Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins (Gluten Free, Sugar Free)
Happy New Year!
Hey there 2019! Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and New Years! Have you set some New Year’s resolutions? I have and I must say, 2019, I’m comin’ for ya! I have so many awesome things planned for 2019, but first, how about some breakfast?
The Perfect Breakfast Treat
My mother-in-law, daughter and I made these Zucchini Chocolate Chip muffins over the Christmas break for breakfast, and we loved them! Even my husband and father-in-law loved these muffins! They are so good when they are still warm, fresh out of the oven, with a little pat of butter. These muffins are light, flaky and I love seeing the little flecks of green from the zucchini in them. Plus, a few chocolate chips are always a good idea!
These muffins are not super sweet, which I think is perfect for breakfast time. Sometimes you just want a freshly baked goodie to go with your morning cup of tea or coffee.
Healthified Muffins
One of my co-workers, Dylan, brought some Zucchini Muffins into work one day and I thought they were great! So tender, light and fluffy, plus they had the speckled green zucchini throughout and the decadence of chocolate chips running through it. What’s not to love?!
Now, I, of course, love a good muffin, but what if I could make it a little healthier? So I swapped out the all-purpose flour for gluten free flour, and made the whole recipe sugar free. Now that is a healthy indulgence I can feel good about eating!
Instead of all-purpose flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour (this is an affiliate link, which means that I may receive a small compensation if you choose to purchase through this link, at no cost to you). I truly think this is the best gluten free flour at the grocery store. Other gluten free flours can get pretty gummy, but Bob’s does not. Of course, you can use any gluten free flour you have, but you may need to add ¼-½ cup of additional milk to loosen the batter due to the flour absorbing more liquid. Of course, not everyone is gluten free, so you can also just use all purpose flour if you like.
In this recipe, I reduced the sugar amount listed and replaced the sugar with monkfruit sweetener. This is my favorite sweetener right now to bake with, because, not only does it swap out for sugar in a 1:1 ratio, but there are other benefits too. I’ve mentioned these before in my blog posts such as HERE and HERE. Since there are people in my family that are diabetic, I really try to limit the amount of sugar that we consume in my family. And monkfruit sweetener has helped me to do this while still maintaining some sweet treats in the house that I don’t have to worry about our diabetic family members eating.
To keep the sugar-free theme going, I swapped out the chocolate chips with my favorite stevia sweetened chocolate chips from Lily’s (this is an affiliate link, which means that I may receive a small compensation if you choose to purchase through this link, at no cost to you). They make the best chocolate chips, not just because they are sweetened with stevia, but also because they are mini size, which makes them perfect for muffins!
Lastly, what southern muffin is complete without some pecans?? The extra crunch from the pecans is really what takes the muffins over the top. You need a little crunch factor to contrast with the light, fluffy muffin.
A Make Ahead Marvel
These Zucchini Muffins are easy to make ahead and store for the week in the refrigerator. Keep them in an airtight container or resealable bag to preserve their freshness.
These muffins are quickly becoming my favorite mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack!
I hope you’ll give these muffins a try. They really epitomize my whole philosophy around food: that healthy food does not mean sacrificing flavor!
If you make these muffins, tag me at @nourish_with_renata as well as using the hashtag #nourishwithrenata. I can't wait to see what you make!