Either way, I’m still enjoying as many fresh veggies as I can get while it’s in abundance. Over the last couple weeks, I’ve been getting zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, broccoli and bell peppers from my CSA! So much amazingness (yes, that’s a word. I decided).
While I love fresh veggies, there’s something about a homemade loaf and morning muffins. Especially now that it’s beginning to feel like fall, all I’ve been wanting to do is curl up with hot tea, a blanket and a slice of warm zucchini bread.
So last week I made some zucchini bread. And then I made chocolate zucchini muffins.
If you’ve never had chocolate zucchini bread, you’re in for a treat. While I considered just throwing in some chocolate chips to my favorite zucchini bread recipe, sometimes you just want chocolate. A lot of it. These muffins are plump full of fiber, healthy fats and a dose of veggies, all while being flourless and gluten-free, but you will think you’re eating chocolate cake. Now that’s my kind of muffin.
Plus if you’re not a big fan of zucchini, you can finely chop it up before adding it to the mix and you won’t even notice it’s there! Either way, it adds the perfect moisture to these delicious chocolate muffins.
Adapted from this recipe.
Ingredients
1/2 c. oat bran*
2 tbs. ground flaxseed
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. coconut sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. almond butter
1/3 c. applesauce
1/2 c. plain greek yogurt
1 egg
1/4 c. almond milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 zucchini, shredded or chopped using food processor (~1 to 1-1/2 c.)
Optional: 1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts, and/or chopped dark chocolate chunks
* Though oat bran is higher in fiber, ground oats will also work. In this case, I would not grind the oats into a fine flour, just use a food processor to break them down a little if choosing to make this substitution!
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil muffin tins or a loaf pan and set aside.
Whisk together dry ingredients (first 8) in a large bowl. Separately, whisk together wet ingredients including almond butter, applesauce, greek yogurt, egg, milk, vanilla and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined. Stir in zucchini and any additional add-ins preferred!
For muffins: Bake for 16-20 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean
For a loaf pan: Bake for 45-50 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean
Remove from oven and let cool completely.
{Flourless, Oil-Free, and Gluten-Free} Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
These muffins are plump full of fiber, healthy fats and a dose of veggies, all while being flourless, oil-free and gluten-free, but you will think you’re eating chocolate cake. Now that’s my kind of muffin.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil muffin tins or a loaf pan and set aside.
- Whisk together dry ingredients (first 8) in a large bowl.
- Separately, whisk together wet ingredients including almond butter, applesauce, greek yogurt, egg, milk, vanilla and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined. Stir in zucchini and any additional add-ins preferred!
- For muffins: Bake for 16-20 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean. For a loaf pan: Bake for 45-50 mins, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
