Chocolate Zucchini Waffles
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Indulge in the rich, chocolatey goodness of these whole wheat Zucchini Waffles that are the perfect combination of healthy and delicious. These waffles are made with wholesome ingredients like fresh zucchini, white whole wheat flour, and coconut oil. They are perfect for a sweet breakfast or brunch treat.
“I’m adding this delicious recipe to our rotation! Thanks so much!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Ness
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s surprisingly healthy! When you hear “Chocolate Waffle” a healthy breakfast isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. With this recipe, though, you’ll be packing in some healthy ingredients!
- They make a great make ahead breakfast. Waffles and muffins (like our Blueberry Oatmeal Muffin Recipe) can be frozen and reheated quickly for those busy mornings.
- Your kids will eat zucchini and not even know it. When you run the zucchini through the food processor, the texture is practically unnoticeable once mixed into the batter. This is yet another way to sneak healthy ingredients into a kid favorite.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
- White whole wheat flour – We love baking with this variety but if you don’t have it, you can substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Cocoa powder – Try using cacao powder for a little more nutrition.
- Brown sugar (optional) – Try using coconut sugar for a little healthier option.
- Melted coconut oil – Avocado oil or melted butter can also be a substitution for this.
- Milk – Plain dairy-free milk will work fine.
- Zucchini – Shred it finely on a box grater or using your food processor.
Substitutions and Variations
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- Substitute White Whole Wheat Flour with 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour.
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- Substitute pumpkin puree for the zucchini.
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- You could substitute avocado oil or melted butter for the coconut oil.
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- If bananas are very ripe and sweet, you could leave out the brown sugar. Or try using coconut sugar for a little healthier option.
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- Chocolate chips can be mini, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate.
What Type of Waffle Maker Should I Use?
There are two main types of waffle makers out there:
- A Belgian Waffle Maker: This is what I used for the photos in this post. They are thicker in size with extra deep pockets and can be square or circle.
- American Waffle Makers: Usually made with a smaller waffle iron that doesn’t make pockets as deep. Because of the waffles’ thinner size, they cook faster. These can be square (I have this one that makes 4 waffles at a time) or round.
How to Make Zucchini Waffles
Mix Dry Ingredients
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cocoa powder to a large mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together.
Mix Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar (optional) and melted coconut oil. Whisk in milk, beaten egg, and pureed zucchini.
Tip: An easier way I’ve found to do this is just throw all the wet ingredients and zucchini in my blender.
Add Wet Ingredients to the Dry
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Stir in chocolate chips. It will be pretty thick – especially as the coconut oil hardens up. Don’t worry, it will melt back down when you cook the waffles)
Make the Waffles
I used a Belgian waffle maker for this recipe. It worked to scoop 1 cup of batter into the waffle maker.
Each waffle took about 3 minutes but because appliances are different, follow the instructions for your model.
Can You Freeze Waffles?
Yep! In fact, freezing waffles is a great use of your time. They are easy to reheat for busy mornings.
How to Freeze Waffles: Make and cool waffles completely on a cooling rack. Place waffles in single layers in a gallon-size freezer bag with parchment paper between layers. Seal tightly and freeze.
To Prepare Waffles From Frozen: Toast frozen waffles. If still slightly cold inside, microwave in 10-second increments until warmed through.
Recipe FAQs
Strike while the iron is HOT! If waffles come out a little pale and soft, it could be because the waffle maker you’re using isn’t hot enough. It’s important to preheat the waffle maker for at least 5-10 minutes. Yes, seriously that long! Also, pause for a couple minutes between batches to let the iron heat up again.
Yes! Let cooked waffles cool. Place waffles in single layers in a gallon-size freezer bag with parchment paper between layers. Seal tightly and freeze.
Yes. This zucchini waffle recipe will work for all types of waffle makers.
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Chocolate Zucchini Waffles
These homemade chocolate zucchini waffles with a healthy spin will leave your kids asking for more! No one will notice the sneaky zucchini that is added to the batter. Healthy and delicious – it’s a win for everyone!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (Sub: 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (sub: cacao powder)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (sub: coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (sub: avocado oil or melted butter)
- 1 3/4 cups milk (plain dairy-free milk will work fine)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely grated zucchini* (sub: pumpkin puree)
- Optional: 1 cup mini chocolate chips
*Use the fine grate of a box grater for this task.
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Wet Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar and melted coconut oil. Whisk in beaten egg, milk, and zucchini.
- Combine: Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined (do not over mix). Stir in chocolate chips.
- Cook: Cook the waffles according to your waffle iron instructions (mine takes about 3 1/2 minutes for each batch). Here’s how much batter to use:
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- 4 Square Waffle Iron: Pour about 1/4 cup mix per waffle.
- Belgian Waffle Iron: Pour 1 cup batter per waffle.
Freeze For Later: Make and cool waffles completely on a cooling rack. Place waffles in single layers in a gallon-size freezer bag with parchment paper between layers. Seal tightly and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Toast frozen waffles. If still slightly cold inside, microwave in 10-second increments until warmed through.
Notes/Tips
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- Substitute White Whole Wheat Flour with 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour.
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- Substitute pumpkin puree for the zucchini.
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- You could substitute avocado oil or melted butter for the coconut oil.
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- Chocolate chips can be mini, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate.
I have been trying so hard to find something that my son will eat that is healthy with vegetables. Let’s be honest, I’ve been looking for things for myself as well because I am just about as picky as he is. These are our favorites! We have waffles every morning, and it makes me so happy to know that we are getting at least some vegetables every single day. I triple the recipe, make them all up and freeze them. Then when we’re ready, we pop them in the toaster and voilà a healthier breakfast is served. We also put peanut butter on them so we can get a little protein. Because of that, I omit the cinnamon.
Oh my goodness Jacquelin, this makes our day! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review telling us how you’ve won over your son (and you) with a hidden-veggie recipe. We so love to hear this!
Question- the notes say that if your bananas are ripe you can leave out the sugar. But
I don’t see bananas in the ingredient list. Am I just missing it?
Oops, that was a mistake on our part. Thanks for letting us know.
Great recipe. Rates right up there with my ‘go to’ sour cream version. Very moist and light. I got 9 Belgian-style waffles from my batch. Be aware that the ‘cocoa’ wasn’t mentioned in the printer version instructions.
Hi Dave! So glad you enjoyed these! I see cocoa powder mentioned in the ingredient list and in the instructions for dry ingredients when I print the recipe. Not sure why you don’t.
This was such a fun last day of school dinner. I made a double batch so we could have lots of easy breakfasts from the freezer!
Yes! Way to stock your freezer Amy. So glad you like these.
I have both of your cookbooks and regularly cook from them. This recipe is on my Top 5 list. The waffles are perfectly sweetened. We make a lot of these when zucchini is in season.
Yay! We love to hear which recipes are home runs for people. Gotta love that sneaky nutrition and using up garden produce! 🙂
My kids top this with Greek yogurt and sprinkles. Less sugar then syrup I am sure. They love it!
Love to hear this Amy. I try to steer my kids away from syrup on pancakes and waffles as well. Glad you found a recipe with some sneaky veggies your kids love!
Absolutely delicious and exactly what I was looking for to use up my excess zucchini! My boys are going tonlove these for breakfast.
Yay! This is a classic Thriving Home recipe. I’m glad you found it.
Made these Thursday night for quick-breakfasts-that-aren’t-cereal. Since my kids are 1,3,4 I didn’t bother with the chocolate chips. They turned out wonderful! We top all our pancakes and waffles with applesauce and it was great on these too! The cocoa shined through even though I hadn’t added the full amount since I ran out (oops!) I will be making another double batch tomorrow for the freezer. I’m adding this delicious recipe to our rotation! Thanks so much!
Great to hear this review, Ness. Glad it turned out well!
The waffles had turned perfect#yummy# require not much time to make#loved them#Thanks for share a perfect recipe.
Awesome! Love hearing that, Vandana.
They did not come out sweet enough. The only thing that added any sweetness were the chocolate chips. I also only added 1/2 of the brown sugar. Should there be something else added, like honey?
We serve ours with maple syrup, so I personally don’t like to add much sweetness to the actual waffle. But feel free to add more sugar or honey if you want.
these waffles were an utter and complete disaster! Batter was far too thin and made a massive mess when I tried to cook them in the waffle maker. Not sure why it went so wrong… I followed your recipe exactly. Recipe Fail!!!!
Oh no, sorry to hear that, Dee! It’s hard to say what went wrong. I’ve made these many times over the years with success.
What wafflemaker do you recommend?? I love the recipes you post for waffles and i would like to make them but i don’t have a wafflemaker yet 🙂 Any suggestions on a certain brand?? I would love to hear your experience!
I like my Toastmaster Family Waffle Baker, but it’s old. Not sure if it’s on the market still. I like that it makes four at a time and heats evenly.
How many does this recipe make? I would like to make them and freeze. Just wondering if I should double or not.
I just updated the recipe. It’s been a bit since I made them but I believe it makes 12 square waffles. Not sure how many of the Belgium-style ones–probably about 5-6.
I’ve made these waffles so many times since reading your blog and my whole family loves them. After I gave birth I was able to have them on demand because I made a bunch and froze them. Just what I needed after all that hard labor. 🙂
Maybe we should rename them “Post Labor Waffles” in your honor! That’s great!
Oh my gosh! These waffles are delicious! My kids absolutely love these! They are for sure a family favorite! 🙂
Yeah! So glad your family likes them.
I love waffles and this looks like a fantastic recipe.