There’s a zucchini in my dessert!
I love zucchini: the taste, the color, even the name. (It’s fun to say, right?) Therefore, it is only natural that I’d enjoy zucchini paired with one of my other great loves: chocolate!
Such as in the above recipe: Chocolate Grasshopper Pie.
In general, zucchini lends moisture and softness to recipes without leaving an offending flavor. So, although it might sound strange, the squash makes a great addition to desserts.
I’m not the only one who likes zucchini in her desserts. My friend, Lindsay, does as well. And if Lindsay likes it, it must be good… because Lindsay is a best-selling cookbook author!
Lindsay and I first became friends through our blogs, and I’ve been so excited to watch my sweet friend flourish into a vegan-cookbook phenom. You might know her super-cute blog, The Happy Herbivore. Today, I am honored to have Lindsay as a guest on my blog, highlighting a recipe from her cookbook—Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins!
In Lindsay’s words: Moist and chocolatey, you won’t believe that these muffins are healthy, almost completely fat-free and have a veggie slipped in! This is also a great way to use up all that leftover summer harvest zucchini!
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Servings: 12
- 1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 whole banana, mashed
- ½ cup raw sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- ½ cup raw sugar (optional)
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin pan and set aside. If using paper liners, lightly spray inside of liners with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. In another bowl, cream mashed banana with applesauce and sugar (use extra 1/2 cup for a very sweet, dessert-like muffin). Add in soymilk, vanilla, zucchini and any other optional add-ins you might like such as vegan chocolate chips or chopped raw walnuts. Stir until evenly combined. Add flour mix to wet mix in 3-4 batches and stir until just combined. Spoon batter into greased muffin pan and bake 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Chef’s Note: These muffins store well both in the fridge and freezer & the raw sugar in this recipe may be reduced to 1/2 cup.
EDIT: The cookbook giveaway is now closed.
Congratulations to Jemma!
Please email me, at [email protected], with your mailing address, so I can get your cookbook to you! 🙂
Lisa Fine says
I love zucchini breads and muffins, but would love to try making a vegan version. Thanks!
Stephanie says
My favorite zucchini recipe (as of right now..it changes weekly..ok, minutely..) would be zucchini pizza. So yummy and absolutely healthy as can be. 😀 It would be exciting to flip through this cookbook as I’m a beginner in this world of food. 😀
Lisa says
I love anything baked with zucchini and I am also loving using zucchini as raw pasta!
Ashley B. says
I could eat my mom’s zucchini bread every meal, every day…and I’m certain the same is true for these muffins that I’ll be trying soon!
Emily says
Mmmmmm I love Lindsay’s recipes! My mom and I are awful gardeners but our neighbors are generous enough to give us their surplus of zucchini. I love shredding it to make raw pasta noodles and topping it with marinara sauce and nooch.
My favorite muffin flavor is probably pumpkin. Actually, anything pumpkin is my favorite.
Emily says
I love roasted zucchini! So yummy 🙂
Tabitha says
Chocolate in zucchini bread???? When I was a kid, my mom used to make zucchini bread that was to-die-for! Can’t wait to try this! I loooooove zucchini. I use it in so many things. Lately, I mostly use it as a raw pasta substitute, or in raw miso soup.
Emily says
My favorite zucchini recipe is Zucchini Crumb Coffee Cake!!
Grilled zucchini can’t be beat in summer though!
Alex says
My favorite muffins are morning glory – love the shredded carrot and raisins inside. I’m sure I would love a similar zucchini muffin
Alana says
My favorite DAILY treat is an adaptation of Elana’s Pantry Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins. I just add more zucchini (tip from HH!) and flax seed instead of eggs and oil then add a little less agave, which sweetens it perfectly, and it comes out a gooey mess!
Carrie (Moves 'N Munchies) says
oh my id love to win the coookbook!! i LOVE chocolate chip zucchini bread!!
Shannon says
Ohhh…lala… I may just a NEW favorite use of zucchini as well as muffin flavor with this recipe! Before now, my favorite way to eat zucchini is grilled with other vegetables for a Veggie Fajita!
krickit6 says
Another vote for Zucchini Bread!! Its one the most delicious things my Mom makes, so I always look forward to eating it when I visit my family 🙂 🙂 🙂
Qi Ting @ Misadventures of Fat free Baking says
Sadly, I can’t make the Zucchini muffins!!! I can’t find zucchini in Singapore! Any way these delicious muffins can go without it? Or can cucumber replace the zucchini? Haha I’ve never had zucchini before so I’ve no idea how it tastes like and what can replace it!
By the way, LOVE Happy Herbivore! Been reading it since 2008! 😀
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Can you find yellow squash? Or maybe sub pumpkin? I’m sure you could sub something, but since it’s not my recipe, I’m not sure what!
Qi Ting @ Misadventures of Fat free Baking says
I’ll try pumpkin! Thanks 😀
Angel says
I have three favorite ways to use zucchini. I LOVE it sauteed with red peppers and onions, I enjoy it “spiralized” and served with pasta sauce, and we have a fabulous chocolate chocolate chip zucchini bread recipe.
Michelle says
I am addicted to “zucchini bread oatmeal”…grated zucchini, walnuts, raisins, and lots of cinnamon. Sounds weird, but I promise it’s amazing!
Rachel says
Mmmm, I love zucchini! Bread, muffins, raw pasta, ratatouille, you name it. In the summer I could (and often do) eat plain ol’ sauteed zucchini for dinner every single night and not get bored because it’s just that delicious.
My very favorite muffins will always be lemon poppyseed, though . . . still gotta try your recipe! 😉
Stefanie says
I like to grill zucchini. Your muffins look good though.
Ashley O. @ The Vegetable Life says
Oh my goodness I love zucchini in just about everything and those chocolate zucchini cupcakes look like they are to die for!!!!!!! Gah, I would have to say that I am a lover of a traditional zucchini bread. I love things old school 🙂
Beth says
My favorite use for zucchini: mini carrot-zucchini muffins that are so good the neighborhood kids come and ask me if I have any for them! Also I love it sauteed with a little garlic and olive oil. Yum.
Jennifer JCD says
Eeeee… you know THAT Linndsay! Wow! I love her book; it’s sitting on my kitchen counter right now (because I didn’t put it away after making dinner last night.) That’s not to say I couldn’t use another one to gift to someone. 😉
As for cougette/zucchini, chocolate cake is the recipe everyone loves most around here, but I like it best in a courgette/zucchini orzo pasta dish. It’s so subtle and delicious!
Ashley O. @ The Vegetable Life says
Oh yeah…. and I love to use zucchini in lasagna instead of the usual pasta noodles such as in the Quinoa lasagna that Mama Pea created!
Albizia says
I’ve never tried anything sweet with zucchini but I love zucchini and oatmeal fritters. They are just… to die for! Maybe I should try to add zucchini to something different anyway 🙂
Rachel says
My fav would definitely have to be lemon-poppyseed!
ThePony says
I love pumpkin carob muffins!!
Alicia says
There is a Mediterranean Breakfast Bake I LOVE to make that has zucchini in it…. Yummmmmo!!! And I love these muffins, zucchini bread, and veggie lasagna with zucchini in it!!!
Jenny says
Hey Katie! I’m a huggee fan! i would love for you to check out my blog @ http://badassapple.wordpress.com/
Lauren says
I love zucchini too! I’m a big fan of zucchini bread, I love that it adds that moisture and flavor but still tastes like a treat!
Weslea says
So it may not be toooo healthy, but every summer for as far back as I can remember, we would have fried zucchini sandwiches. You put the fried zucchini with lettuce, tomato, onion, horseradish sauce, and may all on bread. Probably horrible for you, but soooo amazingly delicious! One of my favorite memories of summer!
And I love blueberry muffins and chocolate chip muffins! 🙂
Aisatsana says
I love zucchini in almost every way, sliced into “noodles,” stir-fried, roasted, grilled, steamed, or baked into goodies. Lately, I’ve been enjoying it sliced thin and sprinkled with some nutritional yeast, salt, and onion powder (and any other spice that catches my fancy :)). So yummy! Thank you for your blog, Katie!