I came home from the gym tonight starving! I had eaten dinner super early before the class so I wouldn't vomit all over everyone else while working out. And yes, I've almost done that before. Lesson learned. Anywho, so by the time dinner burned itself off naturally and with the help of an hour long workout, I was ravenous. And I wanted CHOCOLATE!
I raced home determined to somehow fit some chocolate into my mouth and not have to count the calories. As I searched the kitchen, instead if finding chocolate, I happened upon all the fruits and veggies we had sitting in our fridge. I knew those were what I should be eating!! But chocolate still lingered on my mind. Then all the sudden it hit me: zucchini bread! Or better yet, zucchini muffins!!
Not being a baker, I had no idea how to make them. So I did some searching on Pinterest and found a recipe from Spark People's website that was healthier than most of the ones I had looked at. Sometimes the healthier options scare the crap out of me because who wants to waste time cooking something that tastes like cardboard. Or grass. But I recognized all the ingredients in this recipe so it seemed reasonable. After the initial try, I was pleasantly surprised to find they taste very good. They're not super sweet but they're only about 130 calories a muffin and have some servings of veggies and fruits! Win! I can't wait to test them out on my two year old in the morning. They were pretty easy to make. And if I didn't screw it up, then anyone can do it!
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
4 TBSP cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
I small, fresh banana (mashed)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Chocolate chips, if desired.
Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, cream mashed banana, applesauce, and sugar together. Add the milk, vanilla, zucchini, and chocolate chips. Stir till combined.
Combine the flour mixture with the wet mixture slowly until all ingredients are well blended. It will be thick and sticky. Put about 1/4 cup into each cup of a greased (or paper lined) muffin tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
