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Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

5 from 2 votes

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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 Cupcake with Chocolate Icing and Sprinkles

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 ๐Ÿ™‚ 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!

Shredded Zucchini in a bowl

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 ๐Ÿ™‚

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.

baked Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes in a muffin tin

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!

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting and heart sprinkles

Want More Cupcake Recipes to Try? Check These Out:

Overall, a great treat for Valentineโ€™s Day! 

The printable recipe card is below. Enjoy ๐Ÿ™‚

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with sprinkles on a white plate.
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5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Poured Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes will blow your minds! Soft, sweet, and moist this stuff is what dreams are made of. Perfect for Valentine's Day!
servings 18 cupcakes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

for the cupcakes

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.
    grated zucchini in bowl
  • 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.
    chocolate cupcake batter in bowl
  • Scoop into lined muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until completely cooked.
    baked chocolate cupcakes in muffin tin pan
  • 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.
    chocolate cupcake with pouring chocolate over the top

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
5 from 2 votes

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424 Responses
  1. Paula

    I love baking so winning this would be wonderful. I’d love to try these cupcakes; they look wonderful. Thank you for the chance!
    ap_lemos at yahoo dot com

  2. Linsey R

    Oh my gosh, what wouldn’t I make is the better question lol!! This mixer is so beautiful and food processer attachments are totally awesome!! I am an avid baker, so my breads and batters would be a cinch!! My mind is flooded with so many ideas!! What an incredible gift it would be to win such a wonderful and useful kitchen appliance!! I’ve never owned a standing mixer but a girl can dream!!! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful talent and recipes on your blog, not to mention your generosity!!! Thank you and happy Valentine’s Day weekend!! ๐Ÿ˜€

  3. Sarah J.

    I looove baking with my kids (funfetti cookies are our current favorite! My Mom has this mixer and I’m so jealous- makes baking with kids so much easier!

  4. Lawanna

    I think those muffin/cupcakes you made look great. But since it’s not quite garden zucchini season yet, I think the first thing to be made would be some blueberry muffins, pizza dough, or some good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies. Yum!

  5. Anne Marie

    LOVE that attachment! Just the other day, my son asked me to make some zucchini brownies, that I hadn’t made in years. (Here I thought I had added the zucchini when he wasn’t looking!) Zucchini brownies for sure!

  6. Sharon Henry

    I would love to have a kitchen aid mixer,its very versatile and can make so many different things.Also i love making all types of cakes this will be a joy for me to have.

  7. Karen

    These cupcakes look amazing! I would never tell anyone there was zuchini inside of them. I would just let them eat em all up and get healthy.

  8. Karen

    The cupcakes look amazing! I would never tell anyone that zuchinni is in there, either. Just let them eat it all up and get healthy at the same time.

  9. Terri C

    Oh the things I could make! Would use the attachment for so many things. I like to use zucchini in a lot of my baking. I’d love to mix up some cinnamon roll dough to break in that pretty mixer!

  10. cher

    You tempt me all the time but yes I agree with others these zucchini cupcakes look fantastic. With the mixer you make it seem effortless to make them as well. Then on to the other recipes I have stashed…

  11. Lori H

    A good homemade chocolate fudge cake ๐Ÿ™‚
    The muffins look awesome and I can’t wait to try them ๐Ÿ™‚
    Happy Valentine’s Day

  12. Malissa W

    I would use it to make my grandmother’s zucchini bread recipe. Love the look of these cupcakes with chocolate! Thanks for the giveaway!

  13. Ally

    Is “everything” an acceptable answer? There are a few recipes that I’ve been avoiding with just my inexpensive hand mixer (like real Belgian waffles with whipped egg whites) :/

  14. Becca

    Oh man, i can think of a gazillion recipes to use this with! I’m really into putting veggies into muffins, cupcakes, etc lately for my little boy. This would be Sooo much better than the hand grater!!

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