Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins
I'll be honest, I haven't been in a huge baking mood as of late. This Summer has been super busy (as they tend to be) and I haven't been wanting to spend as much time in the kitchen as I usually do.
As you may have heard over on the 'gram, I went through a massive change over the last couple of weeks of the Summer as Randy (my boyfriend) and I mutually and very amicably decided to go our separate ways after 6 wonderful years together. I've been talking a lot about it over on Instagram and will be doing a more in-depth podcast episode on it soon too, so if this is coming out of nowhere and you're looking to get the scoop, you can check out both of those sources.
Needless to say, that could have also been a big reason why my baking and cooking mojo has been MIA this Summer. I was worried that mojo would continue to plummet as I recently moved in with my twin sister (silver lining to the whole situation, really) into a condo with a much smaller kitchen than I was used to at my old place (OMG – I was so spoiled!).
It's been quite the adjustment, but oddly enough, I've cooked more new and interesting things here at the condo than I did in my old place all Summer and I now have about 1/4 of the amount of space! Thankfully, I made and shot these Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins before leaving my old place. Not that you need a ton of space to make these muffins (you'll soon see how it requires minimal equipment!), but when you're shooting a recipe, it's a bit of a different story. Things. EVERYWHERE! Haha
But, now onto these Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins – what you actually came here for! And yes, I said BLENDER, which means I took almost all of the ingredients (minus the zucchini and chocolate chips that were stirred in later) and threw them in my Vitamix and blended them up to make the batter. It couldn't have been easier!
The texture of these muffins is something really special too, being somewhat of a muffin/cake-like texture. Everyone that taste-tested them for me absolutely loved them!
Maybe it's because of the abundance of zucchini in the summer season, but I had been wanting to make a recipe with grated zucchini in it for a while. It started with my first ever taste of zucchini bread (which tastes like banana bread) and now, I just love the winning combination in baked goods. You won't even be able to taste it, other than the moistness it brings to baked goods. Side note: Do people still hate the word "moist"? Haha!
I hope you love this recipe and if you end up making it, please tag me @rachelmmolenda on Instagram so I can see it. Tell me what other #RealAssFood goodies you plan on cooking up this year as well – I'm always looking for new ideas!
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins
Servings: 10 muffins
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups almond flour
1 cup zucchini, grated
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp avocado oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a muffin tin very well using either coconut oil, avocado oil or olive oil.
Pour all ingredients (except for zucchini and chocolate chips) into a Vitamix, or a high-speed blender. Blend for 10-15 seconds. Scrape down sides and blend again. The batter will be very thick.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and fold in chocolate chips and grated zucchini.
Scoop mixture into muffin tin, filling the tins about 3/4 of the way.
Bake for about 18 minutes, or until you can put a toothpick into the muffin with it coming out relatively clean.
Store in fridge and enjoy within 3 days