Healthier Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Name: Healthier Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 c einkorn flour (2 1/4 c-2 1/2 c all purpose flour); 1/2 tsp baking soda; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp salt; 2 c coconut sugar or brown sugar (just decrease by 1/4 c); 1 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder (I love Dutch processed); 3 cups shredded zucchini; 4 eggs; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 c olive oil (could also use avocado oil too); 1 c fresh brewed coffee; 10 oz bag chocolate chips

healthierhomemade.co

October 9, 2023

White plate filled with chocolate zucchini muffins , one cut in half to show the chocolate center

super easy

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Zucchini season is coming to a close! This week, a friend of mine dropped off a large zucchini from her garden the other day and told me to make something delicious! The sky is the limit with zucchini really. You can do so much in the sweet and savory category! But since I had just made these savory zucchini bites I went for a sweet option and made these delicious and healthier chocolate zucchini muffins. These were a huge hit at my house! I packed in a ton of fresh shredded zucchini and you couldn’t even tell.

I used natural coconut sugar in these chocolate muffins as to not spike the blood sugar as much and it gave it a nice, deep flavor. Coconut sugar is a healthier option than refined sugar as it contains small amounts of soluble fiber. I also added in just a touch of pure maple syrup to the wet ingredients as well to make sure it was the taste I was going for. If you don’t like it or can’t use coconut sugar, you can opt for brown sugar as well!

The ingredients really matter here. I opted to use Einkorn flour in this muffin recipe as this flour is lower in gluten, easier to digest, and higher in nutrients. My family has gluten sensitivities and we do really well with this flour! If you’ve wanted to try it, you can find more information on it here and you can buy it here! Regular all purpose flour would also work great here, just see the conversion amount as well as a 1-2 gluten free flour blend. If using a gluten free flour blend, follow the measurements for regular all purpose flour.

The unsweetened cocoa powder makes a huge difference here as well! I use a Dutch process cocoa powder and the flavor is much richer than a regular cocoa powder. If you cant find Dutch process, just go with a dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder and that should add the depth of flavor you need.

These healthy zucchini muffins are great to prep for busy mornings or for delicious after school snacks! They are really filling and something the whole family will love! The best part, they contain hidden veggies so your kids won’t ever know they are there. You can also use a flax egg here instead of regular eggs, just use 1 tbsp of ground flax seed and 3 tbsp water, mix and let it set until thick. This will replace 1 egg in most baking recipes.

Ingredients

3 c einkorn flour (2 1/4 c-2 1/2 c all purpose flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 c coconut sugar or brown sugar (just decrease by 1/4 c)
1 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder, I love Dutch processed
3 cups shredded zucchini
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c olive oil (could also use avocado oil too)
1 c fresh brewed coffee
1 bag chocolate chips

Directions

To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grab a large mixing bowl and a medium mixing bowl. You will also need strong paper towels or a thin tea towel will work to help squeeze our the excess moisture from the large zucchini. This batter makes quite a few muffins, about 36 is what I had. Grab your muffin pan and line with parchment paper muffin liners or my favorite silicone muffins liners. If you have multiple muffin pans great, if not just bake it batches.

Grab a box grater and grate the zucchini until all shredded. You could also use a food processor if you prefer. I used a large zucchini for this recipe but you can also use a few smaller ones until you have about three cups. Once shredded, add to paper towel or tea towel and squeeze out the excess moisture from the grated zucchini over the sink. I’m always surprised how much actually comes out! Once moisture is removed, place the zucchini in medium mixing bowl. To the medium bowl then add the eggs, vanilla extract, olive oil, and brewed hot coffee. Mix well and set aside.

Then in the large bowl, sift in the flour. Then add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, coconut sugar, and cocoa powder. Whisk around in the bowl until well combined. Then add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold it all together. For the best results, don’t add the chocolate chips until after they are in the muffin tin. With the hot coffee, they might melt. I just sprinkle on the top, that way you get to see and taste them!

Once mixture is good, use a muffin scoop or about 1/4-1/3 c of mixture and spoon into muffin tins. Do this until no mixture is left. Then grab the bag of chocolate chips and sprinkle on a tablespoon or two on the top. I like to bake these at 350 degrees for between 20-25 minutes, until center is set. Do not overbake these! So watch closely to make sure you take out right as they are set. Once they are out of the oven, let me cool on a wire rack for about 5-10 minutes before eating to let the chocolate chips set on top.

The smell of these delicious chocolate zucchini muffins makes your house smell like heaven! These will keep for about 3-4 days if left out in a Ziploc or airtight container at room temp. But I have also prepped this in advance and placed them in the freezer for a few weeks. Just bring to room temperature overnight to enjoy the next day. A great and simple ingredient recipe to help use up any leftover zucchini you might have from your summer bounty. Or just a delicious and healthier way to enjoy a chocolate muffin.

Hope you and your family enjoy these healthier chocolate zucchini muffins!

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