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla) in a large bowl. Add remaining dry ingredients, mixing until all is combined.
Step 2: Portion and Bake. Spoon the batter evenly between lined muffin pan cups (the cups will be about half full). Bake about 18 minutes.
TIP: This batter is thicker than traditional cupcake batters. I find thicker batters result in moister cupcakes and it also helps keep the chocolate chips evenly distributed rather than simply falling to the bottom.
Step 3: Let cool and frost – or not.
The Frosting Options
The amazing chocolate frosting recipe that I used to frost the cupcakes pictured is rich, smooth, and firmly in the decadent dessert camp, making it perfect for celebrations. After trying many different frosting recipes, this is the only chocolate frosting that I use now because it is literally THE best frosting ever.
And I don’t say that lightly. Everyone loves it. It uses lots of butter and powdered sugar, so it’s definitely a special occasion kind of thing but I think you will want to try it because, trust me, it’s to.die.for.
You can also simply dust these cupcakes with powdered sugar or use your favorite frosting recipe. I really like these with peanut putter frosting, too.
With less sugar and more cocoa powder these cupcakes have a dark chocolate flavor, which I’m always aiming for with any chocolate recipe (by that I mean, less sweet and more true cocoa flavor), but they are still moist and fluffy.
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes, and while you could cut the recipe in half they do freeze beautifully (frosted or not), and are great to have on hand for any occasion – or snack – that calls for them.
I hope you love this zucchini chocolate cupcake recipe – if you make it, be sure to leave a recipe rating to let me know!
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Chocolate Cupcake Recipe with Zucchini & Whole Wheat
Equipment
- Muffin pan 24 count or 2 12-count
- Muffin pan liners
- large bowl and mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded zucchini, no need to drain
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 3/4 cup cold-pressed sunflower oil, melted coconut oil, or lightly flavored olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips**
- [Amazing Chocolate Frosting] or powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line 24 muffin pan cups with paper liners.
- Add zucchini, eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla to a large bowl and mix well.
- Add remaining cupcake ingredients, mixing until all is combined.
- Spoon the batter evenly between the lined cups (the cups will be about half full). I find it easiest to use a large muffin scoop half full.
- Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (of cake batter – some melted chocolate may be on them). Cool in pans 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
- Frost with this amazing chocolate frosting or dust with powdered sugar when they are completely cooled.
Notes
Nutrition
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcake FAQs
You can use a box grater or a food processor to shred zucchini. I use a processor because it makes quick work of it, but hand graters tend to make smaller pieces, so if you’d like it to be less noticeable, use a hand grater.
You can choose to peel or not – that’s totally up to you in this recipe (though it’s a key step in this incredible while zucchini cake!).
No, we want all that great moisture from the zucchini for this recipe, so use it freshly grated.
More Delicious Zucchini Recipes
- Amazing White Zucchini Cake with Caramel-Nut Frosting
- Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread (sweetened with honey)
- Zucchini Lemon Bread with Glaze
This recipe has been updated – it was originally published in November of 2012.
