The BEST Choc Zucchini Muffins, made with no refined sugar and healthier ingredients, oozing with incredible chocolatey goodness.
Do you want to choose a healthier snack, but still satisfy your sweet tooth? Then these moist and rich hidden veggie muffins are for you! Healthier ingredients are used, the result still tastes like decadent chocolate cake.
Packed full of zucchini and no refined sugars (aside from the chocolate chips) or butter, they make a perfect lunchbox snack that everyone will love.
I made these tasty muffins a few months ago and I’ve been impatiently holding them back waiting for the release of my new freezer friendly lunchbox snack E-BOOK which has just been released! These muffins, along with 49 other nut and refined sugar free recipes, feature in the book.
If you have never added zucchini to a sweet cake before, you may be thinking- GAG, no thanks!! I get it! But trust me. You can’t taste the hidden zucchini. The addition of this versatile green vegetable is a great way to provide extra nutrition. And it also makes the muffins incredibly soft and delicious!
What ingredients are used in chocolate zucchini muffins?
Zucchini:Â aside from making these muffins deliciously moist due to their high water content, zucchinis also contain high levels of vitamins like B6, folate, C and K. They also contain minerals like potassium, zinc and magnesium. If you want to really hide the zucchini, make sure it is very finely grated.
Eggs:Â For added protein and to hold the muffins together. If you require egg free muffins, you can substitute the egg for 1/4 cup apple puree or mashed banana.
Flour:Â This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of plain flour. You can either use white, or swap for a more nutritious option, like wholemeal.
Unsweetened cocoa:Â Use a good quality cocoa powder, or cacao for a more nutritious option.
Maple Syrup:Â A lot of zucchini muffin and bread recipes use a LOT of sugar. For these muffins, use a natural sweetener of choice and use less if you want to cut the sugar content. Maple syrup or honey are great options.
Greek Yoghurt:Â A great source of calcium, protein and probiotics.
Milk:Â Use whole milk, or substitute for your preferred milk like almond, rice or oat.
Olive oil:Â Instead of butter. You can also cut the oil entirely and add apple puree or mashed banana.
Chocolate chips! This is the only part of the recipe that does contain refined sugar, unless you choose a sugar free chocolate. For double chocolate zucchini muffins, add 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips. You can skip the chocolate chips altogether if you prefer, but… CHOCOLATE!!!
How to Make the Best Choc Zucchini Muffins without Refined Sugar;
This recipe is super easy to make!
- Simply grate the zucchinis and set aside
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa or cacao, baking powder and cinnamon) together in a bowl
- Add the wet ingredients (zucchini, maple syrup, egg, olive oil, yoghurt, milk and vanilla) together and stir until combined
- Spoon into patty cases and bake!
These choc zucchini muffins are a great way to add extra vegetables to your kids (or your!) diet. They will store for 3-4 days and actually taste better the day after baking.
Can I freeze chocolate zucchini muffins?Â
Absolutely! Use a good quality container and store them in their patty cases. You can also individually wrap them for easy grab-and-go snacks.
If you love the best choc zucchini muffins (refined sugar free), try these other delicious hidden vegetable recipes;
- veggie nuggets
- sweet potato chocolate brownies
- healthier sausage rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa or cacao
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2-1 cup maple or brown rice syrup ( to taste)
- 2 cups zucchini , finely grated
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 200 C° (390F). Line 2-3 cupcake trays (16 holes) with patty cases.
2. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon and choc chips together with a pinch of salt.
3. Add the maple syrup, zucchini, egg, oil, yoghurt, milk and vanilla and mix until all ingredients are combined.
4. Spoon the mixture evenly among the 16 cases.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the muffins are firm to touch and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
The muffins will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days or can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Some other healthy snacks you may be interested in;
- healthy blueberry quinoa cupcakes
- healthy LCM bars
- healthy choc coconut slice
- chia pudding
- no bake muesli slice
- choc mint bliss balls
- healthy fruit gummies
- healthy berry banana cookies
For more lunchbox inspiration, check out these recipes. For tips on time saving and bulk baking school lunches, see this post here.Â
To save time and money on healthy school (and work) snacks, see my 50 Healthy School Snacks E-BOOK which contains a bonus Guide to Making 2 Minute Lunches.
Are you following us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest?
Thanks for reading! Subscribe to The Cooking Collective to have more beautiful recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
2 comments
Wish I had one of these with my coffee right now – they look oh so delicious! Such a good idea to add zucchini 🙂
Thank you Alexandra! They are so delicious and a great way to sneak in some extra veggies.