Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
These muffins are favorites for many of our Wellness Workshop friends. I've made them for potlucks, dinners, my grandchildren and my family for many years and they are always a hit!I make a double batch of the dry Ingredients and keep them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Then when I need a quick batch of muffins, all I have to do is assemble the other Ingredients, a real time saver!For super healthy low carb/low sugar see the notes...
Servings: 24 medium muffins
Calories:
Equipment
- Muffin Pans, 24 mini or medium pans or 12 large cupcake pan
- 2 medium sized bowls
- grater or food processor with grating blade
- measuring cups & spoons
- Mixer or large spoon to mix
- cookie scoop - mini for mini muffins, regular size for medium muffins, large size for cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups spelt flour I use half whole grain and half white sprouted spelt
- 1/2 cup organic dry cocoa I like Nativa raw cacao powder
- 1 3/4 teaspoons aluminum free baking soda I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder I use Bob's Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt could also use Pink Himalayan salt
- 1/2 cup local raw honey
- 1/2 cup extra virgin unrefined coconut oil I use Nativa brand
- 3 large free eggs
- 1/4 cup grapeseed Veganaise
- 1/4 cup filtered water
- 1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon organic real vanilla extract
- 1 12 oz package Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
- 2 cups baby spinach pack it in
- 2 cups raw zucchini shredded
Low Carb Substitutions
- 1/2 cup Lankato Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener replace 1/2 cup raw honey
- 3/4 cup water substitute for 1/4 cup water in recipe
Instructions
- Melt Coconut Oil in hot water, set aside.
- Get out your food processor with both the S blade and the shredding blade, 2 large mixing bowls, your measuring spoons and cups and a whisk and scraper.
- Grate zucchini with shredding blade of your food processor, set aside.
- Chop spinach with the S blade of your food processor...pulse to chop.
- Add the grated zucchini to the spinach in the food processor and pulse 2-3 times to break up the zucchini shreds and mix the zucchini and spinach.
- Rinse out your food processor and put it away.
- In one large bowl combine the whole grain and white spelt flour (or gluten free flour), cocoa, baking soda and baking powder and Celtic sea salt in a medium sized bowl. Use a wire whisk or fork and stir ingredients until well blended.
- In second large bowl combine honey,melted coconut oil, Grape seed Veganaise, water, eggs and real vanilla. Using a wire whisk, beat the liquid until well blended.
- Add half the dry Ingredients to the wet Ingredients and blend well.
- Then stir in the following: 2 cups shredded raw zucchini. 1/2 to 1 cup Enjoy Life! brand semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Add the other half of the dry Ingredients and stir until blended. Do not over beat.
- Pour batter into greased muffin tins or paper muffin cups, a little over half full (about 1⁄4 to 1/3 cup if using regular sized muffin cups. Mini muffin cups are about 1 Tablespoon).
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-18 minutes.
- To check to see if they are done, gently push the top of one of the muffins; it should be soft but not mushy, like the Pillsbury doughboy’s tummy.
- Allow baked muffins to cool slightly before removing from muffin pan. Cool completely on a baking rack and eat or store. They should be stored in an air tight container or they store well in zip loc baggies in the freezer.
- To make as a snack cake in a 9x 13 pan, grease pan and the put batter into ban, spread evenly. Bake at 325 for about 30 minutes. To be sure it is done, put a sharp knife in middle of cake and pull out, it should come out clean (except for melted chocolate chips).
- FOR VEGAN (no eggs) replace eggs in wet Ingredients with the following: 3 teaspoons of Ener-g brand egg replacer 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, Tablespoon Grape seed Veganaise, 2 Tablespoons filtered water. Vegan muffins will be a little puffier and slightly drier in texture. Eliminating the eggs would also drastically reduce the fat and cholesterol content.
Using Lankato Gold Monk Fruit Sweetener-Follow regular instructions but make these substitutions
- Increase water to 3/4 cup
- Omit Honey, use 1/2 cup Lankato Monk Fruit Sweetener
To Make Red Velvet Cake with AIM RediBeets
- Add 1/4 cup RediBeets and increase water by 3 Tablespoons
Notes
Make Red Velvet Cake with this recipe.
Red Velvet cake has always been a fav of mine...you can use this recipe and make a healthy red velvet cake with the following substitutions:
Red velvet cake is a bright color red when you use artificial sweeteners. Beets will give a nice red, although not vibrant red color to your cake. No one will know there are beets in the cake but you! I made this for a birthday party and everyone loved it, they thought it should be renamed OMG Cake. Even the children were asking for seconds.
Red Velvet Cake Substitutions: Substitute 2 medium beets for spinach and zucchini. For best results peel beets and run through juicer. Mix pulp and beet juice together and add when you would add the zucchini and spinach. I have made this for catering orders (for non-healthy people) and they LOVED it! I also added 1/4 cup AIM RediBeet powder for added nutrition. Link to RediBeets These were made into medium muffin sizes and topped with a butter cream frosting using organic ingredients. I must say they were TDF (to die for). And beautiful as well!
Gluten Free - substitute Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free One-To-One Baking flour in exact measurements in place of all Spelt flour.
Substitute Spelt Flour for Gluten Free substitute Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free One-to-One flour in exact measurements. Save Money! Buy it here.
I am loving Lankato Monk Fruit Sweetener for baking. It has the right texture for recipes that use granulated sugar but you use MUCH less. The end product is perfect. Yep, it is a perfect substitute for sugar...don't tell them it's healthy, they will NEVER know! You can buy it through my amazon link and they also have it at Costco and Whole Foods Markets. NOTE: If you have IBS or are allergic to sugar alcohols be aware that this sweetener does contain erythritol and may not be a good choice for you. I have not noticed any problems in our home.
Red Velvet Cake Substitutions: Substitute 2 medium beets for spinach and zucchini. For best results peel beets and run through juicer. Mix pulp and beet juice together and add when you would add the zucchini and spinach. I have made this for catering orders (for non-healthy people) and they LOVED it! I also added 1/4 cup AIM RediBeet powder for added nutrition. Link to RediBeets These were made into medium muffin sizes and topped with a butter cream frosting using organic ingredients. I must say they were TDF (to die for). And beautiful as well!
Gluten Free - substitute Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free One-To-One Baking flour in exact measurements in place of all Spelt flour.
Substitute Spelt Flour for Gluten Free substitute Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free One-to-One flour in exact measurements. Save Money! Buy it here.
I am loving Lankato Monk Fruit Sweetener for baking. It has the right texture for recipes that use granulated sugar but you use MUCH less. The end product is perfect. Yep, it is a perfect substitute for sugar...don't tell them it's healthy, they will NEVER know! You can buy it through my amazon link and they also have it at Costco and Whole Foods Markets. NOTE: If you have IBS or are allergic to sugar alcohols be aware that this sweetener does contain erythritol and may not be a good choice for you. I have not noticed any problems in our home.