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Smart Nutrition with Jessica Penner, RD

Smart Nutrition with Jessica Penner, RD

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Home / Recipes / Baked / Healthy Chocolate Cherry Zucchini Cake

Healthy Chocolate Cherry Zucchini Cake

Baked, Dessert, Recipes

chocolate zucchini cake
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Each piece of this chocolate zucchini cake has 1/2 serving of veggies/fruit! The zucchini seemingly disappears into this moist, chocolatey cake.

We were away on vacation this spring during planting season, which is an extra challenge for me as a gardener. Let’s just say I don’t have much of a green thumb to begin with.

When we got home I figured it would be best to buy some plants instead of planting seeds. The plants have a head start, so that way we’d have a better chance at a harvest during our shortened growing season. But, because everybody had already picked through things at the nursery, most of the plants were gone. I managed to find a 6-pack of baby zucchini plants. Since I tend to kill plants as easily as I kill weeds, I figured six plants would be a good idea. I’d be lucky if even one of them survived!

In the end, all six did amazingly well so I’ve had zucchini coming out of my ears!

  • I’ve shredded, blanched and frozen the zucchini
  • I’ve made zucchini soup concentrate
  • I’ve made zucchini chips
  • I’ve made this delicious Gnocchi with Zucchini, Basil, and Corn
  • I’ve given some away
  • But my favourite by far has been this recipe!

chocolate zucchini cake

why this chocolate zucchini cake is a smart choice:

This is actually a muffin-type recipe. I’ve made them as muffins and they were equally delicious. But I was feeling lazy when I made these the last time and decided to just dump the whole thing into a 9×13 and call it a cake. Even though it’s the same healthy batter you would use for a muffin, if you make it into a cake, you can serve it to guests in the evening as a dessert. Boom! Healthy treat for the win! If you try to serve muffins for dessert, people look at you strange. But cake? People love cake!

If you give this recipe a go, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or snap a photo and tag it with #smartnutritionrecipes on Instagram!  I’d love to see your creations! Knowing someone has enjoyed one of my recipes always makes my day brighter. 

chocolate zucchini cake
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Healthy Chocolate Cherry Zucchini Cake

Print Recipe
A health-boosted snacking cake!
Prep Time:20 mins
Cook Time:40 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • ¾ cup cocoa
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seed
  • 2 tbsp inulin optional… great ingredient to add a little extra fibre
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 4 cups shredded zucchini
  • 2 cups chopped cherries
  • 2 cups plain greek yogurt
  • ¾ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In a standmixer combine the eggs, sugar, oil, cocoa, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
  • Add in the flours, flax seed, inulin (optional), salt, and baking soda. Stir together on low then increase to medium until well combined. Don’t overstir.
  • Add in the zucchini, yogurt, cherries, and chocolate chips. Stir until well combined. Don’t overstir.
  • Grease a 9x12 pan. Pour the batter into the pan.
  • Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool and cut into 30 squares.

Notes

1/2 serving of veggies/fruit in each piece!

Nutrition

Serving: 1square | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10.5g | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 15.5g
Keyword: healthy baking, healthy zucchini bread, zucchini cake, zucchini recipes
Servings: 30 pieces
Calories: 220kcal
Author: Jessica Penner, RD

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September 3, 2015 · 5 Comments

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Comments

  1. RaviSahu says

    September 7, 2018 at 5:43 am

    awesome food blog you have placed here. I have read it and it was really nice and informative. Thanks for placing it here. I have bookmark this site for future visit. Your content was really resourceful reached. Thanks for such a nice creation.

    Reply
  2. Debra says

    July 7, 2016 at 9:22 am

    You left out the cherries in the mixing directions. Do you use seeded fresh cherries, chopped? Do you add them along with the zucchini?

    Reply
    • Jessica Penner says

      July 7, 2016 at 9:30 am

      Yes, seeded fresh cherries chopped! I fold them in at the end. I’ll add that into the recipe. Thanks for pointing that out!

      Reply
  3. Cathy O'Shea says

    September 22, 2015 at 8:07 am

    Is there a way to use less oil to make it lower in calories?

    Reply
    • Jessica Penner says

      September 23, 2015 at 9:14 pm

      I know it sounds like a lot of oil but this makes a large recipe… around 36 pieces. So that ends up being about 1 tsp oil/piece. You could substitute some applesauce for the oil but I haven’t tried it so I can’t comment on how it would turn out!

      Reply

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