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Zucchini Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cake
This healthier, moist, and sweet breakfast cake is one of the best ways to use up zucchini and eat some sneaky veggies. The best part is how easy it is–no shredding of zucchini required.
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup avocado oil (sub: melted, cooled coconut oil)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar (I use coconut sugar for a little healthier alternative)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (use vanilla Greek yogurt for more sweetness)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large overripe banana
- 1 medium zucchini, diced (about 2 1/2 cups diced zucchini)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
*Sub 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup unbleached all-purpose.
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a 9×9 inch or 8×8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: Add the oil, eggs, sugar, yogurt, vanilla, banana, and zucchini to a high-powered blender. Secure the lid and blend until smooth.
- Combine: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir just until it starts to come together (do not stir a lot here). Add the chocolate chips and stir until fully combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake: Pour batter into the dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes for a 9×9 inch pan or 40-45 minutes for 8×8 inch pan, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out mostly clean. Place on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
Freeze For Later: Bake the cake just until done. Cool completely. Either cover the baking dish tightly in a few layers of foil or plastic wrap or carefully lift the cake out of the baking dish and wrap in several layers of foil or plastic wrap, pressing as much air out as you can. Label and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw in the fridge or on the counter. Warm a slice in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and top with a pat of butter, if desired.
Notes/Tips
- Dairy-Free Version: Use dairy-free Greek yogurt or sour cream and dairy-free mini chocolate chips (like Enjoy Life brand).
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Gluten-Free Version: Use 1:1 gluten free baking flour in place of the whole wheat flour. I like Bob’s Red Mill brand.
- To Add More Sweetness: If you’d like to add more sweetness without altering the texture, use vanilla Greek yogurt in place of plain Greek yogurt. Or simply spread a little honey on top of slice.
- Zucchini Substitute: Use diced carrot in place of the zucchini.
- Greek Yogurt Substitute: Use sour cream instead. I would not suggest using milk, since it didn’t seem to work as well in my tests. It threw off the acid balance and the outside browned too fast.
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Storage Instructions: Let cake cool completely and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store on the counter for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or use our freezing instructions above to store for 3+ months.
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How to Turn Batter Into Muffins: Bake muffins at 350°F for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.