Flourless Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins

Now that my little guy is in kindergarten, I'm always on the lookout for school-safe recipes for snacks that are actually nutritious--the kind that I can feel good about sending, and that my kid will actually enjoy! More importantly though, I need these recipes to be super easy for me to prepare. Having a three-month-old and active toddler doesn't grant me a whole lot of extra time to bake and cook elaborate foods these days. Simple is key.

Although I don't avoid flour on purpose (I love flour!), I find that some of my favourite muffins are actually flourless! They tend to be really moist and I find that I'm able to pack quite a bit of nutrition into them without sacrificing taste. My flourless peanut butter and banana muffins continue to be a huge hit in our house, and this apple cinnamon oatmeal muffin is one of our go-to breakfast options.

When I first started experimenting with this recipe, I was skeptical as to whether or not the muffins would taste as good as my two flourless favourites mentioned above. They turned out amazing! I was actually blown away at how yummy they tasted, and the dietitian in me was pleased at how chock-full of nutrition they were. The combination of zucchini, oats, pumpkin seed butter, chia seeds, banana and eggs together provide healthy doses of fibre, protein, healthy dietary fat and lots of vitamins and minerals. All packed into one delicious muffin! As a bonus, they are school-safe and free of peanuts and treenuts! Enjoy!

School Safe Flourless Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins

Makes 24 small muffins

Ingredients

2 cups of grated zucchini, squeezed of excess liquid (you can also substitute carrot for half of this)

1 cup pumpkin seed butter (could also use sunflower seed butter)

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 large eggs

1/4 cup pasteurized honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 12-cup muffin tins and set aside.

Add all ingredients except for the grated zucchini and chocolate chips to a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips (you can add directly to the blender pitcher or you can transfer the mixture to a bowl first).

Bake for 15 minutes (they may need another 3-4 minutes if not cooked fully) until fluffy (but when you press down, the bounce back).

These Flourless Chocolate Zucchini Blender Muffins are school-safe - nut, peanut, and dairy free! | YMCFood | YummyMummyClub.ca