It’s Friday and I am SO very glad! We have entered into our “birthday season” between Josh’s and my family, and this weekend we will be celebrating my mom’s birthday. I can only imagine there will be both laughter and tears, and while the weekend will look different from the past, I’m so very grateful to have such a wonderful family, who will make the very most of the day and our time together. Mom isn’t able to communicate with us very well, but I really think she still has some understanding of what is happening around her, and I hope as she turns 64 this Sunday, surrounded by her family, that she knows how very loved she is, and how much we treasure her. {You can search the site for “mom update” to read more about my mom’s health and can read the final update here}.
On a completely separate note, Josh and I had such a wonderful few days in Vermont last weekend and took lots of pictures, which I fully intend to post! But since those pictures are not yet ready, I thought I’d share with you these lovely Gluten Free Zucchini Chocolate Chunk Muffins! Not only are they gluten-free, but they are made with loads of nutritious ingredients – whole oats, cashew meal, grated zucchini, bananas, honey, and dark chocolate. I don’t know about you, but I love when something sweet is also healthy!
Now, I’m not necessarily recommending you eat the who batch at one time, but these little muffins do have a lot to offer! Not to mention, they are pretty irresistible straight out of the oven – fresh, warm, gooey chocolate…I admit, I had one and instantly wanted another!
With the holiday season quickly approaching, these would be the prefect addition to any gathering – Enjoy!
BENEFITS OF ZUCCHINI:
- At just 21 calories per cup, zucchini makes a welcome addition to a calorie-controlled diet, while being a rich nutritional profile, and it offers health benefits thanks to its phytonutrients, mineral and vitamin content.
- Good source of vitamin C. As a water-soluble antioxidant, vitamin C dissolves in your body fluids and protects your cells from free radicals, which are highly reactive compounds that oxidize your DNA, lipids and proteins, causing cellular damage.
- Zucchini also provides you with lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytonutrients that belong to the carotenoid family. Lutein and zeaxanthin promote healthy eyesight.
- Consuming zucchini also boosts your intake of manganese, an essential mineral. Like vitamin C, manganese protects your tissues from harmful free radicals and promotes healthy bone tissue development.
BENEFITS OF BANANAS:
- High potassium content, which is necessary for good nerve and muscle function as well as for maintaining a healthy balance of fluids in the body.
- Good source of vitamin C, which helps boosts your immune system and cell health and improves the absorption of other nutrients such as iron.
- Excellent source of vitamin B-6, also called pyridoxine, your body uses vitamin B-6 to grow new cells.
- Contains manganese, necessary for bone health and metabolism.
- Good source of Dietary fiber, which helps you feel fuller longer and keeps your digestive processes running smoothly.
BENEFITS OF WHOLE OATS:
- Whole oats are a good source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants and are particularly high in B vitamins, phosphorus and iron. In 1 cup of cooked oats, there are approximately 150 calories, 6 g of protein and 4 g of fiber. (The iron is important for those of you like myself who don’t eat a lot of red meat!)
- Purchase organic whole oats if possible to eliminate the chemicals, additives or genetic modifications that are often used on the non-organic oats.
BENEFITS OF DARK CHOCOLATE:
- Dark Chocolate has antioxidants known as Flavonoids, which help soak up harmful free radicals from the body and may help improve brain function in older people as well as help prevent blood clots and strokes.
- The fat in dark chocolate consists of oleic acid and stearic acid. Oleic acid can actually help reduce the amount of “bad” LDL cholesterol in your blood, while stearic acid won’t raise or lower your cholesterol. However, the fat in chocolate is just as caloric as any other fat, which is why it’s important to eat in moderation.
Gluten Free Zucchini Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cup gluten free oats ground to flour
- 1/3 heaping cup cashew meal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips divided
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin pan (12 cup) with coconut oil cooking spray.
- Add coconut oil and honey to small saucepan and heat on low, stirring frequently. Once oil is melted and mixture is well combined, remove from heat and let cool 1-2 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract to honey/coconut oil mixture and stir.
- Add gluten free oats to NutriBullet or food processor and process 30 seconds or until oats are ground into a fine flour consistency.
- Add oat flour, cashew meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl, then whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, mash banana, then add in grated zucchini {I grated mine in the food processor} and melted coconut oil mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add banana mixture to large bowl with oat and cashew meal mix, and stir until just combined, do not over stir.
- Add 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks to batter and stir, reserving 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top.
- Divide batter evenly into 12 greased muffin cups, then sprinkle with coconut sugar and remaining 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks.
- Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool on wire rack 5-10 minutes, then serve {EAT}!
Nutrition
Adapted from Tutti Dolce’s Banana Zucchini Muffins.
Healthy Nutritional info taken from LIVESTRONG.com.
