Chocolate Peanut Butter Zucchini Bread Muffins

Chocolate zucchini bread is one of the blessings of summer! These healthy zucchini muffins are so quick and easy you’ll think you’re eating a decadent peanut butter chocolate cake.

Definitely add this peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini bread to your zucchini recipe repertoire your family will thank you!

I always prefer making my zucchini bread (and banana bread for that matter) into muffin shapes just because they are easy to freeze and I feel like they stay fresher longer without the exposed cut. But this recipe also works for a traditional loaf of chocolate zucchini bread which I love for gift giving!

What We Love About Chocolate Zucchini Muffins with Peanut Butter

There are a lot of things we love about this sweet zucchini treat.

• Tastes like cake. Seriously these are just as yummy as chocolate cake but with hidden benefits!
• Quick and easy to make.
• Perfect balance of creamy peanut butter and chocolate.
• Healthy zucchini muffins. Sneaky vegetables that are not noticeable and I have a tweak to up the health factor for these healthy zucchini muffins.
• Freezer friendly. If you freeze them in muffin form they are perfect for breakfast or school lunches.

More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love

Want more great ideas to use with that plentiful zucchini harvest? No problem here are some of our favorites!

• Banana Bread – Make these butter beer muffins but add in a cup of shredded zucchini.
• Zucchini Lasagna Recipe – this one is so yummy and even the little picky ones love it!
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookes – this cake mix recipe is so good and easy
• Best Marinated Zucchini – this is perfect for grilled zucchini but you can use the method for tasty and easy zucchini on the stove or air fryer too!
• More Zucchini Recipes – a collection of lots of fun zucchini recipes from our friends

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Ingredients

One of the best things about this recipe is that it uses basics that I always have on hand. If I don’t have peanut butter cups I’ve just used the chips in a pinch and it was still delish.

• 2 eggs – I use large eggs
• 1/4 C salted butter – melted and cooled
• 1/3 C vegetable oil
• 3/4 C brown sugar – I use light but you can use dark too
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 C zucchini – shredded and packed, no need to drain liquid. If you use prefrozen zucchini I do just leave any liquid out that separates when thawing.
• 1 C All Purpose Flour– I love swapping for Kodiak baking mix for extra fiber and protein 
• 1/2 C Cocoa Powder – my favorite is Trader Joe’s since they are committed to ethically sourced ingredient  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 C peanut butter chips
• 1/4 C chopped peanut butter cups – This is about 6 mini cups. My favorite to use are the dark chocolate peanut butter cups from trader joes

Substitutions and Modifications

Peanut Butter – Don’t do peanuts or peanut butter? No problem. Swap all the peanut butter stuff for other chips you like. Maybe butterscotch, white chocolate, or more semi sweet chocolate. Same goes for the peanut butter cups.

Tools and Equipment

I always prefer making my zucchini bread into muffin shapes just because they are easy to freeze and I feel like they stay fresher longer since there is no cut side exposed.

Muffin Pan – I have both a silicone pan and metal pan. I like them equally for this. For school lunches I love using my mini muffin pan. It’s just the right size for a sweet treat.

Cupcake Liners – I have done these without liners but I prefer the easy clean up and easy freezing that using cupcake liners give me. Make sure not to use foil liners if you’re going to freeze these. These are great for mini muffins.

Loaf Pan – The phots are taken using a 9×5 loaf pan but I also have used a 8.5×4.5 pan. Both work great. I have used both glass and metal. I have no preference. Also if you have a little more batter than filling your pan 2/3 full just pour the leftover batter into an oven safe dish. This is the kind I’ve used in the past.

Shredder – If I’m just making zucchini for this I use a hand held box shredder. But anytime I have a chance I make my sister run zucchini through the food processor for me. I keep a bag of shredded zucchini in my fridge all summer it lasts for about 7-10 days. During the winter I have a freezer full of shredded zucchini I’ve saved in half cup portions that I thaw for this and other recipes.

How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

One of the best parts of this recipe is that you just mix up the ingredients and bake. It’s great for making with kids since it’s so simple and quick.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Longer details
2. Mix the wet ingredients. Using a bowl big enough for all the ingredients mix the eggs, called butter, oil, vanilla, and sugar.
3. Add the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the top of the wet mixture. Combine the flour, coco powder, and baking soda on top first and then mix into the wet mixture.
4. Stir in the peanut butter chips and zucchini. You just want them evenly distributed.
5. Pour into muffin pan. With liners in the muffin tin pour mixture so that it is about 2/3 full. If you prefer to make a loaf skip down below.
6. Top with peanut butter cups. Put a small pinch of coarsely chopped peanut butter cups on top of each muffin.
7. Bake for 18-24 minutes. Start checking your muffins around the 18 minute mark for doneness.

How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Bread

To make a loaf of chocolate peanut butter zucchini bread instead of muffins you are going to follow the first 4 steps from above.

After your batter is ready. Spray your loaf pan with some nonstick spray. I use a 9×5 inch bread pan but if it’s a basic loaf size it should do the trick. if you have a little extra batter pour it into a glass baking dish and make a mini loaf.

Fill the loaf pan so it’s 3/4 full and top with the chopped pieces of peanut butter cups.

Bake at 350F for 50-75 minutes depending on your oven. It is done when you stab it with a toothpick or knife and it comes out clean.

Healthy Zucchini Protein Bread

I love swapping the flour in this recipe for kodiak mix (I usually get mine at Walmart or Target). It just ups the health factor as well as the protein and fiber. I’m all for treats, even treats with secret veggies mixed in but anytime I can increase the fiber and protein for something I take it!

This is a fun trick I do with my favorite cookie recipes, banana bread and really anything that uses all purpose flour.

How Long Does Zucchini Bread Last

I keep our zucchini bread in an air tight container on the counter. It lasts for about 5-7 days. That is if it doesn’t get gobbled up before then.

I typically just keep enough pieces for the week and then I freeze the rest. I stick the muffins in their paper liners on a cookie sheet and freeze them. Once hard I throw them all into a freezer bag.

To reheat the muffins you can zap a full size muffin for 30 seconds. It makes it the perfect slightly melty consistency. Alternatively you can thaw them in the refrigerator.

I make mini muffins for my son Teddy’s lunch and while I’m packing his lunch box the night before I just put one of the frozen minis in the box that sits in the fridge until going in his insulated lunch bag in the morning. This works great and is fun treat full of veggies and protein!

So easy right!?

You Also May Like: