One-Bowl Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins with Whole Wheat and Dark Chocolate
Rich vegan chocolate zucchini muffins made in one bowl with whole wheat flour, cocoa, coconut sugar and melty dark chocolate chunks. Moist, tender and easy.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Serves
- 12
One-Bowl Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins with Whole Wheat and Dark Chocolate is a vegan dessert recipe made with ground flaxseed, water, coconut sugar. It takes 37 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes resting, serves 12, and each serving has 227 calories, 4 g of protein and 5 g of fiber.
Grated zucchini goes into the batter unsqueezed, and its moisture is what keeps whole wheat flour tender instead of dry. A flax egg holds everything together. A little vinegar reacts with the baking soda to give the muffins lift. They start in a hot oven for 5 minutes to set domed tops, then finish at a lower temperature so the centers bake through without the edges drying out.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp14 gground flaxseed
- 5 tbsp75 gwater
- ¾ cup144 gcoconut sugar
- ⅓ cup74 gneutral oil, such as canola or sunflower
- ¾ cup180 gunsweetened oat milk
- 1 tsp4.2 gvanilla extract
- 1 tsp5 gapple cider vinegar
- 1½ cups186 gzucchini, finely grated (not squeezed), about 1 medium-large zucchini
- 1¾ cups210 gwhole wheat flour (white whole wheat for a lighter crumb)
- ½ cup43 gunsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp4.6 gbaking soda
- 1 tsp4.6 gbaking powder
- ½ tsp1.3 gground cinnamon
- ½ tsp3 gfine salt
- 3 oz85 gdairy-free dark chocolate, chopped, check the label for milk solids
- 1 pinch0.4 gflaky sea salt, for topping (optional)
Kit: 12-cup muffin pan, paper liners, large mixing bowl, box grater, whisk, fine-mesh sieve
Tips
- Don't squeeze the zucchini. The batter needs its moisture, and squeezed zucchini gives you dry muffins.
- Use the small holes of a box grater so the zucchini melts into the crumb and disappears.
- The tops get slightly sticky after a day in a sealed container. Leave the lid cracked for the first few hours if you prefer a firmer top.
Swap ideas
- Half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour
- Gives a lighter, fluffier crumb with a milder wheat flavor.
- Light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar
- Makes the muffins a little sweeter and moister, with a softer caramel note.
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts instead of half the chocolate
- Adds crunch and a toasty flavor that balances the cocoa.
- Soy milk or almond milk instead of oat milk
- Works the same way; soy milk gives slightly better browning.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
227kcal per serving
Everything else · 12 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 2.6 g 13%
- Sugars
- 13.2 g
- Sodium
- 441 mg 19%
- Potassium
- 376 mg 8%
- Calcium
- 123 mg 9%
- Iron
- 2.2 mg 12%
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg 3%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.04 µg 2%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Seeds, flaxseed, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, COCONUT SUGAR (The Kroger Co., Branded; ingredients: organic coconut sugar), Oil, canola, Oatly Original Oatmilk (Nutrition Facts per 1 cup / 240 ml: 120 kcal, 5 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 100 mg sodium, 16 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 7 g sugars, 3 g protein, 350 mg calcium, 0.3 mg iron, 390 mg potassium, 0.4 mcg B12). Converted to per 100 g assuming ~244 g per cup (density ≈ 1.02 g/mL); vitamin C not listed, treated as 0., Vanilla extract, Vinegar, cider, Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw, Wheat flour, whole-grain (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened, Leavening agents, baking soda, Leavening agents, baking powder, double-acting, sodium aluminum sulfate, Spices, cinnamon, ground, Salt, table, Chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids
Method
Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center, and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk the ground flaxseed with the water and let it sit until thick and gel-like, about 5 minutes. Grate the zucchini while you wait.
Whisk the coconut sugar, oil, oat milk, vanilla and vinegar into the flax gel until the sugar mostly dissolves, about 1 minute. Stir in the grated zucchini along with any juices.
Add the flour to the bowl. Sift the cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt over it, then give just the dry layer on top a quick stir so the leaveners spread through the flour.
Fold everything together with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. Stop as soon as it comes together, because overmixing makes whole wheat muffins tough. Fold in about three-quarters of the chopped chocolate.
Divide the batter evenly among the liners. They will be filled almost to the top. Press the rest of the chocolate onto the tops and add a pinch of flaky salt if using.
Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F, then lower the oven to 350°F without opening the door. Bake another 15–18 minutes, until the tops are domed and spring back when pressed lightly. A toothpick in the center should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter; melted chocolate on it is fine.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move the muffins to a rack. Let them cool for at least 10 more minutes before eating so the crumb can set.
Storage: Keep at room temperature in an airtight container lined with a paper towel for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze individually wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 20–30 seconds.
Questions
- How much protein is in one-bowl vegan chocolate zucchini muffins with whole wheat and dark chocolate?
- Each of the 12 servings has 4 g of protein, 5 g of fiber and 227 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is one-bowl vegan chocolate zucchini muffins with whole wheat and dark chocolate vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does one-bowl vegan chocolate zucchini muffins with whole wheat and dark chocolate take to make?
- 15 minutes of prep and 22 minutes of cooking, so 37 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make one-bowl vegan chocolate zucchini muffins with whole wheat and dark chocolate ahead?
- Keep at room temperature in an airtight container lined with a paper towel for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze individually wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 20–30 seconds.
- What can I substitute in one-bowl vegan chocolate zucchini muffins with whole wheat and dark chocolate?
- Half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour — gives a lighter, fluffier crumb with a milder wheat flavor.. Light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar — makes the muffins a little sweeter and moister, with a softer caramel note.. 1/2 cup chopped walnuts instead of half the chocolate — adds crunch and a toasty flavor that balances the cocoa.. Soy milk or almond milk instead of oat milk — works the same way; soy milk gives slightly better browning..
- Does one-bowl vegan chocolate zucchini muffins with whole wheat and dark chocolate contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 28, 2026 ·American
