Roses are red

Chocolate is brown

One bite of this treat

Turns any frown upside down

I’ve finally found the perfect nutrient rich alternative for chocolate cake.  My husband’s German grandmother is an exceptional cook who makes THE MOST AMAZING chocolate sheet cake I’ve ever eaten.  When I found out I had a gluten sensitivity I reluctantly said goodbye to grandma Hanna’s chocolate goodness forever.  After years of searching for a comparable alternative I’ve finally found one (truth be told, nothing can replace the original recipe, but this is a good runner up).

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup zucchini, shredded
• 4 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 8 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Place the ground flaxseed, water, maple syrup, and applesauce in a mixer and mix on medium speed until combined.
3. Add the coconut flour, cacao powder, arrowroot powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt and mix again on medium speed until combined.
4. Shred zucchini and give it a light squeeze over the sink to remove excess moisture and fold it into the batter.
5. Divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin cups, filling each 2/3 of the way full. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
6. Bake for 22-25 minutes and then allow to cool in the pan for several minutes.  Transfer zucchini bites to a wire rack until completely cool.

Notes

• Chocolate zucchini bites pair nicely with nuts, nice cream, coffee, fresh fruit (like bananas, strawberries, and blueberries), or even a shot of whiskey 🙂 .
• I often use 1/4 cup chocolate truffles as opposed to chips because I find truffles to be a bit creamier in texture.
• If you’ve ever had a warm chocolate melting cake, you can achieve a similar result by adding 12 tablespoons of water rather than the 8 tables referenced in the ingredients list.  Once the zucchini bites are finished cooking, you can eat them hot out of the oven, or warm them in the toaster oven at a later time.  The gooey center will not disappoint.

Recipe inspired from againstallgrain.com