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Top 8 Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

September 7, 2016  |  Allergy-awareness, Anaphylaxis, Baking, Blog, Food, Food-allergy, Food-allergy-blog, Recipes
Top 8 Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

by Nicole Dawson

Surprise!!! Not only are these vegan muffins just as divine as a cupcake, they're healthy, too. Your kids will gladly eat their veggies without all the sugar and allergens.

Poor little muffins...they're never invited to most birthday parties and they never get dressed up in beautiful frosting. Most of the time, they are simply boxed up and set aside until someone needs a quick and easy breakfast option.

I'll admit, I don't like very many store bought muffins. They are too dry, too fake tasting, too sticky, too sugary, too boring, too whatever. So I totally get why cupcakes are favored, however, what if there was a muffin that was soft & fluffy like a cupcake, rich & chocolatey like a cupcake, but healthy enough for breakfast and indulgent enough for dessert? Well, there is!

These vegan muffins are made with cacao powder (an amazing superfood), no refined sugar (I use brown rice syrup), very little oil (coconut oil & applesauce), they are packed with veggie power (shredded zucchini) and they are free from ALL top 8 food allergens.

Are you intrigued yet, or does the thought of zucchini in your muffin freak you out just a little?

This is not one of those muffins that tastes like it's filled with veggies, if you know what I mean. We've all had something like that before. It may have been a harvest muffin in all of its chunky, veggie glory, or a feeble attempt at some bean filled brownie that actually tastes like a bunch of baked beans. Those are no fun & no good! BUT THIS IS!!!! I wouldn't steer you wrong, because as much as I love eating my veggies, I don't like tasting them in my chocolate.

What makes this muffin taste almost dessert like is my secret ingredient, So Delicious Coconut Chocolate Milk. Although I'm sure another non-dairy milk would have still tasted wonderful, the extra chocolate boost is exactly what this little muffin needs to stand out when next to its cupcake rival friend.

So what are you waiting for? Say "no" to cupcakes (at least for today) and say "yes" to these Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. Your kids will thank you for it!

Top 8 Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins 

Makes 12
Prep time: 7 minutes
Bake time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Flour
1/3 C. Cacao powder (cocoa power also will work)
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
2 TB. Coconut oil
1/3 C. Brown rice syrup
1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
2 Egg replacers (see notes)
1 Zucchini, shredded & squeezed dry (approx 1 C.)
1/4 C. Natural, unsweetened applesauce
1/2 C. So Delicious Chocolate flavored, coconut milk
3/4 C. Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips (divided 1/2 C. & 1/4 C.)

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Line 12 cup muffin tins with liners and spray insides with nonstick spray.
  • Shred your zucchini and place in a colander. Squeeze liquids out! You want this nice & dry, as best as possible.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cacao powder, baking soda & salt.
  • In a large bowl (or your kitchen aid bowl), add coconut oil, brown rice syrup, vanilla & egg replacer. Mix on medium until smooth.
  • Add zucchini shreds, applesauce, & coconut milk. SLOWLY combine (it'll splatter) then add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  • Fold in 1/2 C. chocolate chips.
  • Evenly distribute batter into prepared liners. Sprinkle each with a few extra chocolate chips.
  • Bakes 22-24 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Let sit at least 5 minutes, then remove from tins and let cool on wire rack

Notes: For Egg Substitute: Neat Egg works great. 1 TB powder + 2 TB Water. Mix quickly, it gels up FAST! Flax Meal is my other favorite. 1 TB. meal + 2.5 TB. water. Whisk & let sit a minute.

About the Author:
Nicole is the author, photographer and recipe developer behind Xander Friendly Foods, an allergy-friendly food blog. She is also a wife, a mom to 3 beautiful children (10,13 & 17) and works as a certified health coach in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Her passion for the food allergy community ignited when her youngest was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies to dairy, eggs & nuts before his first birthday. After that diagnosis, she went back to school to further her education in nutrition and became a health coach in order to work with families and provide support, education and resources for those living with food allergies. You may follow Nicole’s blog at: www.xanderfriendlyfoods.com.