These Healthy Chocolate Muffins are packed with vegetables and they can be made in your blender too. These hidden vegetable chocolate muffins have carrot, courgette and spinach in them, but you would never know. Perfect for fussy eaters. Kids love these healthy muffins and they freeze well too.
We have naturally sweetened this chocolate muffin recipe with banana and then a little extra sweetness from some maple syrup, but you can leave that out if you don't want them as sweet. We have added some chia seeds for some extra nutrition, but also included chocolate chips because they are essential in a muffin in our opinion.
These light and fluffy healthy chocolate muffins are perfectly moist and whizzed up in a blender. They are ready in under 30 minutes and freeze well too, making them perfect for batch cooking and keeping for school packed lunches.
If you are looking for some other muffin recipes to try, they why not try our Healthy Blueberry Muffins, Peanut Butter Muffins, Blackberry Muffins, Banana Oat Muffins or some Sugar Free Banana Muffins?
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Why you will love them
- Healthier alternative - These are lighter than regular chocolate muffins, and veggie packed, but just as delicious. These are healthy enough to eat for breakfast!
- SO easy to make - Most of the mixing is done in the blender making these healthy muffins very easy to make.
- Freezable - Make a big batch of these and keep them in the freezer. Then they are easy to add to lunch boxes.
- Easy to adapt - You can adapt them to make them vegan and gluten free and even add extra veggies.
Ingredients needed
- Carrot and Courgette (zucchini) - These are grated and give the healthy chocolate muffins a veggie boost. They have a really mild flavour, and the carrot adds some sweetness, so you can't even taste them.
- Spinach - An easy way to give a green veggie boost. You could use kale instead, or do half and half of both.
- Bananas - These help to add a natural sweetness, but they don't taste overly banana-y.
- Oil
- Maple syrup - If you want them extra sweet, then add some pure maple syrup. This can be left out though if you prefer.
- Eggs - Medium sized eggs are what we used.
- Flour - We used white flour as we wanted them to be light and fluffy. You could swap half for wholewheat flour, which would add more flour but it would make them more dense.
- Cocoa powder - Use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Baking powder and Baking soda - These help the muffins to rise and also get them nice and fluffy.
- Chia seeds - An easy way to add a protein boost.
- Chocolate chips - Extra chocolate is always a good thing, and these are nice and melted if you eat the muffins warm from the oven. You can use milk, dark or white chocolate chips.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and variations
- Gluten free - You can make these healthy banana chocolate chips muffins gluten free by swapping the flour for your favourite brand of gluten free flour.
- Vegan - To make these vegan, swap the eggs for flax eggs and make sure the chocolate chips are vegan.
- Extra veggies - We could all do with MORE veggies, right? Why not add some chopped kale in too?
- Oat muffins - We love the texture that out flour gives, so you could swap a quarter of the plain flour for oat flour.
- Less sweet - If you don't like sweet muffins, then you could take out the maple syrup and just have the natural sweetness from the banana. You could take out the chocolate chips too if you prefer.
How to make healthy chocolate muffins - Step by step
One: Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Put the carrot, courgette (zucchini) (a), spinach (b), bananas, oil, maple syrup (c) and eggs (d) into a blender. Blend until smooth.
Two: In a large bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, chia seeds.
Three: Add the blended vegetable mixture to the dry ingredients (a). Gently fold until a smooth batter is formed (b). Add the chocolate chips and fold in (c).
Four: Divide the batter between 8 muffin cases (a). Bake for 20-25 minutes (b).
What to serve with Healthy Chocolate Muffins
We would happily eat these by themselves, however if you did want to serve them with something then you could slice them open and spread on some Homemade Peanut Butter or Healthier Nutella.
For a healthy breakfast, you could serve these with some Greek yogurt and fresh berries.
If you are looking for an afternoon pick-me-up, then warm one of these in the oven or microwave and have it with a hot drink. We recommend our Chai Tea Latte, Cinnamon Coffee or Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate.
Storage
Store: Firstly you need to make sure that these chocolate muffins are are fully cooled. Then you can line a storage container with a paper towel and put the muffins in a single layer. Put another piece of paper towel on top of it and put the lid on. These will then keep at room temperature for 4 days.
Freeze: To freeze these healthy muffins, individually wrap them and then put them in a freezer bag for up to two months.
Defrost: You can defrost these at room temperature.
Reheat: Warm these healthy muffins up in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
The key to keeping this recipe for chocolate muffins moist is firstly not over mixing the flour - you just need to gently fold it in other wise they will be too dense. Also, don't bake them too long otherwise they will be dry.
You can swap the flour for your favourite brand of gluten free flour.
To make these chocolate muffins vegan, swap the eggs for 2 "flax eggs" and make sure the chocolate chips are vegan too.
Extra tips
• Make sure to save some chocolate chips to poke into the top of the healthy chocolate chip muffins before they go in the oven, as it makes them look really good.
• You can use milk, dark or white chocolate chips muffins.
• For extra greens, add some chopped spinach to the blender too.
• Make sure you don't over mix the flour in to the rest of the ingredients, otherwise the chocolate muffins will be too dense
More chocolate recipes
If you’ve tried these healthy chocolate chip muffins, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Muffins (with veggies!)
Ingredients
- 100 g (0.75 cups) Carrot - grated
- 100 g (0.75 cups) Courgette (zucchini) - grated, liquid squeezed out
- 50 g (1.5 cups) Spinach
- 4 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 2 Bananas
- 4 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon Chia seeds
- 2 Eggs
- 130 g (1 cups) Plain flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 30 g (0.33 cups) Cocoa powder
- 50 g (0.25 cups) Milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C(fan)/375°F/Gas 5.
- Put 100 g Carrot, 100 g Courgette (zucchini), 50 g Spinach, 2 Bananas, 4 tablespoon Vegetable oil, 4 tablespoon Maple syrup and 2 Eggs into a blender. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, add 130 g Plain flour, 30 g Cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Baking soda and 2 tablespoon Chia seeds.
- Add the blended vegetable mixture to the dry ingredients. Gently fold until a smooth batter is formed. Add 50 g Milk chocolate chips and fold in.
- Divide the batter between 8 muffin cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to save some chocolate chips to poke into the top of the healthy chocolate chip muffins before they go in the oven, as it makes them look really good.
- You can use milk, dark or white chocolate chips muffins.
- For extra greens, add some chopped spinach to the blender too.
- Make sure you don't over mix the flour in to the rest of the ingredients, otherwise the chocolate muffins will be too dense
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Lynne Zendel says
I’d like yo make the chocolate beggy packed muffins . Do I need xanthim gum ,to add ,if using gluten free flour ?
Thanks
Looks delicious and moist
Dannii Martin says
Yes, you would need to add xanthan gum.
Terina McKenna says
I never, ever comment on these types of things but I had to tell you how incredible the muffins are! I've never been able to make a good muffin...until now. I've made three batches in two days (!) and they've all been absolutely perfect! They are moist, not too sweet and just delicious plus veggies - hooray! My kids love them too. Thank you so much. I will make these again and again x
Terina McKenna says
Also just to say, thank you for putting the quantities in the actual instructions. Super helpful x
Dannii Martin says
Our kids love them too. So glad yours do too.
Letitia says
Hi! These look great! Any chance you’d have volume measurements for those of us without kitchen scales! I’d love to make these! Thanks!
Dannii says
In the recipe card, if you click "US Measures", then it will change it to cups for you.
Randi says
These were so good, I couldn't help but eat some that I made for my boys! Will for sure add the extra spinach next time.