Healthy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins with no refined sugar added, a delicious little treat for kids and grown-ups alike. Great for a picnic, a healthy afterschool snack or just a little bite of the go, these muffins are super quick and easy to make.
Muffins must be the quickest bites to bake, they are ready in about 30 minutes from scratch, and you can add to them pretty much anything you like, from fresh or dried fruit, veggies, meat, you name it. They can also cater to all lifestyles, they can be vegan, vegetarian, meat-based, low carb, low fat, low calorie and the list is endless.
Although zucchini are in season in summer time, they can be easily found in any supermarket all year round. In the UK they are actually called courgettes, so courgette muffins or zucchini muffins are actually the same thing.
So, why are my zucchini muffins healthy? Well, first, they have no added refined sugar (yaay), they have no sweeteners, no hidden nasty ingredients, no flavourings, and so on. Plus, I used good-quality dark chocolate chips, which have a much lower amount of sugar added.
I came across many muffin recipes online that use 2-3 cups of refined sugar, which, if you ask me, it’s totally outrageous. Why add so much refined sugar? Unless you don’t mind eating calorie bombs, I would say that much sugar is no unnecessary. Mashed bananas are a great sugar subsitute, or, if you really want them sweeter, you can add honey or maple syrup.
But for the love of all that’s holy, don’t add 3 cups of sugar, that’s just insane!
TIPS TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
These muffins have a lovely moist texture, given the fact that they use fresh zucchini and bananas. Rest be assured, they are baked to perfection with no undercooked batter whatsoever. I’m telling you, they are just amazing!
- start by grating the zucchini, and squeezing as much liquid as possible
You can either do so using your hands, or transfer the grated zucchini to a clean cloth, and squeezing well. Too much liquid will result in soggy muffins that won’t bake well.
- sift the flour, then add the grated and squeezed zucchini, mashed banana, honey (if using), chocolate chips and egg
Make sure the banana is well ripen, it will add moisture and sweetness to the muffins. The egg has to be beaten well to get fluffy muffins. No need to add any milk, the muffins will turn out perfectly without any liquid added.
- line a 6-hole muffin tray will paper cases, and divide the batter evenly
- bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden
HOW TO STORE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS
Because these muffins are moist, they can be kept at room temperature without drying out. Mine were left on the kitchen counter for 2 days, without any change in texture or taste.
You can transfer them to a large plastic container if you want to store them away in a cupboard, or take them out on a picnic. No need to wrap them individually, unless you want to freeze them. In this way you can defrost as many as you like, without having to defrost all of them at the same time.
ARE THESE MUFFINS KID FRIENDLY?
Absolutely! Kids will love them as an afternoon snack. Since they don’t use added sugar, the chocolate chips are the only slightly naughy ingredient here. Most of the sugar is naturally occuring sugar anyway. You can use a lot less chocolate chips though, if you offer the muffins to toddlers, and you don’t want them to addicted to chocolate just yet.
Adding too many chocoalte chips will make the muffins way to moist anyway, since they melt while baking, so for 6 muffins, about a quarter cup of chocolate chips is more than enough. Double all the ingredients if you use a regular 12-hole muffin tray.
OTHER KIDS-FRIENDLY MUFFINS
Healthy Banana Muffins for Kids (no sugar)
Baby Led Weaning Savoury Muffins
Savoury Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
If you’ve tried my HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI MUFFINS or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Healthy Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins with no refined-sugar added, a delicious little treat for kids and grown-ups alike. Great for a picnic, a healthy afterschool snack or just a little bite of the go, these muffins are super quick and easy to make.
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 zucchini
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 banana, mashed
- 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 egg
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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit).
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Grate the zucchini, and use your hands to squeeze the liquid well. Beat the egg well.
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In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the grated zucchini, mashed banana, chocolate chips, honey and egg.
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Mix everything together without overmixing.
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Line the muffin tin with paper cases, and divide the batter between each case.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
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Leave to cool completely before removing the muffins from the paper cases.
SEE THE POST FOR TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE THE BEST ZUCCHINI MUFFINS WITH CHOCOALTE CHIPS.
I have a question about these muffins, can i use something as a substitute for the banana?
Hello! Thank you for your message! I used banana as a replacement for sugar, since it’s naturally sweet and healthy. You can use apple sauce instead for sweetness, if you still want to avoid refined sugar, or use 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Leaving it out without a replacement won’t change the texture, just the taste. I hope it helps!