Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

The velvety ganache frosting is heavenly, while zucchini lends moisture and some veggie power! Amy Dong

View the print-ready version of this recipe.

Why This Recipe Stands Out

We love easy cupcake recipes around here, and these Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes are a new favorite. Here’s why we can’t get enough of them:

• Moist and Tender: As in our Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread, the zucchini lends a moistness to these cupcakes that you won’t believe. They’re fluffy, tender, and absolutely delicious.
• Rich Chocolate Flavor: These cupcakes are super chocolatey. They’re made with unsweetened cocoa powder and studded with mini chocolate chips for the ultimate chocolate fix, like our Chocolate Zucchini Cake.
• Incredible Frosting: The Orange-Ganache Frosting is to die for. It’s rich, creamy, and has the perfect hint of orange.
• Great Way to Sneak in Veggies: Like in our Lemon Zucchini Bread, the zucchini keeps these cupcakes super moist, but you’d never guess it’s there.

Key Recipe Ingredients

Amy Dong

• Grated Zucchini—This is the star of the recipe. It keeps the cupcakes incredibly moist and adds a nutritional boost without affecting the flavor.
• Instant Coffee Granules—This greatly enhances the chocolate flavor without adding a coffee flavor to the cupcakes. Decaf granules are fine.
• Canola Oil—Using oil instead of butter keeps the cupcakes moist and soft. We prefer the neutral flavor of canola oil.
• Mini Chocolate Chips—They melt into the batter, leaving little pockets of chocolate throughout the cupcakes.
• Orange Extract—It adds a hint of citrusy freshness that pairs beautifully with the chocolate. If you can’t find orange extract, you can use vanilla extract instead.
• Shredded Coconut—It’s optional, but it adds a nice crunch and a tropical flair to the cupcakes.
  Substitutions and Variations

Here are some of our favorite variations and substitution ideas:

• Chocolate Chips: Try using white chocolate, peanut butter chips, or even dark chocolate chips for a different flavor. We love the latter in our Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies!
• Frosting: If you’re not a fan of orange, simply omit the orange extract, and you’ll have a delicious classic chocolate ganache to frost your cupcakes.
• Nuts: If you like a little crunch in your cupcakes, feel free to add a half cup of your favorite chopped nuts to the batter. Walnuts or pecans would be a tasty addition like in our Apple Zucchini Carrot Muffins.
• Veggies: Feel free to replace half of the zucchini with finely grated apples or carrots.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare muffin pan. Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add oil, zucchini, and chocolate chips.
2. Gently fold dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full and bake for 20-30 minutes.
3. For the ganache, melt chocolate and cream in a saucepan. Add orange extract and let it cool to a frost- able consistency.
4. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

How to Prep Ahead

Take a look at our best prep-ahead tips for this recipe:

• Shred the Zucchini: Don’t wait until the last minute to shred your zucchini. This can be done ahead of time and the zucchini can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.
• Make and Freeze: These cupcakes freeze beautifully, even when frosted. So feel free to bake them in advance, let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature.

Amy Dong

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Makes 12 standard size

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins Cook Time: 25 minutes mins Total Time: 55 minutes mins

Cupcake Batter

• 1 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, + 2 Tablespoons more
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules, decaf granules are fine
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil, + 2 Tablespoons more (or alternative oil)
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated zucchini, loosely packed
• 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, mini’s are best, as they melt into the cake well

Orange-Ganache Frosting

• 4 1/2 ounces semi sweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons orange extract
• Optional garnish: finely shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened

Preheat oven to 350 F, with rack on lower middle position. Line or grease a standard muffin pan. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine well.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add oil, zucchini, and mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine well.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold together the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Fold gently just until no more dry streaks of flour remain; do not over-mix.

Bake 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached—be sure to test in a cake-only spot; cracked spots tend to be misleading, since melted chocolate chips sit in those cracks. Cool cupcakes completely.

Meanwhile, make the Ganache: In a heavy saucepan, add chocolate morsels and heavy cream. Constantly stir on low heat until smooth and melted. Add orange extract and stir until combined. Remove from heat and let cool enough for ganache to thicken to a frost-able consistency. Frost as desired and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

Notes

• Make sure to finely grate the zucchini for the cupcake batter. This will help it blend into the batter and cook more evenly, giving you moist and delicious cupcakes.
• Instant coffee granules might seem like an unusual addition, but they actually enhance the chocolate flavor in the cupcakes. Don’t skip this ingredient!
• When making the orange-ganache frosting, allow it to cool to a frost-ability consistency before frosting the cupcakes. This will give you a smooth and glossy finish.
• We love using semi-sweet mini chocolate chips in this recipe. They melt into the cake beautifully and give little bursts of chocolate in every bite.

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Nutrition (per serving)