Chocolate Courgette Cupcakes: Vegan & Healthy
Rich and sticky, these chocolate courgette cupcakes are covered with a gorgeous glossy water ganache. The recipe is a relatively healthy one, packed as it is with lots of zucchini, wholemeal spelt flour and not too much unrefined sugar. It’s vegan too. The cakes are tasty, not too sweet and it’s hard to detect the courgette unless you know it’s there.
Vegan Cakes
When I first started baking vegan cakes, I used to find them a bit of a challenge. I was rather wedded to my butter, eggs and yoghurt. This vegan chocolate cake I made for my annual birthday cake ritual at work one year, completely changed all that.
I really enjoyed it. And, it didn’t even have any icing, although it does now. I’ve not looked back since and regularly make all manor of vegan cakes, fillings and toppings.
Vegan Chocolate Courgette Cupcakes
Good as that first one was though, I didn’t feel I could bake the same cake again the following year. Luckily, some inspiration came my way in the form of Brownieville Girl’s courgette cupcakes. It was timely inspiration as we were getting masses of courgettes (zucchini) down at the plot. They were an obvious choice as principal ingredient.
I created a hybrid using the sponge from the black bottom cupcakes I baked earlier in the year. A few other tweaks were only natural. I used a hundred percent wholemeal spelt flour, added cinnamon, a chia egg and varied the quantities. This, of course, made the original recipe into something completely different.
To make these cupcakes rather than muffins, I topped them with a delicious chocolate water ganache. Ganache sounds as though it’s full of fat, but my recipe is not only very tasty, but it’s quite healthy too.
My chocolate courgette cupcakes turned out splendidly. They’re more on the sticky gingerbread side of cake than light sponge, but nonetheless very good. My vegan work colleague was really pleased. But surprisingly, my non-vegan colleagues appreciated them too. No-one guessed that there were courgettes in the cake, though I suspect they have a hand in giving the cake its sticky quality.
Chocolate Courgette Cupcakes: Step-by-Step
If you don’t fancy cupcakes, just don’t glaze the cakes and you have chocolate courgette muffins instead. The choice is yours.
Step 1. Grate Courgettes
Before you do anything else, wash, top and tail your courgette (zucchini), then grate them. I use a box grater as it doesn’t take too long with only one courgette. Place in a sieve suspended over a bowl.
This allows some of the moisture to drip out, which stops the cakes becoming dense and claggy.
Step 2. Make Chia Egg
Soaked chia seeds acts as a vegan egg replacer in many bakes. It works well here, helping to hold everything together.
Mix the chia and water together in a small bowl, cup or glass and leave to swell for five minutes. The seeds will absorb all of the water.
Step 3. Sift Dry Ingredients
Either sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, or whisk said ingredients in the bowl. Sifting is more efficient, but I find whisking is less faffy. Really, it all depends on how lumpy, or not, your flour and cocoa powder are.
Step 4. Whisk Wet Ingredients
In a smaller bowl, whisk all of the wet ingredients together, including the chia egg.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ones into it. Stir from the inside out until everything is just combined.
Give the sieve a good shake to remove any excess water, then add the grated courgette into the cake batter. Stir until it’s just mixed. It’s best to be gentle with the batter as the more you mix it, potentially the tougher the finished cakes.
Step 5. Bake Cakes
Line twelve muffin moulds with cupcake cases. With a spoon, divide the batter between them.
Bake for twenty to twenty five minutes. They are done when well risen and firm to the touch.
It’s a good idea though to test with a skewer to make sure. Insert a skewer into the middle of one cake and if it comes out more or less clean, they’re good to go.
Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Chocolate Water Ganache
I’ve made a chocolate and date syrup topping before to good effect. For these vegan cupcakes, I replaced the butter with water. It worked astonishingly well and I’ve been using this chocolate water ganache recipe ever since.
Because of the water and date syrup it’s quite a healthy topping. It’s just sweet enough too, without being in the least bit sickly or cloying.
All you need to do is gently heat all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Wait until the chocolate has melted, then give it a good stir. Leave to cool and thicken before using.
You can top the cupcakes in two ways. Either pour the ganache over the top of the cakes whilst it’s slightly thickened but still runny, or wait for it to set and spread it on with a palette knife.
The first method gives a glossier finish, but you can get a lot more on with the second method. It just depends what sort of look you’re going for. And maybe how much ganache you want on your cakes.
Other Vegan Cakes You Might Like
- Almond rhubarb loaf cake
- Chocolate banana cashew cake
- Citrus drizzle cake
- Healthy vegan carrot cake with cashew icing
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these vegan chocolate courgette cupcakes, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more courgette recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes. PIN IT.
Vegan Chocolate Courgette Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 200 g courgette (zucchini) 1 small to medium courgette
- 1 tbsp chia seeds can use ground flaxseed instead
- 3 tbsp water
- 200 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat) (I used wholemeal spelt)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 140 g light brown sugar (I used muscovado)
- 50 ml sunflower oil
- 1½ tsp apple cider vinegar
- 125 ml water
Chocolate Water Ganache
- 100 g 70% dark chocolate (I used chilli chocolate)
- 2 tbsp date syrup
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Top and tail the courgette then grate it using a box grater. Place in a sieve suspended over a bowl whilst you get on with the rest. You'll be surprised how much water drips out.200 g courgette (zucchini)
- Mix the chia and water together in a small bowl, cup or glass and leave to swell for five minutes. The seeds will absorb all of the water. This works as a sort of egg replacer to bind the ingredients together.1 tbsp chia seeds, 3 tbsp water
- Meanwhile sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Alternatively whisk them together rather than using a sieve.200 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat), 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 30 g cocoa powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 pinch sea salt
- In a smaller mixing bowl add the sugar, oil, water, vinegar and chia egg and whisk together until thoroughly combined.140 g light brown sugar, 50 ml sunflower oil, 1½ tsp apple cider vinegar, 125 ml water
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ones into it. Stir together from the inside out until everything is just about incorporated.
- Stir in the grated courgette until just mixed.
- Spoon the mixture into 12 lined cupcake holes and place in the middle of a preheated oven – 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Then turn out onto a rack to cool.
Chocolate Water Ganache
- Melt the chocolate with the date syrup and water in a pan over very low heat.100 g 70% dark chocolate, 2 tbsp date syrup, 2 tbsp water
- Stir, leave to cool slightly and spread over the cupcakes.
Wow, found this recipe just in time! I have a bunch of zucchini my husband bought accidentally thinking they were cucumbers…lol. I’m going all in on these delicious looking treats.
Oh no! An easy mistake to make though. Hopefully he’ll enjoy the cupcakes and might just end up making the same mistake again.
Oxslip – yes I couldn’t resist watching this and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might have been. I certainly wasn’t expecting any emotion and would have liked to see everyone’s cakes, not just a selected few. And I was rather put out with the judges having a go at that gorgeously pink raspberry cream.
Thanks Foodycat – I shall be using that one again – very simple but works well – my ganache always seems to split!
Chocolate date syrup sounds like such a wonderful topping! Happy birthday!
Have you seen Great British Bake-In on the iPlayer? It was a bit more emotional than I expected, but some interesting decorating even if the cake seemed secondary to some.
these look good, you know I’m sure that zucchini bread is a bit of a N. American thing like carrot cake, it’s yummy too
Oh Lesley, thank you for the reminder. I did clock your recipe and will be making it soon – our courgettes keep on producing and producing ….
Great minds think alike.Check your e mails.I had already sent you a courgette chocolate cake recipe a week ago, before you made these. (I have always said I am a witch).
Thanks Kath, very nice of you to say so. Luckily, they were much appreciated and I have to say the date and chocolate topping works really well.
I love the way you play around with recipes, you are very inspiring. These sound very lovely and I hope your vegan friend was pleased with them. I like the chocolate and date syrup topping too.
Make Chocolates – Thank you. If only you had an outlet a little nearer I would definitely be attending one of your truffle and tempering sessions.
Johanna – thank you, they tasted good, the butter and eggs thing is mostly in my mind I think.
Ananda – courgettes and walnuts sound good.
Dom – go on test their reserve with a some courgette – I’m sure they’ll love something a little different really.
Emmalene – thank you
Thank you Nic – not so much using the oil but the lack of eggs that worries me.
another successful, not to mention tasty, experiment :o)
I remember making beetroot and chocolate muffins last year and they worked well using vegetable oil instead of butter.
keep seeing courgettes in cup cakes… but are they too un traditional for the Aby Village Show? What might the little old dears think?
Have experimented courgette cake with walnuts have loved it, pudding textures attracts me more with those glossy chocolate oh yum yum!:D
vegetables in baking can add extra flavour – esp in chocolate baking where they will not overwhelm the flavour – I am sure it helped compensate for the loss of flavour from butter and eggs – I would have loved one of those little pudding cakes
Celia – made a really good courgette cake a couple of years ago but no chocolate involved. If I can lay my hands on the recipe, might try a chocolate version of that one. Hadn’t realised these would be a favourite chicken food – now worried and dare not boast of our great courgette crops for fear of neighbours’ chickens devouring the lot.
Chele – you are the master cupcake baker so more than happy to have you on board.
CGF – always worth having a go with surplus veg – surely, though it wouldn’t be good to deprive your chickens completely by the sound of what Celia says.
Jac – I liked them, but I know some prefer their cake to be light and airy – these weren’t.
The Intolerant Chef – yes, I’m glad I had to try some vegan baking, it is always useful and I do have friends who prefer not to eat dairy.
Made2Order – True, especially when it’s self-imposed.
CityHippy – But did you like your beetroot cake? Mine seemed to be quite popular – I think people like things that are a little unusual.
Sushma – life would not be as interesting without cake.
CC – Courgettes are good as they add moistness but no overpowering flavour.
VBB – no I didn’t peel them. I quite liked the green flecks in the cake. Nor did I grate them that finely either. They do pretty much disappear into the cake as it’s cooking though so no obvious chunks. No pics I’m afraid, but these were rather dense. I’ve made a really nice courgette cake without chocolate in the past and need to see if I can find the recipe again, then I’ll try a chocolate version of that I think.
Catherine – It’s good to know you can get one of your five a day by eating cake!
Mmmm I wouldn’t even feel guilty about eating these since theres veg in them 😉
Did you take the skin off the courgettes? (and if you didn’t aren’t there big bits of courgette in the cake?). Did you grate them finely?
Any chance of a pic of the middles? – I’m a bit fascinated by these and courgette seems such a strange thing to be making cakes with. That, and having loads of them myself.
x
I need to try courgette in cakes – I love carrot cake, but after my brussell sprout need to rebuild my confidence in baking with veg!
i love chocolate cup cakes, and this one looks too good…
I’d be up for this one I think. I love courgettes, stick it with chocolate…well hello! Great to have vegan/allergy friendly recipes up my sleeve.
I recently made a beetroot and chocolate cake, which I think was a little more pudding-y as well as opposed to cake-y.
always good to be challenged.
Adding the courgettes like this would add sweetness and moisture to the finished cake, what a great idea! I love vegan cakes,they rule out a lot of allergies – egg,dairy, and can be made gluten free easily too. Everybody needs a good one in their repitoire
Puddingy sounds like a good quality to me Choclette. It makes me want to try them immediately 🙂
every year I intend to experiment with courgette cake, but never quite get round to it and the chickens end up with the surplus, so this could be the year i try a new recipe, it sounds delicious.
Choc, that’s a useful thing to have in the repertoire – thank you! If you have too many courgettes, please send them to us, as our chickens love them! 😀
I’m with you on the vegan baking front. It always seems to fly in the face of logic when it all works out for the best lol
Great looking cupcakes – I think I should come and work with you ;0)