Tag: CHOCOLATE

CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI BARS – Butter with a Side of Bread by Gordon Ramsay

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars made with ripe zucchini and has all the zucchini bread flavors! One of my favorite easy zucchini recipes; these bars are a real crowd pleaser!

These bars have flavors similar to our Best Zucchini Bread recipe, only they’re super simple to serve and share with a crowd of people! Perfect for summer potlucks or anytime you just have too much zucchini.

What are zucchini bars?

I combined 2 fantastic recipes to make these Chocolate Chip Zucchini bars. They’re a modified version of my popular Chocolate Chip Banana Bars, only grated zucchini replaced the bananas and I added additional spices. The result? Incredible, cake-like snack bars that everyone enjoys. They’re great for anytime- breakfast, snacks, lunch, and even with a glass of milk for a treat.

How to make Healthy Zucchini Bars

There are several things you can swap out in this recipe to make them healthier. Here are some ideas:

–Reduce the brown sugar to 1 cup. Just make sure you’re using smaller zucchini as the larger the zucchini gets, the more bitter it tastes.

–You can replace half or all of the butter with applesauce. I’m more of a fan of using half coconut oil and half applesauce, personally.

–Use almond or cashew milk in place of regular milk.

–Swap out regular flour with whole wheat or almond flour. Just add 2 rounded teaspoons of baking powder instead.

–Add in 2-3 TBSP of ground flax! No one will notice and it gives an added boost of fiber.

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars

–3 cups grated zucchini (about 1.5-2 zucchinis)

–1 1/2 cups brown sugar

–1/2 cup melted butter

–1/4 cup milk

–3 eggs

–2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

–2 tsp baking powder

–1 tsp salt

–1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

–1/2 tsp nutmeg

–1 1/4 cup chocolate chips, mini & regular, divided

–1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Do you have to peel zucchini to make zucchini bars?

No you do not have to peel zucchini before making zucchini bars. The peel on the outside of a zucchini is a lovely dark green and very tender. I just wash the zucchini, cut off the ends and then grate the entire vegetable. It’s very simple to do and I love seeing the tiny flecks of green in the bars after they’re baked.

Should I squeeze excess water out of my zucchini before making zucchini bread?

Yes, you can squeeze out excess water from grated zucchini before adding it to your batter. Zucchini naturally has a lot of water in it. that becomes quite clear after grating it, if you simply leave it to rest for 5-10 minutes, the water will begin accumulating in the bowl! I like to squeeze as much out as possible before making it into zucchini bread. Interestingly enough, each zucchini is a bit different when it comes to water content. I find zucchini straight from my garden has quite a bit more water in it than zucchini from the grocery store. I don’t usually try and squeeze out excess water from my grocery store zucchini because there’s not that much.

Can I use frozen grated zucchini to make zucchini bread?

Yes you can use frozen grated zucchini to make zucchini bread. Just defrost it, then squeeze out as much water as you can before mixing it in. Personally, I’m not a fan of how frozen zucchini tastes, so I like to bake zucchini bars, then after cooling completely, I freeze them in a ziplock bag until we’re ready to eat it.

Steps to make Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bars

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 15×10.5″ pan with non-stick spray.
Wash zucchini, cut the ends off and grate. Set aside.
Combine brown sugar, butter, milk and eggs. Stir until smooth.
Add in dry ingredients and stir. Fold in zucchini and 3/4 cups mini chocolate chips.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle 1/2 cup regular chocolate chips on top.
Bake 30 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars made with ripe zucchini and has all the zucchini bread flavors! One of my favorite easy zucchini recipes; these bars are a real crowd pleaser!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Cake, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate chip zucchini bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 24

Calories: 209kcal

Ingredients

3 cups grated zucchini about 1.5-2 zucchinis
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup milk
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup regular chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 15×10.5″ pan with non-stick spray.
Wash zucchini, cut the ends off and grate. Set aside.
Combine brown sugar, butter, milk and eggs. Stir until smooth.
Add in dry ingredients and stir. Fold in zucchini and 3/4 cups mini chocolate chips.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle 1/2 cup regular chocolate chips on top.
Bake 30 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Notes

Yields 24 bars. I like to make a batch, then cool, cut and freeze in individual baggies. Since they’re filling, they make a wonderful snack, breakfast or school lunch addition.

Nutrition

How many zucchini is in a cup?

I plan on 1 zucchini for each cup of grated zucchini needed in a recipe. Of course, this varies being as zucchini come in all sizes. Zucchini in the grocery store range from small to medium sized. When you grow your own zucchini it’s easy to grow them larger than normal! I once harvested a zucchini that yielded 10 cups of grated zucchini- and that was after I cut out the soft middle part with the seeds!

Can you freeze Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bars?

Yes! I freeze these zucchini bars often! My favorite way to freeze them is to cut them into 2″-3″ squares and place in a small baggie. Place all of the individual baggies in a larger ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Then you have individual servings of chocolate chip zucchini bars that are perfect for an on-the-go snack or school lunch! You can also freeze a half pan of these zucchini bars. Instead of baking in a 10×15 pan, bake them in 2 quarter bakers sheets or 9×13 pans. Simply cool fully, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Are zucchini bars gluten free?

My traditional recipe for chocolate chip zucchini bars does contain gluten, however you can substitute a gluten-free flour blend or use almond flour instead. If you swap out regular flour with almond flour, just add rounded teaspoons of baking powder instead.

CHOCOLATE PROTEIN PANCAKES – Butter with a Side of Bread by Gordon Ramsay

Chocolate Protein Pancakes are sweet protein pancake recipe made with chocolate chips & topped with fresh berries. Perfect for a satisfying breakfast, brunch or dinner!

Protein-packed Chocolate Chip Pancakes for breakfast? Count me in! These delicious pancakes help you have the perfect start to your day. At 20 grams of protein per serving, you’ll be full and content until lunch!

I whipped up these Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes for dinner one night and everyone loved them! I made them using a Krusteaz pancake mix and not only do they taste good, but they pack a punch with 20 grams of protein per serving! This recipe is sponsored by Krusteaz. All opinions are 100% my own.

What are protein pancakes?

Protein pancakes are pancakes that have been made with protein powder. I use a Krusteaz protein pancake mix, because I love the way they taste and they’re easy to make. This protein pancake recipe has 20 grams of protein per serving.

How to make the best protein pancakes

Pancakes are pretty easy to make, but there are a couple things you can do to make them even better. First, do not over mix! Pancake batter should be whisked just to combine the ingredients. There’s no need to use an electric mixer of any sort, you can mix pancakes just fine by hand.

Second, after your pancake batter is mixed, let it sit for 5-10 minutes. This helps activate the leavening ingredients and helps yield fluffy pancakes!

How to make Chocolate Chip Pancakes

These Chocolate Protein Pancakes have a double dose of chocolate in the form of cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips. They have a perfectly sweet taste with just enough chocolate flavor to make you feel indulgent at breakfast time.

Best Way to Cook Pancakes

I love cooking pancakes on an electric skillet. They heat up fast, cook pancakes evenly and are easy to clean.

Best type of cocoa powder for pancakes

When making chocolate pancakes, you’ll want to use natural coca powder and NOT dutch processed cocoa powder. Dutch process cocoa powder will be clearly stated on the label, so you can’t confuse the two. Your pancakes will be lighter and fluffier using natural cocoa powder.

Chocolate Protein Pancake Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make our protein pancakes:

–2 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Protein Pancake Mix

–1 1/2 cups milk

–2 eggs

–1/4 cup cocoa powder

–1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

–fresh berries, for topping

–powdered sugar or syrup, if desired

Yields 14-16 pancakes, or 7 servings

Directions for making Protein Chocolate Chip Pancakes with a mix

Heat pancake griddle to 375°F (medium heat). Lightly grease griddle.
In large bowl, whisk together pancake mix, milk, eggs and cocoa powder. Batter will be thick & slightly lumpy. Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto lightly greased griddle.
Cook pancakes 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Flip only once. Note that protein pancakes might not bubble when cooking as much as traditional pancakes.
Serve topped with berries and powdered sugar or syrup.

Can you freeze chocolate pancakes?

Yes, you can freeze pancakes by first cooking them, cooling them and storing them in an airtight container. Frozen pancakes can last up to 2 months in the freezer. To reheat, you can thaw them using the defrost function on your microwave, then either continue heating in the microwave or toast them.

What to serve with pancakes for breakfast

You can serve fresh fruit and berries alongside your pancakes for breakfast. I also love serving bacon with pancakes for a great salty sweet balance. I usually prefer orange juice with breakfast, but these sweet chocolate pancakes are best with a cold glass of milk.

Are chocolate protein pancakes healthy?

Our chocolate protein pancakes have more sugar than regular pancakes, but I still consider them healthy. They’re packed with protein, so they’re very filling. Their sweet enough with just a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries on top, which allows you to skip the sugar filled syrup.

Chocolate Protein Pancake Recipe

Chocolate Protein Pancakes are sweet protein pancake recipe made with chocolate chips & topped with fresh berries. Perfect for a satisfying breakfast, brunch or dinner!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate pancakes, protein pancakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 7

Calories: 361kcal