Doughnuts with zucchini and avocado that are still moist and full of chocolatey flavour? Look no further! These chocolate zucchini doughnuts are soft, moist, and made entirely in the blender - no flour, no mixer, no fuss. They're rich with double chocolate flavour and packed with a good amount of protein and fibre. We love serving these for breakfast or snack time!
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Table of Contents
Why You'll Love These Chocolate Zucchini Blender Doughnuts
- Made in one blender: every ingredient goes in the blender, significantly reducing the dishes!
- A good source of protein: with eggs and a nut or seed butter in every batch, these help keep little ones full.
- Lower in added sugar: the sweetness comes mostly from ripe banana, with just a quarter cup of maple syrup for the whole batch.
- Easy to make nut-free: swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter and these are safe to pack for school and daycare.
- Veggie and fibre packed: zucchini and avocado blended right in!
Ingredients for Chocolate Zucchini Doughnuts
Here's what goes into the blender - full quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Zucchini - no need to peel, the skin blends in completely and adds fibre.
- Banana - provides some natural sweetness and moisture
- Avocado - adds healthy fats and helps keep the doughnuts moist without any oil or butter.
- Eggs - for structure and a protein boost.
- Peanut butter - adds protein and helps bind everything together. See substitutions below for a nut-free swap.
- Maple syrup - the only added sugar in the whole batch.
- Vanilla extract - rounds out the chocolate flavour.
- Cocoa powder - for that rich chocolate flavour.
- Salt and baking soda - salt balances the sweetness, baking soda helps the doughnuts rise.
- Chocolate chips - stirred in at the end because who doesn't love a few chocolate chips!
- Coconut oil or other oil to grease pan
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Doughnuts
This really is a one-bowl (one-blender) recipe. Here's the overview, with full steps below.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a doughnut pan.
Step 2: Add the zucchini, banana, avocado, eggs, peanut butter (or seed butter), maple syrup, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda to a blender.
Step 3: Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the chocolate chips and stir in.
Step 4: Scoop the batter into the doughnut pan, filling each cavity about three-quarters full.
Step 5: Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Option to pipe yogurt on top as "yogurt icing" and sprinkle hemp hearts, sprinkles or a few more chocolate chips on top.
Hint: Let the doughnuts cool completely before removing them from the pan - they're delicate while warm and firm up as they cool.
Substitutions
This recipe is easy to adapt depending on what you have on hand or what allergies you're working around.
- Peanut butter - swap for sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter to make these nut-free and safe for schools and daycares with allergy policies.
- Chocolate chips - use mini chocolate chips for more even distribution, or dairy-free chocolate chips to keep the recipe dairy-free.
- Zucchini - yellow summer squash works the same way if that's what you have.
These doughnuts can be a great snack for daycare or school as they are easy to make nut-free. For more snack ideas, check out these Easy School Snack Ideas for Kids or this list of over 25 Healthy Toddler Snack Ideas.
Variations
Once you've made the base recipe, there's plenty of room to switch things up. Turn the batter into muffins instead of doughnuts by using a lined muffin tin (bake for closer to 18-20 minutes). Or make mini doughnuts in a mini doughnut pan for a smaller, toddler-hand-sized portion, checking for doneness a few minutes earlier.
Drizzle yogurt on top as "yogurt icing", add a few sprinkles on top or a few extra chocolate chips.
I also have a delicious Almond Flour Zucchini Muffin Recipe if you've got some extra zucchinis to use up!
Equipment
- Blender
- 12-cavity doughnut pan
- Cookie scoop or spoon for scooping out batter
- Wire cooling rack
Storage
Store cooled doughnuts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To freeze, arrange them in a single layer on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds before serving.
Toddler Tip
I know it can be tempting to treat these zucchini doughnuts as a sneaky vegetable recipe, but instead, I like to encourage letting your child see you add the zucchini to the blender (or better yet, let them help drop it in). This can be a fun recipe to explore how the zucchini transforms into these doughnuts!
FAQ
No. The skin blends in completely once blended with everything else, and leaving it on keeps a bit of extra fibre in the recipe.
Yes. Let the doughnuts cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag. They'll keep for up to 3 months and thaw quickly at room temperature.
They can be - swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter and check with your child's school or daycare about their specific allergy policy before packing any nut or seed products.
Yes, this batter works well as muffins too. Use a lined muffin tin and bake for closer to 18-20 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
Recipe
Chocolate Zucchini Blender Doughnuts (Flourless!)
Equipment
- Blender
- 12-cavity doughnut pan
- Piping bag or zip-top bag optional, a cookie scoop or spoon works fine
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup zucchini cut into chunks (no need to peel)
- 1 banana
- ½ avocado remove flesh from skin
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup peanut butter or sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter to make nut-free
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
- coconut oil or olive oil to grease pan
Toppings
- yogurt drizzle or pipe yogurt on top
- sprinkles option to add a few sprinkles
- chocolate chips option to add a few chocolate chips on top
- hemp hearts to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a doughnut pan.
- Add the cut-up zucchini, banana, avocado, eggs, peanut butter (or seed butter), maple syrup, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda to a blender.
- Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the chocolate chips into the blender and stir in.
- Scoop the batter into the doughnut pan, filling each cavity about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate the donuts with your child! Pipe or drizzle yogurt on top, add a few sprinkles, chocolate chips, or hemp hearts!
Notes
Nutrition
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