Protein Chocolate and Zucchini Muffins
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These muffins are made with mashed banana, maple syrup, protein powder, and grated zucchini for a naturally sweet, high-protein snack. They’re rich and chocolatey but still wholesome enough to eat for breakfast.
Equipment
- Muffin Tin, moderate depth
- Silicone Muffin Liners, optional
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer, optional (or hand-mixer)
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g (½ cups) unsalted butter, room temperature, See Note 1
- 160 g (½ cups) maple syrup, See Note 2
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 130 g (½ cups) banana, mashed, approx.1, See Note 3
- 60 g (¼ cups) milk, See Note 4
- 100 g (1 cups) zucchini, approx.2, See Note 5
Dry Ingredients
- 120 g (1 cups) flour, all purpose
- 30 g (¼ cups) cacao powder
- 90 g (¾ cups) vegan protein powder, vanilla, neutral or chocolate, See Note 6
- 10 g (1 tablespoon) baking powder
- 3 g (1 teaspoon) salt
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 80 g (½ cups) choc chips, optional
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 210°C (410°F).
- Finely grate 100 g (1 cups) zucchini and remove excess liquid with a paper towel.
- Mash 130 g (½ cups) banana
Mix ingredients
- In a large bowl, mix together 115 g (½ cups) unsalted butter and 160 g (½ cups) maple syrupnote - in cold climates, you might have small amounts of solid and may need to warm up the bowl in the microwave. Small amounts are fine, but if it's not mixing, it'll need to be warmer.
- Add 2 eggs, 130 g (½ cups) banana, 60 g (¼ cups) milk, 10 g (1 tablespoon) baking powder, 3 g (1 teaspoon) salt, 5 g (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- Mix in 120 g (1 cups) flour, 30 g (¼ cups) cacao powder, 90 g (¾ cups) vegan protein powder until just combined. It should be thick and creamy.
- (if using) gently fold in 80 g (½ cups) choc chips and the grated zucchini
Baking
- Line a muffin tray with muffin liners and add mixture to half way.
- Bake for 7 minutes then decrease heat to 175°C (350°F) for 17 minutes. You should get a mostly dry skewer with a couple of wet crumbs. Allow to cool once removed for 10 minutes.
Notes
Note 1 - Butter
Substitute for margarine, vegetable oil, olive oil or coconut oil. Same amount. I've personally used margarine and coconut oil for these and both work really well.
Note 2 - Maple Syrup
Substitute for equal amounts honey. The wet sweet ingredients can make the muffins slightly dense. If you prefer a lighter muffin, substitute with brown sugar (lightly packed) or white sugar. Same amount.
Note 3 - Banana
Substitute for ½ cup apple sauce or puree. This will remove the banana undertone.
Note 4 - Milk
Substitute for plant-based milk (e.g. almond, oat, soy). Same amount.
Note 5 - Zucchini
Squeeze the grated carrot out as much as you can without stressing yourself out. Some moisture is okay, but you want to get rid of as much as you possibly can to prevent the texture of the muffins going weird.
Note 6 - Protein powder
If omitting, substitute with additional flour (same amount as protein). I use a neutral vegan protein powder for my muffins because it is relatively versatile and acts very similar to flour when baking. Whey and other types of protein powder can work (I've personally tried whey), however, they can sometimes create a funny aftertaste and don't act the same as flour which is why I frequently recommend vegan
Storing
You can store these on the bench or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days (up to a week in the fridge).
Freezing
You can freeze these for up to 3 months in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 9gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 277mgPotassium: 185mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 311IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 2mg
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