Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Bran Muffins
As a family of chocoholics, these muffins are always a huge hit at my house! They’re full of rich chocolate flavor, similar to 70% dark chocolate, thanks to cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips… And the hearty oats combined with lots of Greek yogurt give them a slight fudgy texture, just like my favorite fudgy brownies! Leftovers will keep for at least one week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they also freeze really well.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180g) oat bran (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- ¼ cup (30g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60mL) molasses (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups (160g) freshly grated zucchini, patted dry (see Notes!)
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oat bran, Greek yogurt, ½ cup of milk, and vanilla extract. Let the mixture rest for at least 10 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a third bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and egg whites. Stir in the molasses and maple syrup. Add the oat bran mixture, stirring until fully incorporated. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining ¼ cup of milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Fold in the zucchini and 2 ½ tablespoons of miniature chocolate chips.
- Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, and press the remaining miniature chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 20-23 minutes or until the tops feel firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
OAT BRAN NOTE: Other readers have had success substituting wheat bran for the oat bran. I have not tried that myself and cannot personally vouch for that substitution. If you decide to try substituting wheat bran, measure by volume (cups) not weight (grams).
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the regular whole wheat flour.
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: Remember to measure the oat bran, cocoa powder, and flour correctly with this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of any of these ingredients will make your muffins dry (especially the oat bran; it acts like a sponge and soaks up so much liquid!). Too much cocoa powder will also make your muffins taste bitter, rather than rich and chocolaty.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
SPICES NOTE: Additional cinnamon may be substituted for the allspice, if you don’t have allspice.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. I do not recommend substituting pancake syrup because it will change the taste and texture.
MOLASSES NOTE: If at all possible, I don’t recommend substituting anything for the molasses. It’s required to produce the iconic bran muffin flavor. (This is the kind I use, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
However, in a pinch, you may substitute pure maple syrup, honey, or agave for the molasses. Your muffins won't have quite the same iconic bran muffin flavor, but they'll still have the same texture and taste delicious!
IMPORTANT ZUCCHINI NOTE: Measure the zucchini before patting it dry. You must pat it dry to remove the excess moisture because that excess moisture will cause the muffins to collapse while cooling.
To pat the zucchini dry, lay a double-thick layer of paper towels onto a cutting board, and arrange the freshly shredded zucchini on top. Place another double-thick layer of paper towels on the zucchini, and gently press down until the top towel turns completely wet.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free oat bran (like this). For the gluten-free flour, use the following blend: 2 tablespoons (15g) millet flour, 1 tablespoon (7g) tapioca flour, 1 tablespoon (7g) brown rice flour, and ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought blends (like this one!) should also work, as long as they are measured like this.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amyshealthybaking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.