The Best Zucchini Recipe: Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Something healthy or something chocolate? TasteHaus’s Natalie Sommer lends us a zucchini recipe that delivers a blast of both: chocolate zucchini muffins.

As a mom, I’m always looking to find healthy snack recipes that my kids will eat. I try to make gluten-free, dairy-free and processed sugar-free snacks as much as possible.

This recipe is a hit for kids and adults – and will satisfy anyone’s chocolate craving.I love this recipe on so many levels! It is gluten-free, dairy-free and processed sugar-free but also has healthy fats and zucchini hidden inside.

This recipe is from The Dish On Healthy.  This recipe developer makes nourishing foods that are gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free. She has a fantastic Instagram account and shares so many amazing recipes. I make this recipe on weekends so we have easy to grab snacks for lunches and after school snacks. You could easily make a simple icing and serve them as cupcakes.

A mini muffin pan for zucchini recipes and beyond.

At TasteHaus, we like mini muffins better than their full-sized counterparts—mostly because we enjoy eating two with our coffee instead of just one. There’s no better mini muffin pan than the Lodge Cast Iron Mini Muffin Pan. We know you’ll love it, too, but buy two or four! Remember, it’s mini!

Lodge makes their mini muffin pan from pre-seasoned cast iron for slow, even heating . Six 2.5-inch-wide by 1.5-inch-deep impressions make muffins that are neither too big nor too small. The pan is hand-wash only, but it’s easy to clean.  It carries a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty but you won’t need it: like all Lodge cast iron products, you’ll pass it down through the generations.

Ingredients

• 1 + ¼ cup oat flour *you could also use: spelt flour, GF all-purpose flour, or whole wheat pastry flour (I just love oat flour made from GF certified oats)
• 1 cup of shredded zucchini (about 1 medium/ large zucchini)
• 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 2 large eggs OR flaxseed eggs for vegan options*
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee (it really brings out the chocolate flavour)
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt
• 1/2 cup of melted coconut or avocado oil for high heat (reads: high smoke point)
• 1/3 cup of pure maple syrup (or agave syrup or coconut nectar) *
• 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chocolate chips of your choice
• some more chocolate chips to sprinkle the top before it goes into the oven

How to make chocolate zucchini muffins:

1. Heat oven to 350 F and line your muffin tins with baking cups or parchment paper.  
2. Shred your zucchini with a boxed grater. 
3. Mix together dry ingredients (oat flour, sea salt, cacao powder, espresso powder, baking powder and baking soda) in a large bowl.
4. Whisk wet ingredients (two eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and coconut oil) in a smaller bowl. 
5. Mix wet and dry ingredients together till well blended. 
6. Fold in grated zucchini and chocolate chips. (Tip: Squeeze out excess water from the grated zucchini first).  
7. Fill muffin cups with batter. If you have any empty muffin cups, fill halfway with water for even baking and do not line with parchment paper.  
8. Bake muffins for 22-25 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in center, comes out clean.

Fun facts

• “Zucchini” is a plural word. If you’re eating just one, it’s a zucchina, and you can never have several “zucchinis.” 
• April 25 is National Zucchini Bread Day. Don’t let it go by without baking our healthy chocolate zucchini muffins. It’s truly the best zucchini recipe you’ll find!
• People often ask: is zucchini a fruit? The answer is yes! Of the family of fruits mistaken for vegetables and vegetables mistaken for fruits, the zucchini ranks among the most confusing. Chefs treat it as a vegetable, but it is a botanical fruit.
• Zucchini benefits include its nutrient density, digestive aid, and high antioxident level. It may help control blood sugar, aid in weight loss, prevent cancer, and improve thyroid function.