Zucchini Muffins with Nutella
by Sommer Collier — on Jul 9, 2025 These fluffy and moist chocolate zucchini muffins are a delicious twist on a classic easy baking recipe that adds a swirl of Nutella to the batter. The combination of chocolate hazelnut spread and fresh summer zucchini is simply irresistible!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
We can tell summer has officially arrived at our house when A) the temperature turns scorching (ah, the joys of living in the south) and B) the zucchini become bountiful. And when the garden starts brimming with this versatile fruit/veggie, we bust out all of the fabulous zucchini recipes in our rotation… From savory casseroles and stuffed “boats” to snack-a-licious chips and more, you’ll find zucchini dishes across the board on our weekly menu!
On the sweeter side, everyone always loves our fabulous chocolate chip zucchini bread for a tasty breakfast, brunch, snack, or “lighter” dessert. In a similar category, today we’re sharing a unique chocolate zucchini muffins recipe that makes the most fresh and fluffy muffins with a decadent chocolate hazelnut swirl on top!
It’s a wonderful combination and so easy to make!
Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Muffins
- Layers of flavor – The fresh shredded zucchini and a hint of lemon zest give the muffins a bright flavor, while the rich chocolate hazelnut spread adds depth and texture.
- Good and good(ish) for you – There’s zucchini in there, so it has to be somewhat nutritious… Right?
- Fun to make – This simple homemade muffins recipe is great to get the kids involved in an easy summer baking project! They’ll especially love swirling in the Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread.
Bake up a batch (or two) of these beauties on a relaxing weekend morning or afternoon, and watch them fly off the counter!
Ingredients and Tips
- Dry ingredients – This recipe uses standard pantry ingredients, including all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best, allowing you to have complete control over the amount of salt added. However, you can swap the butter for vegetable oil, canola oil, or olive oil if you like.
- Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature.
- Zucchini – No need to peel! Just wash, dry, and grate.
- Lemon – A bit of fresh lemon zest adds a nice touch of summer to the zucchini.
- Nutella – We love this classic chocolate hazelnut spread, but any brand will do.
Variations
- Gluten-free – Use a 1-to-1 GF flour blend to make these muffins gluten-free. Let me know how they turn out in the comments section below.
- Whole Wheat – You can swap the AP for whole wheat flour if desired.
- Nut-free – Swap hazelnut spread with your favorite pure chocolate spread.
- Add-Ins – If you want chunkier muffins, consider adding chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans, grated ginger, dried cranberries or raisins, or even extra veggies like shredded carrots.
Protein Pointer – To balance this carby treat with protein, add ½ cup vanilla protein powder to the batter.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Tip for Success – When making the muffin batter, be sure to add the dry mixture to the wet mixture slowly and gently until just combined. Over-mixing the batter can result in dense muffins, and no one wants that!
Find the full Zucchini Muffins recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Keep muffins in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to a week.
- Freezing – Zucchini muffins freeze beautifully! I suggest wrapping each muffin individually in plastic wrap before placing them all in a freezer-safe ziplock bag together. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months, and thaw at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy these muffins for a grab-and-go breakfast, afternoon snack, or anytime sweet treat. They are simply delightful with a cold glass of milk or iced coffee!
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins with Nutella
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup butter softened (1 stick)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large egg
- 1 cup grated zucchini packed
- Zest of one lemon
- ½ cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk well.
- In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and add the eggs.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until just combined. Stir in the zucchini and lemon zest.
- Use a 1/4-cup scoop to evenly distribute the batter between the muffin liners. They should be about 2/3 full. Dollop 1 teaspoon of Nutella on top of each scoop of batter and swirl with a toothpick.
- Bake for approximately 17-22 minutes. Check the centers with a toothpick. The toothpick should come out clean before removing the muffins from the oven.
Notes
-
- Storing Leftovers – Keep muffins in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week.
-
- Freezing – Zucchini muffins freeze beautifully! I suggest wrapping each muffin individually in plastic wrap before placing them all in a freezer-safe ziplock bag together. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months, and thaw at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes before enjoying.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
As noted before, it is extremely important not to overwork the zucchini muffin batter. If you follow our practically foolproof recipe, you should have no problem baking up perfectly moist and fluffy muffins every time!
Absolutely! This recipe can be made in two loaf pans – perfect for enjoying one now and gifting or freezing the other for later. Prepare the batter as described in the recipe card, and bake for 35-50 minutes.
Absolutely delicious! The texture is soft and light, and the Nutella adds just the right amount of indulgence. A new favorite in our house!
These muffins are perfectly moist and just sweet enough. I love that they feel like a treat but sneak in veggies too. Will be making again!
I made these for my picky kids and they had no idea there was zucchini inside – major mom win! The nutella swirl takes it to another level.