Name: Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Fudgy Date Frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1/3 cup salted butter, melted; 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, at room temperature (use 2% milk fat or higher); 1/2 cup maple syrup; 1/2 cup coconut sugar or cane sugar; 1/4 cup milk or almond milk, at room temperature; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups light spelt flour (spooned and leveled); 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 cup raw cacao or cocoa powder; 1/2 cup chocolate chips; 1 cup grated zucchini; 1 cup pitted Medjool dates (must be fresh and soft); 1/3 cup almond butter or cashew butter; 1/4 cup raw cacao or cocoa powder; 1/8 teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk

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Wholesome, decadent-tasting healthy chocolate zucchini cupcakes with fudgy date frosting: These are the perfect healthier sweet treat to whip up and enjoy for dessert!

Remember last Sunday, when I said that I was looking forward to sharing a few new recipes this past week and getting back into my posting groove?

overhead shot of all the cupcakes on a big white plate on a light pink background

Me too. Let me tell you, I am still trying to figure out how anyone who works full-time and blogs regularly does it! I am so sorry for the lack of posts this past week and the accompanying radio silence. Between marathon training, work, and trying to make time for family and friends, it’s been tough to muster up the energy at night to edit my growing backlog of food photos and actually write my posts. But believe me, the intention has been there. And I am going to try my very best to get caught back up this week!

First order of business: this delicious chocolate zucchini cupcake recipe! Do you still have zucchini in your garden or at your farmer’s market? These would be a great way to use up the last of it! And if not, grab a zucchini at the grocery store and give this recipe a try. Trust me, these cupcakes are delicious. Not too sweet, naturally sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar, and more wholesome than your average chocolate cupcake thanks to ingredients like eggs, Greek yogurt, light spelt flour, cacao, and, of course, zucchini.

close up straight on shot of one of the chocolate zucchini cupcakes on a white plate

why you’ll love these healthy chocolate zucchini cupcakes

They’re:

Easy to make
Refined sugar-free
Moist
Oh so chocolatey
Kid-friendly

overhead shot of five cupcakes on a white plate

ingredients in these wholesome chocolate cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

Eggs (If you don’t eat eggs, you can try flax eggs. To make a flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 2.5 tablespoons of water.)
Butter
Greek yogurt
Maple syrup
Coconut sugar
Milk or almond milk
Vanilla
Light spelt flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Sea salt
Cacao or cocoa
Chocolate chips
Zucchini

For the chocolate date frosting:

Medjool dates
Almond butter
Cacao powder
Sea salt
Vanilla extract
Almond milk

angled straight on shot of a chocolate cupcake on a small white plate with icing and colourful sprinkles on top

step by step instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, yogurt, maple syrup, coconut sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cacao. Mix well until incorporated.

Fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips. Evenly the batter between the muffin cups.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Next, make the icing: In a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade, combine the dates, almond butter, cocoa, salt, and vanilla. Process until the dates are broken down into a fine consistency. Add the almond milk and continue to blend until a very smooth consistency is achieved. This will take a couple of minutes.

Once the cupcakes have cooled fully, frost and top with sprinkles, if desired.

process shot of the batter before the chocolate chips and zucchini are folded in

straight on shot of one of the cupcakes on a small white plate with other cupcakes in the background

storage instructions

Store these cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for three days. They can also be stored in the fridge for a week. I have not tried freezing them yet.

more cupcake recipes

straight on shot of a cupcake with a bite taken out of it on a small white plate

overhead shot of a cupcake with a bite taken out of it on a small white plate

Finally, I hope that you love these healthy chocolate zucchini cupcakes with fudgy date frosting! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below.

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Enjoy!