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Moist and tender and full of super secret, super healthy ingredients, pack some extra veggies, fiber, and protein into those kiddos (or yourself) and treat everyone to chocolate for breakfast with these Flourless Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins.
Flourless Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Disclaimer: I received samples of Swerve to use, and was under no obligation to write this post. No other compensation was received and I was under no obligation to write this post.
For the past month or so, I feel like everyone around me has been talking about just being inundated with zucchini from their gardens. They just can’t keep up with the crazy green squash that is overtaking their yards and their kitchens. Food bloggers are making zucchini this and zucchini that. There are cookies, cakes, and casseroles. It’s being stuffed, spiralized, and sautéed. And everyone else in the world is Googling or searching Pinterest for “best zucchini recipe” or “how to use up zucchini” or “what in the world am I going to do with all of this freaking zucchini”.
You guys, I’m sorry for your woes. I really am. But I can’t really empathize. You see, I have a black thumb, and The Hubby has barely had time to keep a few tomato plants in big pots alive in our backyard, so you can pretty much forget a garden. Especially a garden with a plant that would go crazy and take over our fairly small yard. And zucchini is one of, like, two vegetables that The Bug won’t eat, so usually when I buy it, I don’t really buy a lot.
Well, till last week, when for some odd reason I decided to buy four large zucchini and two large yellow squash. Why? I have no idea. We grilled some, but if I’m going to get The Bug to eat it without resorting to bribery, I have to get a little sneaky.
So since I haven’t really been helping you out with recipes this year so that you could use up all of your zucchini, I figured it was about time. I actually had a few of my own to use up. Better late than never, you know…
These Flourless Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins aren’t just sneaky. Heck, they aren’t even just doubly sneaky. These little guys are triply sneaky. But before I tell you about how healthy they are, let’s focus on what’s really important. Chocolate, you guys. Chocolate for breakfast. Chocolaty enough that The Hubby actually enjoyed eating them, even though he us usually highly skeptical of my attempts to make chocolate healthy. They are also seriously moist and seriously tender but without being crumbly, like some gluten free baked good tend to be. And the reason for that is the first two secret ingredients.
Well, the first, it not-so-secret – it’s the zucchini. And the second secret ingredient?
Black beans!! You’ve heard of black bean brownies and cupcakes and all, right? I men, I’ve even made black bean cupcakes. A few times. Chocolaty goodness, and none of that gluten free graininess. And definitely no bean flavor.
But muffins, especially chocolate muffins, have to be sweet, so how can I call these “healthy” if they are loaded with sugar? Well, they aren’t. You can certainly stick with sugar in this recipe, but my friend Carolyn, who is the low carb and sugar free goddess over at All Day I Dream About Food, has been telling me about Swerve, a natural, carb- and calorie-free sweetener derived from fruits and vegetables. While I try to keep sugar in moderation, or use other natural options like maple syrup and honey, I’ve been interested to try to find ways to cut our sugar intake here and there. After a bout with gestational diabetes and a family history of Type 2 diabetes, it is something that is always in the back of my mind, and I am trying to take some baby steps to cut down the sugar, but I’m just not ready to give up sweets entirely. So this is an option that interests me.
Since Swerve measures cup-for-cup like regular sugar, I thought it would be great to experiment with, and I am definitely pleased with the results. I know, I know, some of you are thinking that I shouldn’t go replacing sugar with “chemicals”, but I want to tell you that Swerve is just as natural as sugar. It comes from plant-based sources, just like sugar, and, like sugar, it’s processed to make it into a form that can be used in the kitchen. I’m looking forward to working with it some more!
So yes, vegetables and beans for breakfast. But really chocolate for breakfast. And sugar-free chocolate, if you so choose. And it tastes nothing at all like vegetables and beans. I mean, The Hubby ate them. The zucchini-hating Big has been devouring them. Seriously guys, just trust me on this one. I mean, look at them…
Were you overrun with zucchini this year?
Flourless Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 15.5 oz reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons coconut oil or unsalted butter (softened)
- ¾ cups Swerve granular or sugar or other cup-for-cup sugar substitute
- 5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder I used Hershey's
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Line twelve muffin tins with cupcake liners, and preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Place the zucchini in a kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess liquid. Set aside.
- Combine all ingredients except the zucchini in a blender (I used my Blendtec), and blend until smooth.
- Add the zucchini and pulse a few times until just combined.
- Divide batter between the muffin cups.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for about ten minutes before removing to cool completely.
Categories:
Here are some more zucchini recipes…
Plus a few from my friends…
- Zucchini Ricotta Tart from All Day I Dream About Food
- The Best Zucchini Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cake from Hip Foodie Mom
- Flourless Chocolate Chip Zucchini Oat Brownies from Ambitious Kitchen
What adjustments do you think I would need to make to replace the sweetner with maple syrup?
Hi Eva,
Maple syrup is about as sweet as sugar, so you can replace it using an equal amount of syrup (3/4 cup of maple syrup for 3/4 cup sugar), then add about 3 extra tablespoon of cocoa powder.
Tip: Make sure you use room temperature maple syrup, especially if baking with butter. Cold syrup can cause the other ingredients to clump.
We have crazy amounts of zucchini this year, so I’ve been trying all sorts of recipes to use them up. My 5 year old twins LOVED these. My boy usually avoids veggies at all costs, so it was great to get some healthy foods in him! Will be making more to freeze so I can pack them in lunch boxes this fall! Thanks so much!
I’m so happy to hear that your kids enjoyed the zucchini muffins, Jessica! Thanks for your comment and rating of the recipe.
Wondering if black soy beans would work – we use those because they are almost zero net carbs.
I honestly don’t know, Christine, because I have never used black soy beans. If you try the recipe with them, please let me know how the muffins turn out!
Can you use bean you boil yourself? Or does I have to be from the can?
Hi Desiree! You can absolutely use home cooked black beans. I would guess that a can equals almost 2 cups of cooked beans.
These are absolutely amazing! My whole family loves them…especially my 3 year old!!
I’m so happy to hear that your family loves the zucchini muffins, Sheri!
I made these cupcakes for my grandson’s 3rd birthday. They were a huge success! So moist! Even my son-in-law who doesn’t eat sweets, raved about them! If I hadn’t made them, I would have never guessed they had beans and zucchini in them. Amazing recipe!
That is so awesome to hear! When my hubby loved them, I knew it was a hit because he gets nervous about those types of ingredients in his sweets!
Brianne, I have a total black thumb too–so glad I’m not alone 🙂 These muffins look amazing. I love how you crammed tons of veggies in there!
Yum, yum, yum! I’ll take three!
I love baking with zucchini!!!! and triply sneaky?! haha, I love it!!! love swerve too! thank you so much for the link love, Brianne!!