Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

These chocolate zucchini cupcakes are to die for! And don’t let the zucchini scare you – you can’t taste it at all. These cupcakes are dense and moist; the texture is almost brownie-like. And let’s not even start with the avocado frosting. It pairs so well with the cupcake – a delightful chocolate combo! Here’s how to make some yourself:

You need:

• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• ½ cup honey*
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp Summer Day Naturals’ Vanilla Bean Powder
• 1/3 cup thick coconut milk
• 2 tbsp. thin coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup zucchini, shredded and excess water squeezed out
• 1/3 cups raw cocoa powder*
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• A pinch salt

* You can adjust the amount of honey and cocoa powder to suit your taste.

For the frosting:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1-2 tbsp. honey
• 2-3 tbsp. raw cocoa

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin or arrange cupcake liners on a baking tray.
2. Mix oil and honey together. Once combined, whisk in egg, egg white and vanilla bean powder. Add the coconut milks, lemon juice and shredded zucchini. Mix well using a baking spatula.
3. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients – cocoa powder, coconut flour, almond flour, chia seeds, baking soda and salt.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.*
5. Place the batter into the cupcake liner until ¾ full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
6. For the frosting: Mash the avocado. Whisk in honey and add the raw cocoa 1 tbsp. at a time, whisking after each addition. Pipe onto cupcake and enjoy!

* The batter is quite thick due to the zucchini. Make sure to squeeze out excess water from the zucchini so the batter won’t be runny!

Enjoy!