These Chocolate Veggie Muffins are ultra-fudgy, moist, and secretly packed with 3 cups of veggies. Made in one blender, they taste way too good to be healthy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These chocolate veggie muffins disappeared in my house just as fast as my healthy chocolate muffins and Dubai chocolate muffins. What’s even better, they are packed with 3 cups of veggies and 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per each muffin.
Each muffin is packed with spinach, carrots, and zucchini, but you’d never know it from the taste!
My chocolate veggie muffin recipe is easy to make in one blender, no grating veggies and no extra bowls are required. After testing the recipe 3 times, I decided to skip the Greek yogurt since it makes muffins less sweet. The banana adds natural sweetness and keeps them moist.
Ingredients for Chocolate Veggie Muffins
- Vegetables: Carrots to add natural sweetness, zucchini to boost moisture, and spinach blends in thanks to its mild flavor. Kale instead of spinach works too.
- Banana: Make sure to use a very ripe banana for the sweetest flavor. You can use applesauce if you’d prefer, see Variations below.
- Eggs: Provide structure, add protein, and give these chocolate muffins a rich, tender texture.
- Maple syrup: Feel free to swap in any liquid sweetener you prefer like honey, agave, or sugar-free sweetener.
- Avocado oil: Great for baking thanks to its neutral flavor and healthy fats, though any neutral oil will work just as well.
- Baking essentials: Baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Flavor enhancers: Pure vanilla extract and a touch of cinnamon.
- Cacao or cocoa powder: Cacao is less processed and slightly more nutrient-rich, but unsweetened cocoa still packs plenty of health benefits.
- All-purpose flour: Gives the muffins structure, keeps them soft, tender, and perfectly cakey.
- Dark chocolate chips: Turn these into double chocolate muffins! I love mini chips, but regular work fine too. For a sweeter touch, use semi-sweet chocolate chips.
How to Make Chocolate Veggie Muffins
These muffins are quick and easy, all you need is your high-speed blender.
Preheat oven to 375 F and line a muffin tin with parchment liners, spraying lightly with cooking spray.
- Blend the veggies: Blend carrots, zucchini, spinach, banana, eggs, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cacao powder until smooth. Make sure there are no veggies hiding under the blades.
- Mix in the flour: Scrape the sides, then add the flour and blend on low just until combined, don’t overdo it.
- Add chocolate chips: Gently fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Fill the muffin tin: Scoop the batter evenly into your prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if you like.
- Bake: Pop the muffin pan in the oven for 24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool and enjoy: Let your muffins cool for 5 minutes before serving.
No Blender Tip
If you don’t have a blender, you can use a food processor or grate carrots and zucchini on a box grater, mash banana, and mix by hand.
Tips for Best Results
Quick tricks to get the best texture and flavor hidden veggie chocolate muffins!
- Blend veggies well: Make sure nothing is stuck under the blades, or chop vegetables smaller, if needed.
- Incorporate all of the batter: Scrape down the blender walls before adding flour, so nothing gets left behind.
- Don’t over blend: Mix the flour just until combined to keep the muffins soft and tender, not tough.
- Measure flour correctly: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to avoid packing it in.
- Don’t over bake: Keep an eye on them, so they stay soft and fudgy.
Variations
- Banana-free: Use about 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce instead. You can use sweetened applesauce but it will add extra sugar.
- Whole wheat flour: Sub with 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, or spelt flour.
- Gluten-free: You can use gluten-free flour if you are sure it’s 1:1 ratio, or add a bit less.
- Peanut butter: Add a couple small dollops on top of the batter, swirl gently, sprinkle with chocolate chips, then bake.
- Nutty chocolate: Fold in chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for crunch.
- Dried fruit: Mix in chopped dried cherries, cranberries, raisins, or apricots for a chewy, naturally sweet twist.
How to Store
Store: Toss the muffins in a resealable bag or airtight container and leave them on the counter, they’ll stay yummy for 3 days.
Freeze: Stick them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Healthy Recipes to Try
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Healthy Zucchini Muffins
Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
Best Ever Healthy Zucchini Brownies
Chocolate Veggie Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrots, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup zucchini, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup spinach, packed
- 1 small very ripe banana
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cacao or cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, more for tops if you wish
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F, line muffin tin with parchment paper liners and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a high speed blender, add carrots, zucchini, spinach, banana, eggs, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cacao powder. Blend until smooth, pausing and making sure no veggie pieces are stuck under the blades.
- Scrape the mixture down the walls and from the inside of the blender cover, and add flour. Blend on low speed just to combine, don't overblend.
- Add chocolate chips and gently stir with spatula.
- Using large cookie trigger scoop, divide muffin batter evenly among openings of prepared muffin tin. Add a few chocolate chips on top, if you wish.
- Bake muffins for 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy.
Notes
- Store: To prevent muffins from drying, place in a resealable bag or airtight container and store on a counter for 3 days.
- Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are absolutely delicious. I didn’t have zucchini so I used crushed pineapple.
Olena your recipes are always so incredible. Thank you.
So happy you loved them. Crushed pineapple is a great swap, so moist and naturally sweet. Thank you so much for your kind words, Colleen!