In a few weeks, my husband and I are taking our first real vacation in years. I’m a gypsy at heart but pregnancy and new motherhood nipped my travel bug in the bud, y’all. We will be leaving 1 year old our daughter behind for the first time which I am somewhat sad about but we are traveling to the country where we got married and there’s no way that sippin’ on a margarita with my toes in the sand can’t temporarily fix any homesickness (or baby sickness) that could arise. Don’t you agree?
That being said, I am not quite ready to display my post baby bod on the beach yet. I’ve been working on portion control and getting in more exercise but I simply cannot control this sweet tooth of mine, especially in the evening. So my new strategy is to to just give in. Well sort of.
I started researching ways to make chocolate cake (my favorite) using some guilt-free ingredients. I noticed that there were a lot of recipes using applesauce. Perfect! I make my own applesauce every week. That’s a start! Then I stumbled upon some recipes using zucchini in chocolate cake. Applesauce and zucchini? Now we’re getting somewhere. What if I replace milk with almond milk, canola oil with coconut oil, and flour with gluten-free flour. Yikes. This can’t possibly taste good, right?
Wrong. It tastes like a heavenly chocolate cloud of deliciousness.
The recipe took some tweaking but I figured it out and you get to reap the reward. I didn’t even tell my husband that he was eating a “healthy” version of chocolate cake when I snuck the mini bundt cake into his lunch sack and he made it a point to text me and let me know it was his new favorite. Wife win!
This chocolate zucchini cake is definitely going to help me tame my sweet tooth so I can shed some more pounds before the vacay. I love it so much though, I think I’ll make it on the regular. If you try it, I bet you will too. Xo
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Yields: 6 mini bundt cakes or 12 cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup flour (preferably gluten fee)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (preferably coconut)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup almond milk
- ½ cup chocolate chips (preferably dark)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray or use liners.
- Use a paper towel to blot and squeeze zucchini dry.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In an electric mixing bowl, add egg, egg white, oil, honey, and vanilla. Mix on low until smooth.
- Add in zucchini, applesauce, and almond milk and mix.
- Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Gently fold in chocolate chips.
- Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
Omg, this looks heavenly! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Any way I can sneak veggies into my kids foods/desserts is a win in my book!
Chenoa F4Family recently posted…Fitness & Fun Fridays: How to Stick to a Fitness Plan
I am with you!! I am always trying to think of ways to sneak some in. My last try was sneaking carrots into marina sauce. That one didn’t work quite as well as this cake recipe!
I cannot believe that this was made with zucchini and the rest of the ingredients listed here. I am Pinning this for sure!
Yona Williams recently posted…6 Underrated Kitchen Gifts that Really Come in Handy
Omg yum!!! Now this is some serious food porn!!! So gotta give your recipe a try!
Beautiful pictures!! And that cake looks DELICIOUS! Im a chocoholic who needs to give this a try.
Wow, that looks marvelous! Who would have thought there is zucchini in there? I’ve got to try this.
This looks beyond delicious! It’s a must try!
This is something my mom used to make when we were growing up! She always had so much zucchini in the garden that she would grate and freeze it for later. I, however, can’t seem to grow any zucchini without squash bugs coming to get it…
This is something I’d have to taste test to know if I’d like it. If I do though having zucchini in a chocolate cake would be an awesome way to get some veggies in!
This looks so yummy. My son loves chocolate cake. He’ll enjoy this and I won’t tell him zucchini is in there.
Erica Brooks recently posted…Antique Silver Clear Necklace and Earring Jewelry Set SA86768623
WOW. This sounds utterly delicious, and not too guilt-inducing! I love your take with the almond milk, coconut oil, and GF flour substitutions, and am excited to try it! Also, love the mini bundt cake form – it looks gorgeously decadent. Thanks and great job!
xo,
lauriel (EyeForElegance.com)
wow – this cake looks so amazing, as anything with chocolate I love & your photos are stunning!
Yummy!! I love chocolate cake!!! I haven’t tried zucchini chocolate cake before!!!!
Nikka Shae recently posted…Hometown Heroes Honored at Red Carpet Screening for Kung Fu Panda 3
I made chocolate zucchini bread for the first time a few months ago, and was BLOWN AWAY by how moist it was!! As soon as zucchinis are back in season it’s one of the first things I’m making!
Oh! This looks amazing! I’ve made desserts with zucchini before but none of them have looked this good.
I host a weekly link up Living a Life of Fitness Health & Happiness and I would love to have you join us. You can even sign up for a weekly reminder to link up 🙂
You can check out last week’s link up here http://jillconyers.com/2016/01/30-delicious-healthy-vegetarian-soup-recipes/
Have an awesome day!
I have never tried chocolate zucchini cake before, but I have tried it in the form of cupcakes before. It is delicious!
HilLesha recently posted…Healthy Ways to Kick off the New Year
Oooh, we definitely need to try this.
Zucchini cake is one of my absolute favorite things! I am always looking for a good recipe to try!
Debra recently posted…Skinny Copycat Wendy’s Frosty
That cake looks delicious!! And I love hiding veggies in unexpected places. I’m doing this!
TaMara recently posted…It’s Never Too Late – Week 1
Omg amazing I am definitely doing g this asap my whole family will like this. Laci
Yum!!! I am so excited to find this recipe. I am always looking for healthier options for dessert, especially gluten-free. This recipe looks delicious. Sharing on Pinterest. 🙂
Amy @ItsAMindfulLife recently posted…Website Speed: Why It Matters and How To Improve It
This looks really tasty and I’m pinning it to try, later! While I wouldn’t go so far as to call it health food, lol, I think it was Michael Polan that said you can eat all the junk food you want as long as you make it yourself 🙂
Woah that looks amazing. I am not a fan of zucchini but even the cake makes it look utterly tempting.
Ana De- Jesus recently posted…David Bowie: Embracing Androgyny
Oh yum! That sounds so good. I love these kinds of cakes, so I am looking forward to trying your recipe!
I love how this Chocolate Zucchini Cake looks! It’s so mouthwatering and gorgeous!
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen recently posted…Arroz Ala Cubana
Looks yummy and healthy! Bookmarking this. http://WWW.Jetset-diaries.com
Yum this looks fantastic! I have never tried zucchini cake or bread for hat matter. I think that needs to change! Thanks for he recipe! Featuring you Friday at the P3Party share! If you have any Halloween posts I’d love for you to link them up at my Halloween linky, weekly features in Oct. have a great week!
Kim
Kim~madeinaday recently posted…Simple Fabric Tassels
I have the shredded zucchini in my frig right now and I was going to make the bread tomorrow, but guess what I’m gonna make? Woo Hoo Thanks for sharing.
XmasDolly recently posted…Show Off Tuesday! Give-Aways & Reviews!
I love recipes that allow me to hide vegetables from the kids. This chocolate cake looks rick and decadent. My family would never guess it has zucchini in it!
Oh my goodness, this cake looks seriously amazing especially since chocolate and pistachio are two of my favorites! I can’t wait to hear all about your trip when you get back.
Britni recently posted…Pitch Perfect Inspired Musical Party Games
If this tastes anywhere as good as it looks I’ll be in heaven!! Chocolate Zucchini breads and cakes are among my favorites, and now I’ll have an option for my gluten free friends!
Angie Scheie recently posted…Sports Rewind NFL Week 2
I have heard of Chocolate Cake with veggies hidden inside and they all seemed really gross. However this cake looks really good!!
ricci recently posted…Perioral Dermatitis
Holy cow, this cake looks delicious and from looking at it – you’d never know that zucchini was a part of it. I must say that this is one of the best-looking results that I’ve seen thus far. Pinned this!
Yona Williams recently posted…11 Gift Ideas for a Blogger
This looks absolutely delicious! I haven’t tried using zucchini like this before but I love it so it makes sense. Thanks so much for such a great, healthy alternative!
Rena McDaniel recently posted…BLOGGING AT ITS BEST & AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU…
The Chocolate Zucchini cake looks really delicious. The pistachio sprinkles also gives a variety when it comes to taste.
Franc Ramon recently posted…JBL Releases More Compact, Powerful and Durable Portable Listening Devices
You could have never convinced me that this had zucchini in it without proof. That looks amazing.
Maureen recently posted…The Merrill Park Playground Makeover #LetsPlayMilwaukee
Oh my gosh this looks heavenly!! I never would have guessed that this cake had zucchini in it!
Vera Sweeney recently posted…Simplify Your Hectic Life With Peapod Grocery Delivery (With Special 15 Off Code)
Beautiful pictures. I love zucchini and would love a few slices of this cake!
Jenn @ EngineerMommy recently posted…DIY Haunted House BOO Kit
I’ve seen a lot of zucchini recipes lately, but this one literally takes the cake. It looks so moist and delicious – definitely need to make it.
You are speaking my language – chocolate! I’m trying to lose weight for my daughter’s wedding next spring, so this is perfect for the weekend when I really, really want chocolate. Yum!
Alli recently posted…Brandon Price, An Unsung Hero
Oh that looks so moist and delicious. I’d love to make some for a special occasion.
Liz Mays recently posted…Zipline Thrillin’ and Lakeside Chillin’ at Sapphire Valley NC
Yammi.This look really delisiocus and i am going to try this on weekend.Thnx for the recipe
This cake looks amazing. I would have never thought to put zucchini in a chocolate cake. I look forward to trying this recipe.
I need to use my zuchini I froze to make this very yummy cake. It looks amazing.
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