Healthier Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (and muffins)

Last week, I teased you guys with the promise of a zucchini bread recipe.

Interestingly, I found out later that the day I made these on a whim was actually National Zucchini Bread day. Maybe I have the foodie holidays memorized and I just don’t know about it? Odd.

Anyway, this was my first time making zucchini bread so I adapted from several different recipes. I get recipe inspiration quite often, but when I do it with baking things don’t usually turn out so well. And by not so well, I really mean that the raccoons and deer living in my backyard usually end up getting a nice treat. Baking: 1. Stefanie: 0.

Well, this time I surprised myself. In the best way possible. My muffins (and bread) came out super tasty. Delicious, even. So allow me to pat myself on the back because, friends, this may never happen again.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

(recipe makes 2 loaves, 24 muffins, or 1 loaf and 12 muffins)

• 2 C. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 C. almond flour
• 1/4 C. coconut flour
  • if you don’t have almond or coconut flour, add 1 more C. of whole wheat flour
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 t. freshly ground sea salt
• 2 tsp. pumpkin spice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 C. brown sugar (optional)
• 1/8 C. milk (almond)
• 4 whole eggs
• 1/2 C. coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 C. applesauce (pumpkin or banana would work as well)
• 3 T. vanilla extract
• 2 T. liquid vanilla stevia (optional)
• 3 C. shredded and drained zucchini (grate with a cheese grater and squeeze out excess liquid)
• 1/2 C. chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix together all of the dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, sugar, spices).
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, milk, and applesauce. Then whisk in the vanilla extract and liquid stevia.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while stirring. Once well combined, fold in the zucchini and the chocolate chips.
5. Pour half the mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper (or spritzed with nonstick spray/coconut oil).
6. Use the other half for another loaf or 12 muffins.
7. For the bread, bake for roughly 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. For the muffins, bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

So take your pick. Muffins?

Or bread?

Or be like me and choose both! It’s fun to have options.

Healthy fats? Check (coconut oil). Protein? Check (eggs and almond flour). Veggies? Check!

Want to lower the sugar? Omit the brown sugar and chocolate chips then add something like stevia baking blend or honey. Or just leave the sweetener out altogether.

You may even be able to omit the whole wheat flour by adding more of the almond and coconut flours and a couple more eggs. But I haven’t tried it, so don’t quote me on that.

The best way to enjoy these? Warm from the oven (or microwave) with a little coconut oil (or even better—coconut butter) slathered on top. Yum!

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The winner of the Love Grown Granola giveaway is Diana from Veggie Next Door! Email me your address (the new healthy at gmail dot com) and I’ll get your granola in the mail ASAP!

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