#68 Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Summer is coming to an end, and I've gone to my annual trip to the farmer's market for zucchini! I always get loads of zucchini, and it ends up being way too much. But, so far, I've been doing pretty well using it up in different recipes, this being one of them!

I've made several different zucchini breads, but this is the first one I've made that is gluten-free. Normally, it wouldn't affect me if muffins were gluten-free or not, but my brother is supposed to steer clear of gluten, so I wanted to use up some of his gluten-free flour for these. And, I am SO glad I did because I LOVED these! They are so filling and dense and flavorful.

These yummy muffins pleasantly surprised me. They are easy to make (besides taking the time to shred and squeeze the zucchini... That part can be time-consuming.) and fluff up like the beautiful cupcakes they are. You could omit the chocolate chips if you wanted, but really, who wants to do something crazy like that?

There is no butter, refined-sugar, gluten or dairy in these muffins, so they are extremely diet-friendly. They could also be made egg-free by using two flax eggs. They are 225-250 calorie muffins, so they are great for a quick breakfast or a convenient grab-and-go snack.

If you aren't looking for gluten-free recipes, but still want to give these healthy zucchini muffins a shot, substitute the gluten-free flour with white whole wheat and/or all-purpose! The possibilities are endless. I hop you use up your farmer's market zucchini with these muffins like I did! I will definitely be making another batch next year with more zucchini!

Gluten-Free Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes. Total time: 40 minutes.

Yields: 10-12 muffins

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup pure raw honey (I use Really Raw Unstrained Honey)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
*1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
**3/4 - 1 cup shredded zucchini, well squeezed and drained
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, add coconut oil, honey, eggs and vanilla. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and flour and stir until thoroughly combined. Add zucchini and chocolate chips and stir to combine.


3. Evenly disperse batter between muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool at least 10 minutes before removing to serve or let cool completely. Cover and store leftovers at room temperature. 

Enjoy!

*Should be able to equally substitute with white whole wheat or all-purpose flour if not gluten-free, although I haven't tested the recipe with these.

**I shredded about 1 1/2 cups of zucchini before squeezing it, but it decreases in size after releasing the moisture. The zucchini needs to be very well squeezed and drained. Just shred it and then wring it with your hands (or press the zucchini down in a strainer) until there is minimal moisture left in the zucchini. (Otherwise, you will get mushy muffins.)


Click here to print recipe!

*Note: Nutrition facts may vary due to brand of products.

Recipe adapted from

http://www.createnourishlove.com/2014/04/17/chocolate-chip-zucchini-bread/