Chocolate Zucchini Protein Power Bites

We have a lot of BIG zucchini, not as much as last year but after being gone and coming home to a lot of it that needs to be used I was looking for new ways to use it. We made zucchini bread, muffins, and have been eating a lot for dinner. I wanted some chocolate muffins and decided to whip up some power bites with zucchini! These are not overly sweet if you want you can add chocolate chips or cacao nibs! My oldest, who was my taste tester, liked them without so we left them out of this batch. 

Chocolate Zucchini Protein Power Bites

Makes 32 mini muffins

1 3/4 c oat flour, or chopped oats if you want more texture, gluten-free

1/4c raw shelled hemp seeds, ground (if you don’t have these you can substitute oats)

1/4c cacao powder (used Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder, raw organic)

1 1/2 scoops chocolate protein powder, optional (used 1 1/2 scoops Vega Performance Protein Chocolate)*

2TBSP coconut palm (used Navitas Naturals Coconut Palm Sugar)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large ripe banana, pureed

1 1/4c milk of choice (used So Delicious Unsweetened Almond Milk Plus)

¼ tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking powder

1 c finely grated zucchini, avoiding center soft section with seeds, packed and drained

1/4-1/3c mini chocolate chips or sweet cacao nibs, optional (we didn’t add any to this batch)

*If omitting the protein powder decrease milk by ¼ of a cup.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with non-stick spray. In a large bowl mix together oat flour, hemp seeds, cacao powder, coconut palm, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder. In a separate bowl mix together almond milk, banana, vanilla, and zucchini. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until almost combine then stir in protein powder. Pour into prepared mini muffin tins, you can basically fill them as they won’t puff up a lot like muffins or cupcakes. Cook for approximately 26 minutes. Do not over cook, they will firm up as they cool. Let cool a couple of minutes in the pan and remove and cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

*Recipe as written is not intended for standard size muffin tin.

As a Vega Recipe Ambassador I receive Vega products, which I used as an option in this recipe. I use Vega not because it is given to me but because it has been my plant-based protein of choice since before I started blogging and some recipes are made with Vega products I purchase. I only write about foods I love, my blog is an extension of my hobby to make fun healthy food creations for me and my family.