These Zucchini Chocolate Cottage Cheese Muffins kinda have no business being so good. With 2 cups of grated zucchini (!) blended into the batter and a cup of cottage cheese for staying power, these muffins are both feel-good *and* decadent. They’ve got soft, chocolatey, cake vibes that still totally work for breakfast—thanks to whole wheat flour, flax, and just the right amount of chocolate chips. Hearty, wholesome, and ready in under 30 minutes.

Several chocolate zucchini muffins sit on a parchment paper lined cooling rack on a countertop. Two of the muffins are unwrapped from their paper liners and one is split in half. A whole zucchini sits nearby the countertop.

Chocolate cottage cheese muffins that truly aren’t weird….even if they have veggies in them.

If I’m being honest—these muffins were not supposed to happen. I was actually tweaking my beloved Chocolate Chip Carrot Cottage Cheese Muffins (you know, the ones you all keep coming back to) when I had a moment of “what if I swapped the carrots for zucchini… and added cocoa powder?” So I did. And let me tell you, the result was next-level good. I even surprised myself with this one.

Ken and my 13-year-old both declared these their new favorite muffins on the site—and considering they’ve taste-tested allllllll of my veggie-loaded muffin recipes (and there are over 40 of them!) that I’ve created, that’s saying a lot. They’re rich, chocolatey, and have that super satisfying texture from the blended cottage cheese and zucchini in the batter. Just the right amount of sweet, with a feel-good decadent vibe that somehow works for both breakfast and dessert. I wasn’t planning on developing a new muffin recipe that day, but here we are….and who doesn’t like a happy little accident (especially when chocolate is involved)?

Let’s make these together. Just you and me….

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Grated zucchini, eggs, cottage cheese, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla in a blender cup before mixing. The blender cup sits on a countertop surrounded by a bowl filled with grated zucchini, the top of a zucchini, and cracked eggshells.
Add the grated zucchini, eggs, cottage cheese, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla to a blender.
The blended ingredients for chocolate zucchini muffins are being poured from a blender cup into a glass mixing bowl on the counter. Next to the mixing bowl are a kitchen towel, a small glass container of ground flax, and a small glass container of flour.
Blend everything until combined and very smooth. Pour the blended mixture into a medium mixing bowl.
Baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon are being whisked into the zucchini mixture in a glass mixing bowl. A hand holds the whisk, and on the countertop next to the bowl are a kitchen towel, a spoon with some leftover cinnamon, a small glass bowl of ground flax, and a small glass bowl of flour.
Whisk the baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon into the pureed zucchini mixture.
All the ingredients for chocolate zucchini muffins are being mixed by hand with a spatula in a glass mixing bowl on a countertop. Next to the bowl are a kitchen towel, a few chocolate chips scattered on the counter, a small glass bowl with a couple of chocolate chips, and a small glass bowl with some flour remaining.
Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl.
The batter for chocolate zucchini muffins is fully mixed in a glass mixing bowl sitting on a countertop. Next to the bowl are a mixing spatula with some batter on it, a small glass bowl with several chocolate chips, a few chocolate chips scattered on the counter, and a cloth napkin.
Stir until the dry ingredients are just combined. Don’t overmix—no one likes tough muffins!
Chocolate zucchini muffins before baking. The batter is portioned into paper liners in each space of the muffin tin. The tin sits on a countertop next to a bowl of chocolate chips, with a few chocolate chips scattered around the counter.
Scoop batter evenly into 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners or greased with oil spray. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips and bake!
Baked chocolate zucchini muffins in paper liners, arranged in a muffin tin. The tin rests on a kitchen towel on the counter.
Bake!
4.95 from 20 votes

Blended Zucchini + Chocolate Cottage Cheese Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Author: Taesha Butler
These Zucchini Chocolate Cottage Cheese Muffins kinda have no business being so good. With 2 cups of grated zucchini (!) blended into the batter and a cup of cottage cheese for staying power, these muffins are both feel-good *and* decadent. They’ve got soft, chocolatey, cake vibes that still totally work for breakfast—thanks to whole wheat flour, flax, and just the right amount of chocolate chips. Hearty, wholesome, and ready in under 30 minutes.
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups (192 g) loosely packed grated zucchini, measure before squeezing out the moisture
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup (59.15 ml) avocado oil
  • 1 cup (210 g) cottage cheese, either low fat or full fat. Fat free has too much added water.
  • ½ cup (73.33 g) packed light brown sugar, or coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup (40 g) ground flax
  • 1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour
  • ⅓ cup (28.67 g) cocoa powder
  • ⅓ cup (60 g) chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  •  Heat the oven to 375℉. Line 12 compartments of a standard muffin tin with paper liners or grease with oil spray.
    • Since this muffin recipe uses less added oil than most traditional muffin recipes, I find that silicone liners or disposable liners with a natural food-grade silicone coating (I like If You Care baking cup liners) work best to prevent sticking. If using traditional paper liners without a coating, lightly spray them with cooking spray before filling so the muffins release more easily after cooling.
  • Place pre-measured shredded zucchini in the middle a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Wrap it up and squeeze out excess moisture.
  • Add the grated zucchini, eggs, cottage cheese, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla to a blender. Blend until all the ingredients are combined and very smooth. Zucchini should be completely pureed.
  •  Pour the contents of the blender into a medium mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon to the bowl and whisk into the zucchini mixture.
  • Add the ground flax, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the bowl.  Stir until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the batter. Careful not to overmix!
  • Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or scoop to divide the batter into the 12 prepared muffin cups and top each one with a few more chocolate chips, if you’d like.
  • Bake at 375℉ for 20-23 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.
    • TIP: If you have a kitchen thermometer, bake until your muffins are 200℉ in the center. This will ensure they are cooked through but aren't over baked, which can result in a dry muffin.
  •  Allow muffins to cool completely then enjoy or store in an airtight container at room temperature for a day then refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. Muffins can be individually wrapped then frozen for up to 2 months.
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 195kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 176mg, Potassium: 219mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 96IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information provided here is only an estimate shared for convenience and as a courtesy. Information will vary based on ingredients + brands used to create the recipe.