I’ve been craving chocolatey things lately. So, I packed up all of my Paleo-friendly chocolate ingredients to-go this weekend and brought them to my parents house. I felt like making something new– not the typical brownies or cookies, but something just as rich and decadent that contained a few extra nutrients.
My mom had a whole bunch of zucchini hanging out in the fridge, and I had chocolatey ingredients…. The obvious solution was chocolate zucchini bread! I decided to skip the non-travel-friendly, pain-in-the-butt loaf idea, and went for individual muffins. However, if you’re feeling like a loaf would better suite your needs~ go for it! This recipe would work either way.
I love how these little muffins can satisfy that chocolate craving, while serving up a dose of green veggies from the zucchini & protein from the eggs. As always, these are free of dairy, gluten, grains, refined sugar, and soy, and are 100% Paleo/caveman-friendly. They are also the most incredibly moist little muffins I have ever created!
If you’re searching for extra sweetness & chocolate flavor, add the chocolate chips (I buy the “Enjoy Life” brand, which are gluten, soy, and dairy-free). If you’re looking for a traditional zucchini bread taste with just a hint of chocolate~ leave them out. Either way, you are in for a treat!
Enjoy them for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert! 🙂
Enjoy them for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert! 🙂
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Servings: 12
Calories: 126kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted
- chocolate chips (I use the brand "Enjoy Life")
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients followed by the wet ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cups, and fill about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way with the mixture.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool & enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 206mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Iron: 1mg
15 Comments
Bianka Perez
March 30, 2014 at 7:20 pmI gave up chocolate for Lent..but I plan to make these soon! They look AMAZING!
Julie B
March 30, 2014 at 7:43 pmThanks, for cooking up my zucchini today – I think I like eating it this way! ????
Jessie B
April 2, 2014 at 1:49 am@ Bianka~ Good luck on your no-chocolate streak!! Let me know how they turn out if you make them 🙂
& Mom~ you are welcome! Thanks for always sharing your food with me 😉
Casey
April 6, 2014 at 2:53 pmIf you wanted to sub coconut flour to make it but free how much would you use? Also how many chocolate chips- in the muffin or just sprinkled on top?
Casey
April 6, 2014 at 2:53 pmNut
Jessie B
April 6, 2014 at 10:32 pmHi Casey! Quantity of the chocolate chips is totally up to you… mix in a handful if you want more chocolatey flavor, or just sprinkle a few on top before baking (that's how mine were in the pictures).
As far as making these nut-free, I'm really not sure! Typically you would increase the amount of eggs with a smaller amount of coconut flour, but I haven't tried it with this recipe. Sorry I'm not more helpful!
Jessica U
October 13, 2014 at 6:47 pmI unwrapped mine and put a dollup of coconut milk "Cool Whip" to the top and make a cupcake! So good. I didn't measure my zukes and just added 2 mediums. It might have been too much. I'll measure out the cup next time and not be lazy!
Jessie B
October 16, 2014 at 7:21 pmOhh I love the "Cool Whip" topping idea! Sounds delish!
Anonymous
March 28, 2015 at 4:30 pmwould this work if I substituted honey for maple syrup?
Jessie B
March 28, 2015 at 4:42 pmDefinitely! Honey would work 🙂
Anonymous
August 3, 2015 at 2:32 amWhat a fantastic recipe, thank you!
Tina
June 21, 2016 at 1:28 pmNice way to help kids to have their veggies without a fuss.
Rebecca
July 23, 2016 at 7:28 pmI looked it up on My Fitness Pal and your nutritional information is way off (even without chocolate chips)! I got: 127 cal, 10g fat, 6g carbs and 5g protein. Just wondering how there is such a difference from your 69 calories?!
Jessie B
July 23, 2016 at 8:14 pmHey Rebecca,
I also used the My Fitness Pal calculator when I wrote this post. I double checked it just now, and came up with numbers somewhere between my original post & what you commented. So strange. All I can think is that My Fitness Pal food entries may have changed over the past 2 1/2 years since I created the post? Sorry about that. Hope you can still enjoy the muffins, regardless of the calorie count! 🙂
Anonymous
September 21, 2016 at 5:09 pmTurned out great! I added a tsp of vanilla and chopped walnuts. Very moist muffins!