Enjoy the taste of dessert for breakfast with a single-serve chocolate zucchini breakfast bake that’s loaded with fibre, healthy fats, and plant-based protein. Naturally sweetened with plenty of chocolatey goodness, it’s a healthy and delicious way to start your day.
I wasn’t quite sure what to think when the idea for this recipe popped into my head.
On the one hand, I’ll gladly jump on any excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast – I’m all about that life. On the other hand, I’ll gladly jump on any excuse not to eat zucchini at any time of the day, much less first thing in the morning… so I was a little torn.
Thankfully, I remember doing the whole chocolate zucchini thing before (a few times, actually) and being pleasantly surprised to discover that chocolate has this magical ability to completely mask the presence of zucchini; and that zucchini, despite how much crap I talk about it, has this uncanny ability to add that coveted moisture to baked goods.
And with that, the chocolate zucchini breakfast bake went from theory to execution…
It’s been a while since I posted a breakfast bake recipe, and I have no idea why since I freaking adore these things.
And for those who don’t know, what I refer to as a “breakfast bake” is basically a single-serve version of baked oatmeal with a few spoonfuls of flour added to give it a lighter, fluffier texture. Only, in this case, we’ve got more of a chewy, ooey, gooey, and “ohhhh my god how is this actually good for me?” thing going on. That last one is a direct quote, by the way.
But, despite being hard to believe, this little guy really is healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast. Even with the chocolate chips; which I realize don’t exactly scream health food, but I’d argue that they’re good for the soul and therefore good for overall health. AND! treating your tastebuds to a little bit of chocolate first thing in the morning has actually been shown to help prevent junk food binges later in the day since you’re satisfying your sweet tooth straightaway instead of spending the whole day thinking about it and letting the cravings build up to the point where you want to eat all the sweets in sight. Or you can just leave them out completely and enjoy the deliciousness of the bake on its own. Or add some nut butter <– always a good idea.
Either way! this little guy is packed with a good dose of fibre, healthy fat, and plant-based protein. It’s vegan as long as you use dairy-free chocolate chips/milk, and can easily be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour* and oats*. I’ve made various breakfast bakes with all-purpose, whole wheat, spelt, rice, coconut, and almond flours before, and never really noticed a huge difference between them. It’s all up to you and your individual needs.
Happy eating!
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Chocolate Zucchini Breakfast Bake
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (30 g) oats (gluten-free, if needed)
- 2 tbsp (15 g) flour of choice (gluten-free, if needed)*
- 2 tbsp (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (30 g) shredded zucchini, squeezed of excess liquid**
- (optional) dairy-free chocolate chips, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C).
- In an individual-sized (~16oz./500 ml) ramekin, whisk together the oats, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini and top with chocolate chips, if using.
- Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the centre has set and the bake has reached your desired consistency.
- Remove the bake from the oven and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes before adding any additional toppings and digging in!
Notes
* I usually use an all-purpose or whole wheat, but this recipe works fine with most flours, including gluten-free and grain-free ones. ** I like to place a handful of shredded zucchini between two paper towels and squeeze it over the sink. This drains it of just the right amount of liquid to allow the muffins to cook properly.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Looking for more healthy breakfast bake recipes? Try one of these!
Brownie Batter Breakfast Bake
Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Bake
Banana Oat Baked French Toast
Chunky Monkey Breakfast Bake
Cinnamon Bun Breakfast Bake
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Has anyone tried doubling or tripling the recipe and baking in a muffin tin for meal prep?
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I just found your blog and, since morning is when I’m most likely to grab something quick and, ahem… not so healthy, I’m loving all your easy, delicious and good-for-you alternatives!
Just a quick question though. Since I’ve made oatmeal ahead and then warmed it up later in the week, do you think that it would hold well in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for several weeks? We have two grown sons, who are too rushed in the mornings to make a good breakfast, so (loving mom that I am) I thought I might stock their freezers and give them a taste of the good life — at least as far as breakfast is concerned. LOL!
Just great, so easy and delicious. My mother liked it too, but with chocolate. I’m baking it for the third time now. 🙂
Awesome recipe. I always love the creative ingredients you use to make it healthy. The
banana oat baked french toast recipe looks amazing too.
Oh young lady ! I’m with you all the way ! So nice combination ! Thank you so much !
Can you do this the night before and heat it up in the morning?
Yes, I do it this way and it tastes good, the oatmeal get’s time to “catch” smell from cacao and it’s wonderfull and really healthy breakfast 🙂
Your dish look so delicious! I’ve never tried making chocolate zucchini before, but after reading your recipe I feel like I have to. Thank you for sharing!
This sounds so yummy!
Holy ooey gooey choclateness!! This would be absolutely AMAZING paired with a chilly glass of almond milk. I am totally pinning this. Starting the day off with chocolate sounds like a genius idea to me 🙂 .
xxMeah
Yum! It’s that time of year when there are a million zucchinis in everyone’s garden. I love how moist it makes things!
Super fiberlicious! Agreed with Liz– this would be a killer dessert for breakfast!
This looks so delicious! And who doesn’t want to eat chocolate for breakfast!
Elizabeth || Liz Living