Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (Oh She Glows)

Healthy vegan baking has been more challenging for me than vegan cooking.  If I make things super healthy, I'm the only one that wants to eat it, and I end up eating the whole batch!  This defeats the purpose of trying to make healthy baked goods :)  So I'm finding that I can still make baked goods pretty healthy, but maybe not quite as strict as I normally would be.  I am loving this blog I found called Oh She Glows, and I found this recipe there.  Mission accomplished on this one!  My boyfriend ate quite a few :)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water)
• 1 & 1/4 cup lightly packed shredded zucchini, skin left on
• 1 & 1/4 cup almond milk
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
• 1/3 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional, I didn't add these)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray muffin pan with oil or grease with Earth Balance.
2. Mix flax egg in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Grate zucchini using a grater box (regular grate size). Set aside.
4. Mix almond milk and apple cider vinegar (or sub fresh lemon juice) in a small bowl and set aside. It will curdle, but this is the point as we’re making vegan buttermilk.
5. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar).
6. Mix together the wet ingredients (flax egg, almond milk mixture, maple syrup, and vanilla) and then pour over dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
7. Fold in the chocolate chips, walnuts, and shredded zucchini.
8. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan filling each tin 3/4 of the way full. Bake for about 15-17 minutes at 350F, or until muffins slowly spring back when touched. A toothpick should come out mostly clean.
9. Cool in tin for 5 minutes. With a knife, loosen around the muffin edge and transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool.