Moist and rich with chocolate, these healthier chocolate muffins couldn’t be simpler to make and are such a great way to use up the courgettes that you have lurking in the fridge. Packed full of nutrient dense ingredients, they make for a more balanced, healthier muffin than if you just followed a traditional recipe.
I know what you are thinking, courgette in a baking recipe!?! But trust me, it really works. When you add courgette to baked goods, a bit of magic happens and they create an almost fudgey texture due to their high water content, but also help chocolate to taste all that more rich.
What you need to make these double chocolate courgette muffins
The majority, if not all of the ingredients needed to make these muffins are store cupboard essentials. Making these the perfect bake to turn to when you want something quick, simple yet delicious to make.
Wet Ingredients
Courgette: keep the skin on for extra nutrition, just give them a quick rinse and roughly chop. Courgettes may also be known as zucchini depending on where in the world you live. But they are one and the same thing, their name just depends on where you live.
Unsweetened Dairy Free Milk: any plant based milk will work in this recipe, just try to pick an unsweetened version to avoid affecting the overall flavour of the bake. You also want to try and pick a regular variety i.e. not a barista version as they tend to have added oils and emulsifiers to help the milk froth, which we don’t need in this recipe.
Sunflower Oil: this acts as the ‘fat’ element in the recipe, but if you don’t have sunflower you could swap for olive, rapeseed or vegetable oil.
Golden Syrup: this helps to sweeten the bake. I’ve opted for golden syrup, over say maple syrup as it is a thicker consistency, so helps bind the ingredients together.
Flax Eggs: these act as the egg replacer. When mixed with water and left to stand for 5 minutes, they absorb the moisture and thicken, which when added to bakes help to bind the mixture. You can also get the same effect by adding chia seeds in the same ratio/quantity.
Dry Ingredients
Ground Almonds: also known as almond flour, high in vitamin E this acts as a flour in this muffin recipe and also helps to add protein.
Oat Flour: this is created by blending up regular oats to get a flour like consistency. Naturally high in fibre, adding oat flour gives the muffins a lovely springy yet substantial consistency.
Chocolate Buttons: to keep that intensity of flavour pick a vegan dark chocolate that has a high cocoa %. Whilst this recipe used chocolate buttons you can also use a chocolate bar, just chop up into small pieces. The chocolate buttons in this recipe were 70% cocoa and were a seed to bar variety. Similar to the nut butter, there are some great vegan chocolate options now available in UK supermarkets. Some of my favourites are Islands Chocolate, Seed & Bean, Ombar and Rhythm108.=
Raw Cacao: whilst cocoa will work in this recipe, raw cacao has so many health benefits, is unrefined and provides such a rich chocolate flavour, it wins everytime for me. Much like the maple syrup, it is more expensive but a little goes a long way.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: help the muffin mixture to rise in the oven, acting as rising agents.
Sea Salt: helps to bring out the richness of the chocolate.
Recipe advice
You are going to need some sort of blender for this recipe. A food processor, hand blender or regular blender will all work.
These muffins take between 25 and 30 minutes to cook. The variation I have found is due to the variable moisture content in the courgettes. You’ll know when they are cooked, as when a skewer is inserted in the centre it will come out clean.
If you love these muffins, why not try these other baking recipes?
Double Chocolate Courgette Muffins
Course: MuffinsCuisine: Baking, American, Healthy, VeganDifficulty: Easy12
servings10
minutes25
minutesThese simple to make muffins are super chocolaty and are packed full of nutrient dense ingredients. I know what you are thinking… courgette in a bake, but trust me it really works and you don’t taste it at all! Go on, give them a go.
Ingredients
- Wet Ingredients
350g Courgette, roughly chopped
170ml Dairy free milk
60ml Sunflower oil
60ml Golden syrup
1 tsp Vanilla extract
3 Flax eggs (ratio of 1 tbsp milled flaxseed to 3 tbsp water and left to stand for 5 minutes to thicken)
- Dry Ingredients
150g Ground almonds
150g Oat flour (made by blending oats in a blender to a fine powder)
100g Chocolate chips + extra for topping
40g Raw cacao powder
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
Very small pinch of sea salt
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 200oc and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin cases.
- Place roughly chopped courgette and dairy free milk in a blender and process until you get a smooth silky mixture.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the blender and blend until combined.
- In a different bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, with the exception of the chocolate chips.
- Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture.
- Pour the muffin mixture into the 12 muffin cases and sprinkle the extra chocolate chips on top. Bake at 200oc for 25 β 30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean in the centre.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- Ground almonds may also be known as almond flour.
- In some parts of the world courgettes are also known as zucchini. Ultimately they are one and the same thing, just called different names depending on where you live.
I canβt wait to hear what you think of these Double Chocolate Courgette Muffins so please leave a comment below and tag me in your wonderful creations! Iβm @fortheutterloveoffoodΒ onΒ Instagram and use the hashtag #fortheutterloveoffood. Iβm also onΒ FacebookΒ β please say hello!
