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These Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes will blow your minds! Soft, sweet, moist! The Poured Chocolate Frosting will make you want to never pipe frosting onto cupcakes again! This stuff is what dreams are made of. Basically like a cross between my Zucchini Brownies and Chocolate Cupcakes. YUM!
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes |A Chocolate Delight
These chocolate zucchini cupcakes with poured chocolate frosting…Lemme tell you, will change your life. They taste as chocolatey and sweet as they look and are pretty fast to throw together 🙂 Shredding the zucchini a little finer, wringing it out and then stirring it into the cake batter keeps these cupcakes moist while going mostly undetected because of all that cocoa powder. So delicious!
Main Ingredients Needed
Start by gathering up these ingredients to make these incredible Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes:
For the Cupcakes
- Butter + Vegetable oil – to flavor and moisten.
- Sugar – to sweeten.
- Vanilla + Cocoa Powder – two flavoring ingredients. Vanilla is more subtle while the unsweetened cocoa powder makes these cupcakes chocolatey.
- Egg – used for structure and texture.
- Sour Cream – for creamy texture.
- Baking Soda+ Baking Powder – to help the cupcakes rise.
- Salt – to balance out all the flavors.
- Flour – this fills out the cupcakes.
- Zucchini – for its high moisture content. Be sure to wring out with paper towels before adding to the batter.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – to sweeten and to add more chocolatey goodness.
For the Frosting
- Butter – for flavor.
- Chocolate Syrup – for that chocolatey flavor (I used Hershey’s brand).
- Milk – for a pourable consistency.
- Vanilla – for flavor.
- Powdered Sugar – to sweeten and to thicken the frosting.
- Sprinkles (optional) – add some red and white sprinkles for festive Valentine’s Day cupcakes.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes |Directions
For full details on how to make Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes, see the recipe card down below 🙂
Step 1: Preheat Oven + Grate Zucchini
Preheat the oven.
Wash and grate zucchinis. Wring out excess water and set aside. I used my stand mixer and grater attachment, but a manual box grater will do the job as well. Line muffin tins with paper liners and set them aside.
Step 2: Mix
Add butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, egg, and sour cream in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients. Scrape sides of the bowl and stir again to ensure even mixing. Stir in grated zucchini and chocolate chips.
Step 3: Fill Muffin Tins + Bake
Scoop into lined muffin tins bake until completely cooked.
Step 4: Make Frosting
Once cupcakes come out of the oven, melt butter, chocolate syrup and milk together in a small saucepan. Once butter has melted and mixture has come to a light bubble, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth.
Spoon over warm cupcakes and top with sprinkles if desired. I was a little heavy-handed, but that is not a bad problem to have. #Ilovechocolate
After everything cools, the tops start to harden slightly and they become even more amazing!
Want More Cupcake Recipes to Try? Check These Out:
- Double Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
- Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream
- Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes with Easy Vanilla Frosting
- Oreo Cupcakes
Overall, a great treat for Valentine’s Day!
The printable recipe card is below. Enjoy 🙂
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Poured Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
for the cupcakes
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 6 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups zucchini grated and wrung out
- 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
for the frosting
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup hershey’s chocolate syrup
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Using a food processor or box grater, grate 1-2 small zucchinis. Wring out excess water and set aside. Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
- Stir butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, egg and sour cream in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients. Scrape sides of bowl and stir again to ensure even mixing. Stir in grated zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Scoop into lined muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until completely cooked.
- Once cupcakes come out of the oven, melt butter, chocolate syrup and milk together in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Once butter has melted and mixture has come to a light bubble, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth. Spoon over warm cupcakes and top with sprinkles if desired. Serve.
I would love to make a chocolate cake with this mixer!
Homemade marshmallows :). I have no mixer right now but have been wanting to make marshmallows for a year & I heard a kitchen aid mixer is the best for it :).
Cheddar biscuits! The food processor would allow me to get the cheese just right to incorporate into the biscuits 🙂
i would bake cookies cake and make bread. I would be able to make them healthier with the food processor! The possibilities are endless!!
I would bake up a storm, get the pasta attachment and make deliciousness all day long!
I’d love to make ice cream (although I know I’d need the attachment for that).
I want to make macarons!
I have been craving carrot cake, I think that would have to be made first!
I was just thinking of making a chocolate baked good with zucchini! It would be fun to use this mixer and attachment (in my FAVORITE color!) to try these muffins. Thanks Lauren!
I would make these! My little guy would love these!
I am craving the ginger cream bars you made, love ginger!
I will make chocolate meringues with cream cheese…yummm 🙂
Brownies! I’d make lots of brownies. Thanks for this giveaway 🙂
Japanese cheesecake would be the first thing i would make!
I would make this new “christmas cake” recipe I found– it’s popular in Japan and is made of a sponge-like cake with a whipped cream frosting and strawberries in the middle (perfect since they’re in season right now).
Banana bread.
The first thing I would make is a rich creamy cheesecake.
I’d make… uh… hmm… I want to say zucchini bread or something but I hate buying them out of season! So probably hash browns as part of a breakfast for dinner deal.
How lovely! I can’t wait to bake some of your mouthwatering cookies hehe! Keeping fingers crossed and hoping this is an international giveaway!
i would make lots of muffins and breads.
I would love to win the beauty especially with the attachments!!!
If I would win„ I’ll make lots of cookies and cupcakes for my little girl..^_^
Oh man I need a new KitchenAid AND a new food processor, so this would be so awesome to win! First I’d make a cake for Valentine’s Day then I’d use the processor to make salsa. Yummmmm
I have grandchild’s birthday cake to make soon !
Looks delish!
OMG, this would be great to make a New York Cheesecake!
I cannot even name all the things I would use it for. The first would probably be my middle daughter’s birthday cake. My hand mixer is just about worn out from all the cakes and frosting!
Oh my gosh! I love the food processor attachment!! What would I make… well, my life easier! 🙂
I’ll make cupcakes.
So many choices but I am sure some kind of cake would win the battle!
I would love to whip up an angel food cake!
I would love to make these cupcakes!!
I would love to make bread in the mixer and the possibilities are endless with the attachment
Cupcakes and cakes…chocolate of course, would be made in it all the time!
I would first make my daughter a birthday cake 🙂 I’ve been dreaming about owning one of these beauties since I was 10! HA 🙂
Everything!
what wouldn’t i make with a new kitchenaid?! I am really trying to ‘helthify’ my baking recipes. So I’m sure it would be something involving coconut oil and cookies 🙂
These cupcakes!
Always wanted one of these!!
How fun! A Kitchenaid mixer and attachment giveaway and just in time! My poor, faithful, 30 plus year old Kitchenaid mixer is so “crying” every time I use it! No, seriously! Being a scratch baker with 4 children, grand-children, heck, the whole neighborhood at times, it has been my constant companion in baking all kinds of confections through-out the years! Can’t forget the mashed potatoes, whipped cream, etc. I love the dough hook for making my own pizza dough and OMGosh yummy caramel rolls from scratch, too. (OK, so I have resorted to coaxing, gently telling my mixer it can do the dough one more time. So far, so good but know it is only a matter of time. Honestly, I would rather retire my old friend than have it die and a chance at winning would make that possible!). Thank you, Lauren, for the chocolate zucchini cupcake recipe…wow, the grater attachment would make so many things possible! Thank you to my Kitchenaid for all the wonderful memories we have made together through the years! (Oh, just between You and Me, Lauren, I do always include my secret ingredients…fun; an unexpected giggle-let the flour fly into the air; and a whole lot of LOVE in all you do!). Thank you for making me smile today. This is the first time I have posted a comment…it was fun! (Put your web URL in. Hope that was correct.). Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone! And congratulations to whoever the lucky winner is of this great giveaway!
A batch of cookies of course! 🙂
I want to make chocolate cake
I would make desserts for our Bible study group. Thanks for the chance to win!!!
My family loves when I also make dessert for after dinner. So, maybe a cake of some sort?
Wow!! This would be so fun to have in my kitchen!!
I would like to make a pound cake first!
Carrot cake! YUMMY!
IT’S HARD TO NARROW IT DOWN. I WOULD LIKE TO TRY BREAD MAKING. I WOULD START WITH COOKIES FIRST THEY ARE MY FAVORITE THING TO BAKE.
I WOULD USE THE FOOD PROCESSOR ATTACHMENT TO SLICE VEGGIES TO DEHYDRATE.
I LOVE ZUCCHINI BREAD, PUMPKIN BREAD, AND CARROT CAKE.
I would love a KitchenAid mixer. Been wanting one for years! My sister has one and makes so much. Bread, desserts, mashed potatoes, etc. I love to bake, so I would say probably a dessert. 🙂
I would make carrot cake. This is a great giveaway. Love your posts!