Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Banana Muffins

Without a doubt these are the best muffins I've ever made. I took some advice from an old neighbour in Nova Scotia, and used the skeleton of her recipe for banana nut muffins to make this one. Unlike a few recipes I've tried in the past, these were perfectly moist - at least for the 3 days they lasted in my kitchen. I think the addition of apple sauce, presence of zucchini and elimination of vegan milk helped immensely here. 

One thing I did notice was that this recipe has a fairly small yield- I ended up with 7 small-medium sized muffins. I would recommend doubling it, especially if you prefer larger ones or are baking for more than one or two people. 

Gluten-free Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Banana Muffins  

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups GF flour (I used all-purpose here)
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp unsweetened cocao powder
1/4 tsp coarse ground sea salt
2 flax "eggs" (2 tbsp ground flax, 6 tbsp warm water, stirred well) 
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 zucchini, grated
1/4 cup chopped dark vegan chocolate
1/4 cup chopped dates
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey (if you're a strict vegan, substitute agave nectar or maple syrup)
3 tbsp apple sauce (mine was bought from the convenience store across the street mid-baking, and sweetened by default- if you use unsweetened, you may wish to add an extra tbsp of honey)

Directions  

In a mixing bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. 

Once the flax "eggs' have set, and are a gooey, egg-like texture, mix the wet ingredients well separately. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients, and spoon into well-greased or non-stick muffin tins. Let sit about 20-30 minutes. 

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30 minutes, checking often.