Trust me, these zucchini cupcakes do not taste like a vegetable. In fact, these chocolate zucchini cupcakes are so deliciously sweet you won’t even know there’s any zucchini in it.
Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes Recipe
Much like zucchini bread, the zucchini helps to give your cupcakes the perfect texture and keeps them super moist.
Sugar, vanilla, and cocoa add a sweet flavor to your cupcakes while our sweet chocolate cream cheese frosting perfects them.
Why You’ll Love this Chocolate Cupcake (with Sneaky Veggies) Recipe:
- They sneak in veggies. For picky eaters, zucchini cupcakes can easily sneak in small amounts of calcium and potassium.
- Simple ingredients. You will probably have most of these ingredients already in your kitchen. You won’t need to go to the store for this recipe.
- They are deliciously sweet. Paired with chocolate cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes are both moist and sweet.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix zucchini, butter, milk, egg, and vanilla in another bowl.
- Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine.
- Evenly fill your lined cupcake pan, filling each cupcake liner about ⅔ full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost them with your favorite frosting or use this Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe.
Unfortunately, these cupcakes are not gluten free because they are made with flour. However, you can make this recipe gluten free by substituting the regular flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour blend.
While you can use any unsweetened cocoa powder you prefer, I like to use natural cocoa powder here because the baking soda helps to neutralize the acidity of natural cocoa powder, letting its rich flavor shine.
You will want to peel and shred 2 medium zucchini. However, you do not need to drain them. In fact, the water in the zucchini is what makes these cupcakes so moist and delicious!
Absolutely not! In fact, your zucchini cupcakes will most definitely taste just as delicious if not better than traditional cupcakes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Shred the zucchini. If you don’t want your cupcakes to have clumps of zucchini, make sure you fully shred them using a grater.
- Put cupcakes in the fridge to cool faster. I find it easier to spread the frosting if the cupcakes are colder. Put them in the fridge or freezer to speed up the process.
- Blend ingredients thoroughly. Make sure all your ingredients are blended thoroughly without any lumps to ensure the best tasting cupcakes.
Whether you are making a special treat after dinner or making cupcakes for a birthday celebration, these chocolate zucchini cupcakes are the perfect solution! They are moist, sweet, and delicious.
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 180 grams
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 21 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 zucchini peeled and shredded, about 1 cup
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter 75 grams (⅔ stick)
- ⅔ cup milk 151 grams
- 1 large egg 50 grams
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 8 grams
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting see recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and stir together. Set the bowl aside.1½ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the zucchini, butter, milk, egg, and vanilla. Mix at low-to-medium speed until all ingredients begin to combine together.2 zucchini, ⅓ cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup milk, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add in the dry ingredients to the wet and continue mixing until it becomes a creamy batter.
- Evenly fill the prepared liners, filling until they are about ⅔ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, using a toothpick, insert into the cupcake to test if they are baked. (Toothpick will come out clean)
- Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack or counter.
- Frost with your favorite frosting (we love this Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe) and serve!Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Notes
- Shred the zucchini. If you don’t want your cupcakes to have clumps of zucchini, make sure you fully shred them using a grater.
- Put cupcakes in the fridge to cool faster. I find it easier to spread the frosting if the cupcakes are colder. Put them in the fridge or freezer to speed up the process.
- Blend ingredients thoroughly. Make sure all your ingredients are blended thoroughly without any lumps to ensure the best tasting cupcakes.
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