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We are part of an organic produce coop and before we left for vacation I got a lot of zucchini not thinking about the fact that we were leaving the next day.
Zucchini keeps really well in the fridge so I wasn’t too worried about it, but the whole week we were in Georgia I was looking forward to coming home and using my zucchini.
My grandma made the best chocolate zucchini cake ever and I wanted something similar. It needed to be Trim Healthy Mama safe (low carb and sugar free), and I was hoping for something grain free besides being gluten free.
Cake is out of the question. Not because it is impossible to make chocolate zucchini cake that meets my requirements, but because of my lack of self control when chocolate AND cake are in the house.
Muffins are a better choice for me because I can throw the extras in the fridge or freezer. The batch that I currently have has been in the fridge hidden behind things so I don’t see them as soon as I open the fridge. I know they are there so I can grab a snack, but they don’t stare me in the face when I’m browsing from boredom.
Lately I have been re-reading my Trim Healthy Mama book, trying to go over the basics of the plan again since I haven’t been following it much for about a year, and looking for new meal and snack ideas. One recipe that I remembering loving during pregnancy with Cameron is Easy Peazy Cinnamon Muffins (pg 262 of the original book) so I wanted to make something along those lines.
I added extra protein powder because I have been having a hard time getting in the 80-100 grams of protein that is recommended per day during pregnancy.
The flax meal in the recipe will help keep you regular if those early pregnancy hormones have been slowing down digestion and elimination.
Next time I think I will add in some finally chopped dark chocolate for an extra burst of chocolate in every bite. Who doesn’t want that?
Chocolate Zucchini Flax Muffins {Gluten free, Grain free, GAPS, Trim Healthy Mama, Sugar Free, Low Carb} Makes 9-10 Muffins
1 3/4 cup flax meal – I buy my flax seed whole and then grind it in my Vitamix. A coffee grinder also works well.
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 scoop protein powder
1 teaspoon liquid stevia
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup water
5 eggs*
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup shredded zucchini
Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients and stir until combined. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the flax seed meal to absorb some of the liquids. Quickly stir in zucchini. Fill muffin cups almost all the way full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
*If you want a version with a little less fat you could use 3 whole eggs and 3 egg whites.
These zucchini flax muffins aren’t super sweet, but you could always play around with the amount of stevia you add and/or possibly add a sugar alcohol like erythritol or xylitol {I don’t seem to do well with sugar alcohols so I usually avoid them} or even coconut sugar.
If you are following THM this recipe is an S. 🙂
Linked up at Jebbica’s World
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These look so good and are good for me – bonus! I always have people giving me zucchini in the summer. Love the tip of grinding my flax seed in the coffee grinder…recently had a little recipe issue and they went in whole – LOL.
Can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Mindi from http://www.backrowfaith ♥
Lol! Oh no!!! What happened? I would assume your recipe turned into a gooey mess right? 🙂 Hope you enjoy these muffins!
Gluten free AND sugar free! This is almost too good to be true.. I just bought a plant based protein powder that will be perfect for these 🙂
What kind of protein powder? I’m loving Garden of Life’s newest protein powder line ’cause it is plant based and grain free. It also has digestive enzymes. Makes my belly happy. 🙂
Progressive VegEssential (All in One) … It is a SUPER protein powder because the proteins are vegan, it has Omega-3 plant oils, TONS of vitamins and minerals, yummy green food stuff … It was pretty expensive (129$ for a big container) but it will last probably a year 🙂 Since I’ve been using it my fingernails have gotten really strong and thick, and my skin softer..
Hmm, I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for getting baack with me!
I’m eating healthy, so these seem like a great option. Pinned the recipe. Thanks!
Thanks for pinning Shann! 🙂
it showed as a page not available Samantha
What did?
is it too early to eat these muffins? they look SO GOOD! 😀
Lol! I’ve eaten them for breakfast, snack, lunch and possibly midnight snack ad well. Don’t know what would happen if you ate them for dinner…lol. 🙂
Thanks!
I love baking with zucchini! I made some gluten-free zucchini bread earlier this week and I will continue baking it throughout the summer.
Yum! I love how versatile zucchini is! Cake, muffins, cookies, bread, noodles, stirfry, etc. You can use it in anything!
This actually looks good. I crave chocolate at times but I hate the way I feel after eating junky. My body just doesn’t handle the good ol’ “american diet” very well. So I’m saving this recipe!
I don’t think anyone handles the standard American diet (SAD) too well, we just aren’t taught to listen to the warning signs. Instead we have pills for everything that usually just cover up our bodies’ responses.
I didn’t know you were THM!!!! I’ve been doing it 70% for have this pregnancy and 100% for the past month. I’m loving it! Thanks for sharing!
I wish I could do it 100 percent but I’m more like 70 right now. I did really good following it with my youngest son but it seems harder with two littles.
Those are just excuses really…I do feel so good when I follow it completely. 🙂
I just made paleo chocolate zucchini bread!! It was very good. I’ll have to try your muffins.
Yum! What kind of flour did you use? Almond or coconut?
These look good! Have you calculated nutritional value? Also how many muffins does this recipe make? Thanks for sharing.
Hi Lynn, thanks for commenting! I have not calculated the nutritional value, maybe I can do that soon and get it added to the recipe.
This recipe makes 9-10 yummy chocolate zucchini muffins. Becuase of all the fats they are super filling. 🙂 I can eat 2 for breakfast and make it until lunch/snack time 4 hours later no problem.
If you aren’t used to all the flax seed fiber yet make sure you are drinking lots and lots of water! 🙂
Do you think coconut oil could be substituted for the olive oil?
For sure! Just melt your coconut oil over medium heat in a saucepan or in the microwave first. 🙂
Hi Rebekah,
Wow this looks delicious. I love making any kind of muffins or bread with zucchini – they are always so moist and adding the chocolate sound heavenly. Making it grain free is a special bonus for all of us who can’t eat grain or choose not too. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & twitted.
Thanks for sharing!!! 🙂 Hope you enjoy these flax muffins!
These are delicious! I used chocolate 0rotein powder to make them extra chocolaty 🙂
ooohhh, I’ll have to try that! I’m glad that you enjoyed them!
Those look great and very filling!
They are super filling! I’m going to make some this afternoon with raspberries and and chocolate chips!
These look yummy – I’ve never tried zucchini muffins with flax before, so this is on my list! 🙂
Let me know what you think!!!!
Love finding healthy recipes WITH chocolate for my kiddos!
I need to make up some of these this afternoon!! They are soo good!!
I followed the instructions aside from changing out the olive oil for coconut oil and adding some erythritol sweetener. I baked them for way longer than instructed and they still stayed wet-ish on the inside. They were also so bland and not sweet enough at all even with the added sweetener. Not sure I would make these again.
Thanks for sharing your findings with me! I’m not sure why they would be wet on the inside, unless it has something to do with the erythritol that you added. I’ve made them several times using the exact recipe and they aren’t wet on the inside. I’ve been on a low sugar diet for a long time and usually use stevia, as mentioned in the post I can’t do erythritol because it gives me belly issues, so they taste sweet enough to me.
Is there a protein powder replacement?
Hi Emily, sorry for the delay in response, I’m just seeing this. You could possibly use collagen powder in place of the protein powder, but I haven’t tried that. You could also just leave it out and add a bit more cocoa powder. Probably about 2 T more.