As you know I sent my little girl off to Pre-Kindergarten on Monday– and she is absolutely loving it. I sometimes like to bake treats for their lunch boxes, or for an after-school sweet when they get home. I distinctly recall getting off the school bus as a kid and walking into the house to the smell of something wonderful that my mom had made during the day. She’d have batches of cookies ready, or even racks (yes, racks) of pies on the counter. And she always timed it out so they were ready when my brother and I walked through the door. However… I’m a little hesitant to bake such delights using all of that sugar on a daily– or even weekly– basis. Don’t get me wrong, my kids get their share of sugar, but it’s nice to be able to put something a little healthier, something more substantial, into their little growing bodies.
I was able to create a healthy muffin recipe that was made with whole grains, healthy coconut oil, and no processed sugar (alright, there are chocolate chips, but they’re optional…kind of. You’ll want them in there). These muffins are also loaded with vegetables, and your kids will be none the wiser! What more could one want? They are perfectly chocolate-y, but not overly sweet. They stay very moist– quite like a small cake. I really have no guilt about giving this treat to my kids, or eating it myself for that matter. I hope you like them as much as we do!
The Recipe: Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
(makes 12)
1 cup white whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour works, too)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil (warmed to the liquid state, but not hot)
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 1 medium)
3/4 cup chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60 % Cacao Bittersweet are the best, in my opinion)
Note: The coarsely grated zucchini is definitely visible in these muffins, which is how I prefer them. If you don’t fancy that, simply grate the zucchini finer.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray or butter a 12-cup muffin tin. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift, then whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa. Toss the chocolate chips into the mixture. Set aside.
In another large bowl, thoroughly mix the honey, coconut oil, vanilla, and eggs together until uniform. Add the zucchini and mix until evenly coated.
Combine the two bowls together, mix until everything is wet. Do not over mix. Evenly distribute the batter–1/4 cup per muffin is about right. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for about 3 – 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Keeps well for days in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by Relishing It!
Laurie
These sound GREAT! I have been muffin crazy recently… I will try these soon. 🙂
I hope you enjoy them– let me know what you think. 🙂
I finally found coconut oil today and am looking for things to try. These look amazing and are definitely going right at the top of the list! 😀
I’m so glad to hear that– thank you!
I want to make these tonight but the only thing I don’t have on hand is the coconut oil. What oil would you use if you didn’t have coconut oil? ps~Can’t wait to make these for my little ones 😉
Hi, Stephanie. A neutral oil such as canola or vegetable would work well as a replacement. I love the flavor combination of the coconut oil and the chocolate, so that will be absent– but, I think you’ll still enjoy them. Let me know how it goes!
Hi Laurie, this is fslm, or Ada ( this is my real name) thanks for sharing all your recipes, they look sooooo yummy!!! kisses!
Well, hello Ada! Thanks for stopping by my little space. Hope you’re having a great day! xo
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These muffins are phenomenal!!!! My daughter’s preschool requests that all snacks be relatively healthy and nutritious – even birthday treats! I made these for her birthday snack this year. I cannot get over how delicious these muffins are – they taste like chocolate cake – but better! Absolutely, superb! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Sarah! I’m so happy to hear that!
First, I just want to thank you for posting this recipe. These muffins are absolutely delicious! They are extremely moist with a delicious chocolate flavor and complemented very well by the coconut oil. I am a very good and skilled home cook and have made many types of muffins. I must say that your recipe is spot on with the measurements and timing. I followed your recipe exactly and made sure to use a good quality coconut oil and ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips. Delicious!!! I would say that for those who prefer a sweeter taste, use the semisweet chocolate chips and for those who don’t like the texture of the medium-sized grated zucchini, to grate it finer.
Thank you for the very kind comment, Irene! So happy to hear that you enjoyed them.
Sooooooooooooooooo good! I have to keep telling my husband to stop eating them so the rest of the family can share in the delishousness! It’s a keeper!!! Thank you…oh…and I LOVE that there is no added sugar!!!
I am SO happy to hear this! Yes– I love that there is no added sugar, too– yet, you wouldn’t even suspect it. 🙂
Hi Laurie,
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! And more importantly, my hubby and kids love it too! They are fantastic! We collected a huge container of blackberries over the weekend, and I thought I would try this recipe using the blackberries instead of zucchini and they turned out really well. I love using coconut oil, and was really happy to come across a muffin recipe with such simple, wholesome ingredients. Thank you 🙂
Reading comments like this absolutely make my day! So happy to hear that you are enjoying the muffins– the addition of blackberries sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing, Sharon.
I forgot the choc chips but the kids still enjoyed them, thank you 🙂
Does anyone know the cooking time for mini muffin tins?
I couldn’t say with any certainty, but it’ll be less than the regular version. They should feel firm in the top, and a toothpick inserted in them should come out clean when they are done. Give it a try– you’ll do just fine!
These are amazing! Love the simple, less processed ingredients. So hard to find a good muffin recipe that doesn’t use two cups of white sugar and tons of poor quality vegetable oil. Thank you!
I’m so glad that you like them! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
I have been sending these with my son (4.5 years) as his snack and made them with his class this week. Only one child refused to eat them…and 8 parents requested your recipe 🙂 I make it exactly as you say – although, I did add blueberries per request a few batches ago 🙂
I LOVE this! I’m so happy you like them so much. Thanks for sharing the recipe, too! 🙂
These are fantastic!
I made these with my 3 year old today – oh so yum! We may have added too many choc chips (Mr 3 is in charge of them and he went a bit loco). 🙂 Delish!