You already know you should be eating more vegetables, especially those green ones!
Take advantage of the overabundance of certain produce like zucchini this time of year. With a relatively neutral flavor profile, you can add it to just about any recipe (including sweeter treats like these!) and feel better about your daily vegetable consumption.
Coconut Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie
This delicious, vegan chocolate zucchini smoothie recipe packs in protein & healthy fats from almond butter and coconut milk and seriously tastes like an Almond Joy.
Ingredients
2 pitted large Medjool dates
1 cup light coconut milk, plus more to thin if necessary
1 cup frozen cauliflower
¾ cup sliced zucchini (about ½ a medium zucchini, sliced)
1 tablespoon almond butter or peanut butter (any nut or seed butter will work)
1 1/2 tablespoons cacao powder (or sub unsweetened cocoa powder -- do 1 tablespoon if you want less intense flavor)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
To garnish:
Toasted coconut flakes or regular coconut flakes
Mini chocolate chips or a drizzle of almond butter or chocolate almond butter
Directions
First soak your pitted dates in 1 cup of very warm water for at least 5 minutes. This will help them soften up and perfect for blending. While the dates are soaking you can get all your other ingredients out, measured and ready.
Next add all ingredients to a high powered blender: pitted dates, coconut milk, cauliflower, zucchini, nut butter, cacao, vanilla extract and salt. Feel free to add any optional add-ins to your smoothie if you’d like. Blend until smooth, adding more coconut milk to thin, if necessary. Pour into a glass and enjoy! Top with almond butter, granola and coconut flakes, if desired. Serves 1. Feel free to double the recipe to serve 2.
Optional smoothie add-ins:
1 scoop your favorite protein powder
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1 cup spinach
Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Healthy chocolate zucchini muffins made with whole wheat flour and no butter or refined sugars (besides chocolate chips). They're naturally sweetened with banana and honey or maple syrup!
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup shredded zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini)
1 ripe mashed banana (or you can use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce)
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup regular or mini chocolate chips, dairy free if desired
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and spray inside of liners with nonstick cooking spray.
Squeeze shredded zucchini of excess water with a paper towel.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add coconut oil, honey/maple syrup, vanilla, egg; mix on medium-low until smooth and well combined. Add in zucchini, banana (or applesauce) and almond milk; mix again. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Evenly divide batter into prepared liners. Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. After 5 minutes, remove muffins and transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe Notes To keep muffins dairy free: use dairy free chocolate chips. To make gluten free: use gluten free all purpose flour or gluten free oat flour.
Orange Zucchini Cake with Orange Frosting
Wet ingredients:
1 medium zucchini
2 eggs
½ cup honey
1 (5.3 oz.) container orange or lemon yogurt
zest from 1 large orange
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Dry ingredients:
1 ½ cup packed blanched fine almond flour
1 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the orange frosting:
½ cup butter (or sub vegan buttery stick), at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For topping:
Sliced orange segments
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Shred zucchini with a cheese grater or with the shred attachment on your food processor. Measure out 1 cup of shredded zucchini, then place shredded zucchini in a clean paper towel, dish towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out all of the moisture/water.
Add eggs, honey, yogurt, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla and almond extract to a large bowl and whisk together until well combined.
Next, add dry ingredients: almond flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon until well combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini.
Add batter into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Make the frosting: beat together butter, powdered sugar, orange juice, zest and vanilla together on medium-high with a hand mixer or in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Spread frosting over cooled cake. Garnish with small orange segments. Cut into 9-12 slices for a bigger piece of cake or 16 squares for more of a snacking cake!
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