Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins Recipe – A little bit of veggies, a little bit of chocolate, a whole lot of yum! Soft decadent muffins made with a swirl of nutella on the top. 

Life And Baking Are One And The Same

In some areas of life, there are firm rules. Then there are other areas that offer plenty of room for interpretation. There are moments of triumph and toothsome rewards. There are devastating failures that you can’t fully grasp the depths of until the very end. 

Baking, like life, is a delicate balance of methodology and creative outpour. Dangerous, yet sweet.

I often find little life lessons in my interactions with food. In many ways, cooking has taught me to: 

• Be resourceful
• Stay open-minded
• Learn from my mistakes
• And trust the process.

The latter I find to be the most difficult.

The Process Matters

There is something deep within me that often wants to fling “the process” off a cliff and not look back. But if I did that, I wouldn’t be learning from my mistakes.

In baking, as with life, the process matters. You can disagree with the process all day, but you’ll never win that Pillsbury Bake-Off. *wink*

Stubborn Bakers Unite

This Zucchini Nutella Swirl Muffins Recipe, in particular, was a refresher course in “trusting the process.“

I’m embarrassed to tell you I made them four times. IN THE SAME DAY. Because I was certain my “tweak” wouldn’t result in the failure I knew was a guaranteed outcome.

Why did I make faulty tweaks three times? And why did I keep making additional batches of my Zucchini Nutella Swirl Muffins Recipe?

I’m stubborn.

However, the final batch was such a huge win, I’m thrilled to share the recipe with you today.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Ground Cinnamon
• Butter
• Sugar
• Large Egg
• Grated Zucchini
• Lemon Zest
• Nutella

So now that my flaws are out on the table, let’s discuss what I did wrong.

Batch One. I overfilled the muffin tins. Of course, I knew my muffins were bound to spill out in the oven, but I wanted to get all the batter in 8 liners. The muffins also needed a little boost in flavor.

Batch Two. I overfilled the muffins AGAIN… 10 this time. I added too much Nutella, so the tops were a complete mess.

Batch Three. In an effort to build the flavor, I added almond extract, trying to play off the nuttiness of the hazelnuts in Nutella. They were ok, but not blog-worthy. And oh yes, I overfilled the muffin liners AGAIN. All the swears!

Batch Four. Finally, I pared back the size of my recipe and added lemon zest, instead of almond extract. Tasty Success!

These Zucchini Nutella Swirl Muffins were light, moist, and flavorful with a decedent chocolatey top. They were worth the wait.

Get The Full (Printable) Recipe Below For How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins.

Chemistry of Baking

So if you don’t want to remake the same recipe four times, don’t break the concrete rules of baking. It’s important to think of baking as chemistry. Each step of a recipe is an important part of the scientific process, and if adjusted, will result in a different outcome.

Be sure to measure, mix your wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, add your eggs one at a time, take the extra few minutes to cream your butter and sugar until fluffy, and for the love of God, don’t overfill your muffin liners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the batter supposed to be solid or is it like a regular muffin batter? (What if I’m trying to adapt the recipe to a gluten-free version?) 

The batter is usually just a tad thicker than traditional muffin batter. That helps hold the Nutella on top.

If making a gluten-free version, select a good quality GF 1-to-1 baking mix.

Why did the Nutella fall to the bottom… Was it because I warmed it up before baking?

My guess is that heating the Nutella caused it to sink. If it’s at room temp, the batter has a little extra time to cook in order to keep the Nutella up. If you made a GF version, this could also have something to do with gluten-free flours.

Could I put in a little less butter?

The butter is what makes these muffins extra moist. You could always substitute shortening or oil, for the butter. Although oil would make the batter runny and the Nutella would probably sink!

You can also swap some of the butter for an equal amount of apple sauce. The moisture remains, but the muffin flavor isn’t quite as rich.

What does the zucchini add to the muffin?

It adds a really mild earthy quality and a LOT of moisture. If you’ve ever shredded and drained zucchini for fritters, you’ll know it contains a massive amount of liquid.

More Muffin Sensations

• Apple Spice Cornbread Muffins
• Tropical Breakfast Muffins
• Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins
• Honey Cinnamon Cornbread Muffins Recipe
• Irish Soda Bread Muffins Recipe
• Ginger Wheat Blackberry Muffins
• Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Muffins
• Carrot Pineapple Muffins with Beer Glaze 

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Zucchini Nutella Swirl Muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Amazing Zucchini Nutella Swirl Muffins Recipe - A little veggie, a little chocolate, and a whole lot of yum!

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 extra large egg
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• Zest of one lemon
• 1/2 cup Nutella

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk well. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and add the egg. Beat in.
• With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until just combined. Stir in the zucchini and lemon zest.
• Use a 1/4-cup scoop to evenly distribute the batter between the muffin liners. They should be 2/3 full. Dollop 1 teaspoon of Nutella on top of each scoop of batter and swirl with a toothpick.
• Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes. Check the centers with a toothpick. The toothpick should come out clean before removing the muffins from the oven.

Notes

This recipe can also be made in two loaf pans. Bake for 35-50 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 248kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 221mg, Potassium: 133mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 275IU, Vitamin C: 1.8mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 1.4mg

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

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