Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

I love these! The first time I followed the recipe exactly, the second time I added about 3/4 cup of walnuts and substituted applesauce for half the oil. Very moist either way! One of my favorite "zucchini bread" recipes.

These were great! I used a cup of apple sauce instead of the oil and cut the sugar in half to make them a little healthier.

I changed it a bit, since I didn't have cardamom on hand~ doubled the cinnamon instead. I also did half brown/half white sugar and it still turned out great.

My children loved these muffins. I did make one change. There was too much oil for my taste, so I used 1/2 cup oil plus 2 mashed ripe bananas. Very moist and nicely spiced muffins.

Delicious! My family didn't even know there was zucchini in it. They were very moist. I did not add the spices, because I personally don't like spices mixed with chocolate. The muffins tasted great without them.

These were pretty good. I made a lot of changes to the recipe, though, so I'm not sure how the original recipe tasted. I substituted 1 cup sugar for 1 cup splenda, 1/2 cup flax meal for 1/2 cup flour, and 1/4 cup olive oil for 1/4 cup vegetable oil. I also added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup chopped chocolate. The ending result was a great tasting and moist muffin. The only thing I wish a hadn't done was use the olive oil, because it gave the muffins a funny taste.

These were a big thumbs up. Yummy! I didn't have enough cocoa so I added a few chocolate chips to the batter and sprinkled a few on top before baking.

The muffins were okay, but nothing special. The chocolate taste was barely noticeable, in fact. A bit on the dry side as well, though that was partially my fault for reducing the amount of oil (1 cup just seemed like a LOT!). If I make this recipe again, I'll double the cocoa, and sub applesauce for part of the oil to keep them moist.

A little dry, nothing spectacular. A good use of excess zucchini but not my first choice of zucchini bread. The kids did eat it and request more - always a good sign! I will make it again with the following modifications: reduce flour by 1/3 cup, increase spices, sub applesauce for all or part of the oil.

I made a few changes in the recipe. I used applesauce instead of oil, and 1/2 cup honey instead of sugar. I also soaked my flour and cocoa in the applesauce and shredded zucchini overnight. The next day I whipped the eggs and honey until fluffy before adding the remaining ingredients. I added the baking soda and powder last and let it sit until it was thick. Again with this recipe I ended up making only 18 muffins instead of 24. I like my muffins big and fluffy I guess. The muffins were super moist and so good. I hope to get more zucchini this summer so I can make this recipe many more times. Thanks.

Wow, these are some of the best muffins I've ever made. I'm confused by the negative reviews! They were sooo delicious, my whole family devoured them. I did make many changes. I used all whole wheat pastry flour instead of white flour, I replaced half the oil with mashed bananas, I replaced one of the eggs with zucchini liquid (I had frozen grated zuvvhini, which when thawed has a liquid), I used melted palm oil instead of vegetable oil, I increased the cocoa powder by just a bit, I used sucanat instead of white sugar and cut the amount down to 1.5 C, I used a combination of grated carrot and zucchini since I didn't have enough zucchini, I doubled the cinnamon since I didn't have cardamom, and I added about 2/3C of raw sunflower seeds (I was unsure about this but it proved to be a great addition!). They were moist and flavorful. Also, many reviewers mentioned that there was a lot of oil, I have two comments about that. #1 - This is a recipe for 24 muffins, so the numbers do look a little higher; #2 - there is no liquid in this recipe. Most muffin recipes call for milk or juice, so I think you could replace some of the oil (or eggs, as I did...btw 1/4C liquid = 1 egg) with milk. Thanks for the great recipe! We'll be making this a lot.

Unless you frost them, they are rather bland.

Excellent treat that I feel good about feeding my kids. I wanted to point and laugh at my kids while they were wolfing these down for being foolish enough to be tricked into eating zucchini! I only had 2 zucchini (not enough for a full batch) so I made a 1/2 batch using 2 eggs. Also used half white/half brown sugar and half oil/half unsweetened applesauce for taste and calorie reduction. Used apple pie spice in place of the spice combo listed. These came out so moist and delicious and did not need anything on top (although these would make great frosted cupcakes!)

Good :) I am a huge fan of sweet and chocolate muffins, so it is quite a change... but I liked it! Just need to get use to it! Like others, I used applesauce instead of oil and add a little bit of chocolate chips. It taste just like a zucchini bread but in little muffin cups.

I rarely review things and certainly NEVER after modifying but I thought this was soooo worth it! I used dark chocolate cocoa powder, 3/4 C. oil, 1/4 C. applesauce (HUGE, healthy change, eh?) and then added chocolate chunks and walnuts. I also skipped the nutmet through cardamom based on personal preference. Oh how I LOVED these!!! I have zucchini running out my ears and am SICK to death of fried zucchini, gratins, and quick breads. I pretty much destroyed any nutritional value these had but what a fantastic snack. Next time, I'm going to skip the cinnamon all together and add 2 TBSP of espresso powder to enchance the chocolate flavor. This is going in "my favorite bones" section of of my favorite recipe's binder.

This is my 1st time using zucchini, and while I spent the whole time asking myself if I was doing it right..(was it ripe yet, how big should the grate be, do I press out the juice or keep it.., oh there's seeds inside) once that joy was over I got to the fun part. I made two subs cuz I couldn't wait to go to the store. I used 1/2cp olive oil, 1/2 cp applesauce. I don't own cardamom/cloves, so I upped the cinnamon/nutmeg and added a bit of ginger. I knew these would be eaten around breakfast time so I opted to cut sugar down a bit: 3/4cp white sugar & 1/2cp brown sugar. I threw in some mini choc. chips & sprinkled a few on top. A few had mentioned dryness being an issue or not enough cocoa flavor so I used dutch process cocoa but same qty as recipe called for. The added mini chips (very little bit) added to the flavor. These were flavorful, very moist and chocolatey. Can't wait to make them again. Shared with neighbor across hall who gave me the zucchini. She came over an hour later with Paula Dean's zucchini bread! I'm in carb heaven :)

I love this recipe and have made it many times. The first time it was a little dry and not chocolatey enough, so now I always add chocolate chips to the batter and it comes out perfect. I never use the cardamom because I don't have any on hand, but it doesn't need it. I also use whole wheat flour.

Yummy chocolate muffins, kids didn't even notice zucchini :). Increased cocoa to 1/2c, baking powder to 1tsp and added 1c choco chips. Less spice next time for kiddos.

Excellent! I'm always confused for shredded zucchini...2 cups packed or not packed. I used 2 cups packed of shredded zucchini - texture was perfect. Wouldn't change a thing to the recipe!

I have looked for a good chocolate muffin that isn't bland or dry for a while now. This one is it!! LOVE IT! I did take a few suggestions from other reviews. The only things that I changed was used 1/2 c. cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder& added 1 c. chocolate chips. They are amazing!

These were fabulous. To make a little healthier, I substituted 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce instead of oil and used 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of Splenda brown sugar. They were awesome. Unless you made them, you would NEVER know they were made with vegetables. I also used large muffin tins and spray rather than paper liners. Made 12 large muffins.

I didn't like this very much. It was my first time making them. I made a first batch of 12 and thought they needed more chocolate, so I threw a bunch of chocolate chips to the mixture. They were OK but I don't think I'd make them again.

These were a hit, though I thought it was a little dry. I also didn't tell people there was zucchini in them, just so they would give them a try. Everyone liked it.

Not sure if I did something wrong -- although I followed the recipe to the letter -- but I would never make these again. Really mediocre. Dry, stunted looking, so-so flavour. Not a keeper, sorry!

These are quite good and they were moist. Didn't have cardamon, instead I used "all spice". For the next time, I'm going to add a little more of "spices" maybe 1/4 tsp ginger and I'm going to make sure I have the cardamon.

Yum! What a great way to get veggies into my kids! Just tweaked it a little to try & make it a bit more healthy: 1-1/2c. whole wheat flour, 1-1/2 c. white, applesauce instead of oil. Also 1c. white, 1 c. brown sugar, 1/2 c. cocoa powder, & doubled the spices. Delish! Thank you!

Excellent recipe! I substituted half the oil with applesauce and added a little extra zucchini. Did 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips. No cloves or cardamon, but did added a little extra cinnamon. Sprinkled a mixture of oats, brown sugar and butter on top. I had to bake them for 25 minutes and leave them in the pan for another 30 minutes but they turned out perfect!

"Deadly" was what my family said about these. I cut the sugar to 1 1/2 cups, I used half white and half whole wheat flour, and I added chopped walnuts and a couple of handfuls of chocolate chips. I'll make these again for sure!

Good. I did feel that these were a bit overspiced, however. I expected the spices to compliment the chocolate flavor, but instead they overwhelmed it. I'd make these again, but cut down a bit on the nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom. Thanks :)

The only changes I made to the recipe were to add only one cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of cocoa, and I probably added around 3 cups of zucchini. Either my zucchini's were dry or I should of used less flour, but the dough was extremely tricky to mix. I was mixing it by hand, so I would imagine that I wouldn't have that problem if I had a good kitchen aid mixer (which I don't). I added a bit of milk to the batter to properly mix it. Once the dough became exposed to heat, the batter melted perfectly and the muffins turned out moist and delicious. The end product was great, it's just the dough was a little tricky.

These muffins are delicious and an excellent treat in the school lunchbox. I like the fact they have a vegetable in them. I have made some modifications to the recipe. Instead of all the different spices, I just use All Spice and Mixed Spice...to total the same quantity as the 4 individual spices listed. Additionally I add Saltanas or Raisins. This recipe works really well and if baking in Mini Muffin Tins only bake for about 10-12 Minutes. If baking in regular muffin tins, I find 20 minutes is enough. Poke with a skewer and if it comes out clean, they are done. Definately a highly recommended recipe.

Absolutely delicious!! Made a half batch as I wasn't sure how my veggie averse son would take to them.....had no clue there was even zucchini in them!! Mine turned out pretty dense, and I substituted 1 cup of applesauce for the oil. Used 2 eggs and added Choco chips to the mix. Used cinnamon as the only spice as I just didn't have the others. And I didn't measure it, just dumped some in. Will definitely make again, thank you!!!

We made these last night with our Zucchini from our garden and they were yummy. We did a double batch and used wheat flour for 1/3 of the flour. Double batch made 24 muffins and two loaves. We are taking the muffins to an event tonight so we sprinkled some chocolate chips on the top of the muffins and they came out really cute. And I didn't have ground cloves or cardamon on hand, but I had pumpkin spice which had those in it plus nutmeg and it was good.

I didn't tell my children there was zucchini in them. After having a muffin they told me that it was "The Best" muffin I had ever made for them. And "when was I making them again?" It is now in my rotation. I did reduce the sugar and oil by half and added a cup of regular applesauce (sweetened) and 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. May try to add a banana next time just to play with different flavors.

SENSATIONAL--and not all that high in fat/calories compared to other chocolate goodies...my kids ate them up in less than a day!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Haiku: "Oh so tasty good! I took submitter's ideas, and changed a few things." I didn't feel guilty about altering/adding, as the submitter of the recipe gave some nice suggestions in his description, so I ended up doing half brown/half white sugar, added chocolate chips on top, as well as halving the oil and including apple sauce. These were incredibly moist and wonderful right from the oven, and just as great the next day lightly-toasted w/ butter. My daughter, a rabid despiser of zucchini, devoured these enthusiastically.

Awesome muffins - moist and very yummy -- I halved the sugar and added some chocolate chips. also replaced 1/2 of the oil with applesauce.

My family loves these! I do 1 of the cups of flour as wheat & the oil is melted coconut oil since we don't use vegetable. So good! I bake 1 tray of 12 muffins & freeze the other tray of 12 (unbaked). Whenever we want muffins, we just put them in the oven still frozen- takes about the same amount of time to bake :)

These were really great! Very moist!!! I used a Texas muffin pan, so I got 7 really huge muffins.

These are very good! I made them exactly as the recipe says except I added a small amount of semi sweet chocolate chips for the kids.. They were a big hit!

Oh my goodness....... These are awesome!

Nice zucchini muffins. I cut the recipe in half to yield 12 muffins, and then used 1/2 oil and 1/2 applesauce to reduce the fat. Next time, I would keep the cocoa powder in the original amount as these weren't as chocolatey as we were hoping for. I also omitted the cardamom, as I don't have that spice. This is a great way to use up zucchini and "hide" it from your kids.

Very good! I followed the recipe exactly. The muffins were moist and tasty. I could not really taste the spices... would not have known spices were in it, if I were not the one who made them. Also didn't really taste the zucchini. I might try doubling the spices next time and maybe using walnut oil for the oil. Another tasty addition might be a little dry instant expresso/ coffee.

Thought they tasted great. I baked mine in a mini muffin pan and they turned out a little dry and flat-topped, probably cooked them a little too long. Will try again and hope for better results.

I literally JUST pulled these out of the oven. I bought some Muffin Top liners today and made about 30. I did swap out 1/2 the oil with 2 mashed bananas. reduced the sugar by 1/2 cup and added a bit more of the spices. So So yummy.

Great muffins...very moist. I did not add the cloves or cardamom as I did not have any. The only thing I would change next time is to add a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg. Thanks for the recipe!

Moist, surprising flavor. I made them in the shape of christmas trees and sprinkled them with powdered sugar. My guests loved them as well as my boys!

Not a big hit w/ my family, but I liked them!

I sub. 2 bananas for 1/2 the oil and doubled the spices. added mini choc. chips in batter and sprinkled some on top before baking. don't skimp on sugar. used 1/2 brown and white, but not full 2 cups

Pretty good, but needs a topping or frosting. I added extra cocoa and used applesauce with the oil. I also decided to throw in a packet of breakfast nutrition shake mix (1 servings worth). Don't know if that makes for extra nutrition or what.

Great recipe~would be even better with chocolate chips added to the mix.

Great!!! I followed the recipe as written. I have a larger muffin pan and ended up with 8 large yummy muffins! Definitely a great way to use some of my bumper crop of zucchini!

These were great. I doubled the cinnamon also, and they were fabulous and a big hit at my husband's work! Thanks for the great recipe. I'm making my second batch today.

I forgot to say that I only baked them for 15 min. and they were perfect.

These were okay for me, but hubs refused to take more than one bite. I chose this recipe thinking it was a good way to hide veggies from the hubs. Trust me, this recipe hides nothing. You can see the zucchini, and smell the zucchini. It didn't fool anyone (you should have seen the "look" I got) even after trying to cover the evidence with chocolate frosting. Now if you're a zucchini muffin/chocolate lover, this is your recipe to try.

Great muffin. Dense, chewy texture. Not dry whatsoever. I didn't have the cardamom or cloves, but that would have made them even better. The cinnamon with the chocolate is incredibly good. I subbed coconut oil and butter for the veggie oil and they turned out amazing. I'll make these again for sure.

We enjoyed them! I used whole wheat flour instead and had a great outcome.

These muffins were pretty good. The whole family enjoyed them. I only gave it 4 stars because they were a little on the bland side, - kind of like cake without the icing.

We love these muffins and have shared this recipe with many people! I didn't have cardamon so I added allspice instead and increased the cinnamon to a full teaspoon. I also added one 10-12 oz. bag of vanilla chips and 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips. This recipe makes a big batch and our friends, neighbors and relatives all love it when we make and share. This recipe works equally as well with 2 cups of pumpkin or 2-3 ripe bananas.

Very tasty! I did not have cardamom so just left that out. I had closer to 3 cups of zucchini so I added an extra cup of flour but left everything else the same. I'll be making these again!

I added chocolate chips, otherwise I followed rec. I called them hockey pucks because they didn't rise at all and seemed a little dense, but wow they were great.

I never rate recipes but had to on this one because it is so boring. I have eaten and love choc/zucchini baking all of my life and this is a waste of ingredients. I made them to share at my son's soccer camp tomorrow. Keep looking!!

These are very tasty. I used half the sugar and added some ground flax seed and a little almond meal to make up some of the difference in solid ingredients. I also used a melted stick of 50/50 butter/ canola oil in place of the oil to reduce calories. I used whole wheat pastry flour for added fiber. And finally, I doubled the spices, and it could have used even more!

These are great. Moist and full of flavor. Made with my 3 yr old grandson. Will make again.

Awesome awesome awesome!

Made just a few minor changes - I cut the oil to 3/4 cup and doubled the cinnamon because I didn't have cardamom. Very good. This is the second time I've made these and I have a request for more. Tasty way to use up some of that zucchini.

Yummy - satisfied my chocolate craving and used up some zucchini! Yea!

When asked how many starts should we rate this recipe, my daughter replied "Lots!" I concur. We added the chocolate chips suggested, as well as half oil - half applesauce, and used pumpkin pie spice for the various individual spices listed. Added a bit more flour because it looked too thin. Only problem is that it's going to be a few more days until the next batch of zucchini ripen in the garden to make more muffins. )-:

I substituted applesauce for the oil and Splenda for half the sugar.

I thought this recipe was fabulous. I made with Baking Splenda and used half of the oil and half applesauce. I also cut the recipe in half to make 12 nice, plump muffins. I think I may try adding choc. chips next time, but they were great...Kudo's to Larry.

I loved these! I made them today. I used organic coconut oil instead of vegetable oil to make them a little more healthier. I also did not have cardamom and did like someone else did, and doubled up on the cinnamon. I also doubled up on the other spices - sort of by accident! They were delicious. I will make these over and over!

Wow! Insanely delicious!

These muffins are really outstanding. They are very chocolatey and the zucchini is delicious. A keeper!

These were wonderful. I made half a batch, used 1/2 c sugar and 2 c grated squash. I had to add a little milk because the batter was thick. I also added 1 cup chocolate chips. Wow. They tasted almost like cake they were so light and fluffy. I would recommend this recipe.

This recipe was pretty good. But I felt there was something missing. So, after baking my first set of mini muffins I decided to double the cocoa and add half a cup of sour cream. They were much better this way.

Really good! I changed it up a bit, based on the ingredients I had on hand. Used shredded carrot instead of Zuch, and more than doubled the cocoa. I think if you don't, the muffins really wouldn't have any chocolate taste. Left the rest of the recipe the same, didn't add any extra liquid, found it just thick enough. Might try it without the spices next time, but really good with also! A keeper for my recipe box-thanks!

Yum! These were all gone by the morning after I made them. I didn't change anything about the recipe, it was great. I think I will try adding chocolate chips next time though, we love chocolate.

Wow! Amazing! I substituted cinnamon and honey for cloves and cardamam...It was so delicious!

My kids loved these muffins! I added chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and a streussel topping and they were great. Nice and moist. Even my husband liked them and he won't eat any other zucchini bread.

Fantastic! I added some chocolate chips and my kids couldn't get enough of them. I have two picky eaters when it comes to breakfast and I didn't mention the zucchini part - they never knew the difference and they asked for more.

This turned out great! Super moist and tasty! I melted Scharffenberger semi-sweet chocolate (4 oz), and subbed 1/8 cup of stevia for sugar, 1 cup applesauce for oil, and about 2.5 cups equal parts white rice flour and spelt flour. I left out the cardamom. I baked it as a loaf for 40 mins instead of muffins. Next time, I will double the grated zucchini. My pickiest eater loved it! Really delicious!

Good moist muffin. Not very chocolatey. I would probably add another tblspn of cocoa. Used 3x baking powder as we had no baking soda. Turned out fine.

these were amazing. i made a couple of changed though. i added 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cup of mashed bananas instead of the oil. ended up with 11 huge muffins. by the time my roommates were done with them, i had only gotten 2! will definitely be making this again.

Since there are only two of us, I cut the recipe in half but pretty much followed it and made zucchini bread instead of muffins so I had to adjust the cooking time. It turned out moist and delicious. The only thing I would change is to add some pecans next time.

Love this recipe!!!

I left out the spices here. put choc chips on top. Delish, I just wish they were darker so my kids wouldn't see the zucchini. Very moist and yummy.

This is a wonderful treat. My husband loves chocolate and is very picky about it. He ate 3 muffins immediatly after they came out of the oven. I added 1/2 cup chocolate chips to the muffin instead of on top.

Great recipe. I did not have the nutmeg, cloves or cardamom but they were still great! As a matter of fact, I took these camping and the muffins that were left from the day before were stolen overnight (by animal or by another camper I do not know)!!!

This is a great base recipe - easy to play around with. Like a lot of other reviewers, I used 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 regular flour. I cut the sugar by 1/4 cup and substituted 1/2 of the oil with applesauce. I also added milk chocolate chips. These are yummy, and the house smells wonderful while they are baking.

I loved these, didn't change a thing and they came out perfect! Only one person didn't care for them, but she does not like Cardamom nor Cinnamon so her loss! What a great way to help use all of that zucchini out in the garden!

Good, but dense. I prefer a lighter muffin, but the kids and husband didn't mind them at all.

This was a very good muffin that I made gluten free. I added 1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum and substituted applesauce for the oil. I also used the sugar/stevia baking blend (1 cup) and added about 1/3 c flaxseed (ground) to make it more nutritious. I baked in silicone muffin cups since these work better for GF flours, and they turned out yummy and beautiful! I gave four stars simply because this recipe can be made a lot healthier with these simple substitutions. Perfect chocolate amount.

Substantial muffin is filling as breakfast or as a snack. I left out the nutmeg and added about a 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips. After filling the muffin tins, I sprinkled additional chocolate chips on top before baking. Muffins were just a bit dry, but still quite tasty. At first, the kids were put off knowing they had zucchini but once tasted, enjoyed them entirely. I will make these again.

Delicious muffins! I substituted 1/2 oil for applesauce. I put in 1/2 white flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour plus 2Tbsp. Omega Hearts(hulled hemp seeds). I just used cinnamon but put in 1 tsp. also I substituted almond flavoring for vanilla. Be sure and try almond flavoring sometime as it is a lovely combination with chocolate.

Very good. Gave some to my co-workers and they all liked the muffins.

I would add chocolate chips and walnuts and cut the sugar in half next time. My kids loved it however. Just a little too sweet and not chocolate enough for me. I will try again with these changes.

I have made these twice exactly just cut the sugar to 1 1/2 (thought it may be too much) and they are great! Kid approved and used up some zucchini!

Trying to use up the bounty of zucchini and this one is a winner. I didn't have all the spices, so I increased the cinnamon and added a handful of cherry tomatoes with the eggs and oil and cut out about 1/4 cup of oil...shhhhh, don't tell! Hubby thinks they are super yummy!!!

The spices with the zucchini and chocolate just didn't work well together. Maybe too many contrasting tastes going on? I would leave out the spices if I was to make it again.