• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Effortless Foodie
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Contact
    • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Muffins

    Easy Chocolate Courgette Muffins

    Published: Aug 5, 2020 · Modified: Jul 6, 2022 by Beth Sachs · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 24 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Chocolate courgette muffins pin image with text overlay.

    Moist and rich, these chocolate courgette muffins are the perfect way to use up a glut of courgettes from your garden or allotment. Best of all they can be made in under 30 minutes.

    Enjoy them for breakfast, as a snack, or even a quick and easy pudding!

    Chocolate courgette muffins on a cooling rack

    A little bit of magic happens when you add courgettes to cakes and baked treats (check out my fudgy courgette brownies). They help the chocolate muffins become incredibly moist, rich, and oh so moreish. I guarantee you won't be able to stop at just one.

    I use my trusty basic muffin recipe as the base for these delicious chocolate courgette muffins, and add grated courgette, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, for a double chocolate hit.

    Love chocolate muffins? You'll want to try my moist chocolate orange muffins too!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why should you try it?
    • Courgette or Zucchini?
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🥄 Equipment
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Top tips
    • 🍴 Serving suggestions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • 🧊 Suitable for freezing?
    • 😋Related recipes
    • ❓ FAQS
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why should you try it?

    1. A great way of sneaking extra vegetables into the kids.
    2. An easy after-school snack.
    3. Under 200 calories a serving.
    4. Great for freezing to use at a later date.

    Courgette or Zucchini?

    Essentially courgettes and zucchini are the same thing. In the UK we call them courgettes and in the US, they are known as zucchini.

    If you are based stateside, just use zucchini instead of courgettes. I also have a handy weight conversion to US customary in my recipe card, at the bottom of the post.

    Overhead shot of muffins in a baking tin.

    🥘 Ingredients

    My basic muffin mix combines plain flour, caster sugar and bicarbonate of soda, with natural yogurt, eggs and melted butter.

    I swap out some of the plain flour for cocoa powder in these chocolate courgette muffins (or chocolate zucchini muffins), add grated courgette, and an extra chocolate hit of milk chocolate chips (although feel free to use dark chocolate if you like).

    Chocolate Courgette Muffins on a wire cooling rack

    🥄 Equipment

    A couple of mixing bowls, a 12 hole muffin tin, and some muffin cases (paper or silicone), are all you need to make these intensely rich chocolate muffins.

    🔪 Instructions

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    One: Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix gently until combined.

    Two: Stir in the grated courgette and chocolate chips.

    Three: Be careful not to over mix, otherwise the muffins will become tough.

    Four: Spoon the muffin batter into paper cases and bake in a preheated oven for 18 minutes.

    Step by step photo instructions for making the muffins.

    💭 Top tips

    Squeeze out excess water from the grated courgettes, to prevent your chocolate muffins from becoming too soggy. There is nothing worse than a soggy muffin.

    The best way to do this is to wrap the grated courgettes in a tea towel, and squeeze out the excess water over your sink.

    🍴 Serving suggestions

    These delicious muffins make an ideal after-school snack for kids. My lot enjoy them with an ice-cold glass of milk, and I'm partial to eating one with a cup of tea.

    I sometimes serve the muffins as a quick and easy pudding too, straight from the oven with a scoop of honeycomb ice cream. They could also be eaten with warm creamy custard, for a comforting snack or dessert.

    📖 Variations

    • Try using white chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate chips. Or you could even use a combination of both.
    • The muffins could be made vegan by replacing the melted butter for vegetable oil and the natural yogurt for dairy free yogurt.
    • I sometimes add a handful of chopped nuts for added crunch. Walnuts or pecans would work well.

    🥡 Storage

    The muffins will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I'm pretty sure they won't last that long though!

    🧊 Suitable for freezing?

    These muffins freeze brilliantly. I often make a double batch and freeze half for another day.

    Place the muffins in a freezer-safe container with a lid, placing a sheet of baking paper between each layer of muffins, to prevent them from sticking together.

    As they only take an hour or so to defrost, they are perfect for unexpected guests, or when the kids are starving and the cupboards are bare.

    😋Related recipes

    Some more muffin recipes you might like;

    • Bakery Style Strawberry Muffins
    • Carrot Cake Muffins
    • White Chocolate and Cherry Muffins
    • Blueberry and White Chocolate Muffins
    • Banana & Peanut Butter Muffins
    • Sweet Potato and Apple Muffins
    • Cranberry Orange Muffins
    • Rhubarb and Pecan Muffins
    • Banana and Pecan Muffins
    • Blackberry & Lemon Muffins
    • Cinnamon Spiced Mincemeat Muffins

    You might also like my recipe for chocolate courgette sheet cake, which can be found on my Cornish food blog Jam & Clotted Cream.

    ❓ FAQS

    Can you use courgette in sweet bakes?

    Courgette is perfect for adding to sweet baked goods because the delicate flavor allows it to blend in perfectly with cake mixtures. It also helps to keep baked goods moist without having to add a lot of extra fat to the recipe. Grate the courgettes finely and you will not even notice them!

    🍽️ More family-friendly recipes

    • Easy Chocolate Nutella Muffins Recipe
    • Easy Smarties Cookies Recipe
    • Easy Mint Aero Brownies Recipe
    • Easy Frangipane Mince Pies Recipe

    Recipe

    chocolate muffins with grated courgette on a cooling rack
    Email
    Print Pin
    4.95 from 17 votes

    Chocolate Courgette Muffins

    Moist and rich, these chocolate courgette muffins are the perfect way to use up a glut of courgettes from your garden or allotment.
    Course Cake
    Cuisine British
    Keyword chocolate courgette muffins, chocolate zucchini muffins
    Prep Time 12 minutes
    Cook Time 18 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 12 muffins
    Calories 190kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Kitchen Scales
    • Measuring Jug
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Mixing Bowl
    • Wooden Spoon
    • Cheese Grater
    • 12 Hole Muffin Tin
    • Muffin Cases

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 140 g Caster Sugar
    • 180 g Plain Flour
    • 20 g Cocoa Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
    • 100 ml Natural Yogurt
    • 2 Eggs
    • 140 g Butter melted and cooled
    • 250 g Courgette grated and excess water squeezed out
    • 100 g Milk Chocolate Chips

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 190°c (170° fan/ 375F/ Gas 5) and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
    • Mix together the caster sugar, plain flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl.
    • Whisk the yogurt, eggs and melted butter together in a bowl, until combined.
    • Gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, being careful not to over mix.
    • Fold in the grated courgette and chocolate chips.
    • Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases.
    • Bake for 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack once cool enough to handle.

    Video

    Notes

    Please note the weight of courgettes stated in the ingredients list is the ungrated, un-squeezed weight. It will equate to about 2 medium courgettes.
    Substitutions: 
    • Try using white chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate chips. Or you could even use a combination of both.
    • The muffins could be made vegan by replacing the melted butter for vegetable oil and the natural yogurt for dairy-free yogurt.
    • I sometimes add a handful of chopped nuts for added crunch. Walnuts or pecans would work well.
    Freezing: The muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months.
    Nutrition: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors.
    Nutrition Facts
    Chocolate Courgette Muffins
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    190
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    7
    g
    11
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    28
    mg
    9
    %
    Sodium
     
    108
    mg
    5
    %
    Potassium
     
    127
    mg
    4
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    28
    g
    9
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    13
    g
    14
    %
    Protein
     
    6
    g
    12
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    96
    IU
    2
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    4
    mg
    5
    %
    Calcium
     
    36
    mg
    4
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

    #CookBlogShare

    I'm linking this recipe up to #CookBlogShare, which this week is hosted by The Peachicks Bakery.

    Cook Blog Share

    More Easy Muffin Recipes

    • Easy Stollen Muffins Recipe
    • Easy Christmas Cake Muffins Recipe
    • Easy Gingerbread Muffins with Lemon Drizzle
    • Easy Apple & Blackberry Muffins Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gina

      August 06, 2020 at 10:54 am

      These look so lovely! I wish I had a glut this year but my zucchini plants are male flower dominated and so far I've only gotten one!

      Reply
      • Beth Sachs

        August 06, 2020 at 5:47 pm

        Oh no! I always seem to end up with way too many.

        Reply
      • Susan Lowe

        August 27, 2021 at 9:46 am

        Is it just me? I can’t find how much courgette is used or how much plain flour is substituted with cocoa powder. I’ve got everything ready, just can’t find the quantities needed. Sue x

        Reply
        • Beth Sachs

          August 27, 2021 at 9:56 am

          Hi Susan. The recipe card is at the bottom of the post.

          Reply
          • Susan

            August 27, 2021 at 11:21 am

            😊 Thank you. Didn’t read it properly☺️ All made now, look and taste lovely! Sue x

            Reply
    2. Janelle

      August 06, 2020 at 12:01 pm

      5 stars
      I am a massive fan of zucchini in cake. Thanks for a great recipe

      Reply
    3. Sue

      August 06, 2020 at 12:58 pm

      5 stars
      These muffins look delicious and a truly great way to sneak some veggies into the family!

      Reply
      • Beth Sachs

        August 06, 2020 at 5:47 pm

        I didn't tell my kids there were courgettes in them...until after they had eaten them and proclaimed them the BEST chocolate muffins ever!

        Reply
      • Steph Tombs

        August 06, 2020 at 6:19 pm

        5 stars
        Made these today with some courgettes from a friend's garden 😊 Easy to make and delicious 🙂

        Reply
        • Beth Sachs

          August 17, 2020 at 10:45 am

          Glad you enjoyed them Steph!

          Reply
    4. Alisa Infanti

      August 06, 2020 at 1:08 pm

      5 stars
      I have never heard a zucchini called that before so was intrigued. They are delish!

      Reply
    5. Carrie Robinson

      August 06, 2020 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      I so wish that I had a couple of these for breakfast this morning! They look perfect. 🙂

      Reply
    6. Julie

      August 06, 2020 at 3:52 pm

      Such a good way to get that green veggie in there. The muffins look delish too.

      Reply
    7. Jill

      August 06, 2020 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      Great way to use up the abundance of zucchini from my garden. These muffins look scrumptious.

      Reply
    8. Jessica Formicola

      August 06, 2020 at 4:50 pm

      5 stars
      Chocolate for breakfast sounds like a great idea to me, so I can't wait to try these muffins!

      Reply
    9. Becky

      August 06, 2020 at 5:33 pm

      5 stars
      I have tried baking these buns and they are amazing. I used 200g of choc chips instead of 100g but everything else I kept the same. Xx

      Reply
      • Beth Sachs

        August 06, 2020 at 5:48 pm

        So glad you enjoyed them Becky! The extra choc chips sound like a good idea.

        Reply
    10. Mindy Fewless

      August 06, 2020 at 5:42 pm

      These turned out beautifully!! Thank you!

      Reply
    11. Emily Liao

      August 06, 2020 at 11:18 pm

      5 stars
      These chocolate muffins were so fluffy and delicious! Not to mention, pretty easy to make - so will definitely come to this for when I have a chocolate craving.

      Reply
    12. Kat (The Baking Explorer)

      August 07, 2020 at 7:54 am

      5 stars
      What tasty looking muffins!

      Reply
    13. Midge @ Peachicks' Bakery

      August 08, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      5 stars
      Oooh these look like a fab way to use up courgettes! Definitely pinning it to make a peachick safe version! Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare 🙂

      Reply
    14. Cat | Curly's Cooking

      August 09, 2020 at 9:52 am

      5 stars
      I love using courgettes in baking. These muffins look delicious!

      Reply
    15. Paula

      July 03, 2021 at 7:56 am

      Sorry if this seems a silly question or has already been clarified but is the courgette weight before or after grating?
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Beth Sachs

        July 03, 2021 at 11:00 am

        Hi Paula. Not a silly question. This is the weight before they are grated.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Beth Sachs Food Blogger

    Hi, I’m Beth, a Mum of three (and one crazy dog), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

    More about me →

    My Web Stories

    Footer

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Effortless Foodie