Skip the sugar… make these Skinny Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Related to my blog post yesterday… I was in the mood for a sweet treat. I looked at what I had in my kitchen, and staring at me were perfectly ripe (…maybe almost toooo ripe) bananas. Meanwhile, I had a few zucchinis out that I was planning to use for dinner. My sweet tooth took over and I decided to make these fabulous Skinny Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins adapted from this recipe.

More than just satisfying my sweet tooth-- these yummy muffins are portion controlled and can freeze well. When you make them… make sure not to eat them all at one time. Leave out a few (they always taste better fresh…) and put the rest away in an air-tight container. (Out of sight) In my case… I gave them to my husband to bring to his office as his mid-afternoon snack (instead of the cookies and cakes normally found in his office pantry).

In my excitement of eating these muffins, I did not photograph them. Imagine that these are what they looked like! Seriously… they were pretty close ;)

Skinny Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Adapted from: Monique's Ambitious Kitchen 

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Servings: 24 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients: (bolded items make this recipe a healthier and low-fat option)

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (pastry flour keeps the muffins light and fluffy… and whole wheat is always the best option!)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 2 small to medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey (I did't have honey, so I used 4 packets of Truvia sweetener… could've used a few more but you live and you learn, right!)
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 egg whites
• 2 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (a good substitute for oils, butters, and other fats)
• 1/3 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt (another fat substitute that increases the protein!)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (mine maybe was more like a heaping 1/2 cup hehe… but chocolate has its health benefits)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and generously spray inside of liners with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Squeeze shredded zucchini of excess water with a paper towel! This is an important step.
3. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon; set aside
4. In bowl of an electric mixer, add mashed banana, oil, honey, vanilla and eggs; mix until smooth. Add in zucchini, applesauce, and yogurt and beat again until well combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Remember not to over mix the batter — we want moist muffins! Gently fold in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
5. Evenly divide batter into muffin cups. Bake for about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Enjoy!

Nutritional Info: 

• Serving size: 1 muffin
• Calories: ~75 calories made with honey (66 calories made with truvia)
• Fat: 1 g
• Carbohydrates: 14 g (11 g made with truvia)
• Sugar: 7 g (4 g made with truvia)
• Fiber: 1.5 g (1g made with truvia)
• Protein: 2 g

Photos from: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/08/skinny-zucchini-banana-chocolate-chip-muffins-healthy-low-fat/