Chocolate Spread with Zucchini
Chocolate spread is at the very top of many people’s (especially children’s) list of favorite foods. Dishes with vegetables often take a back seat. How cool would it be if you could incorporate those vegetables into recipes that have already won everyone over? That’s exactly what we’re going to do today. I can promise you one thing: you won’t taste the zucchini in the chocolate spread.
The idea came to me while I was out running in the park. Usually, when I’m running, I’m philosophizing about life or daydreaming about things I still want to do. Sometimes, though, not a single thought crosses my mind. Recently, an interesting question popped into my head that remained unanswered even after a few kilometers: “Could you make chocolate spread with zucchini in it?”
After an unsuccessful search online, I started to have some doubts about whether the chocolate spread I’d imagined even existed. So, a recipe didn’t exist yet. But I thought it was definitely possible. After all, zucchini can be eaten raw and has a fairly neutral flavor, so I could already picture it all in my mind. That’s why I decided to get to work in my kitchen after all, drawn by the allure of my unanswered question.
In reality, it turned out to be not so bad after all; you couldn’t taste the zucchini at all, and it’s one more vegetable to add to your diet. And the more vegetables you can include in your diet, the better. Go ahead and update that list of your favorite dishes, because this recipe might just become the star of your breakfast table.
Zucchini contains vitamin C, among other things. It's good for your immune system and also helps form new connective tissue. Zucchini is a vegetable with a high water content, which gives the chocolate spread an extra creamy texture.
The dates give the chocolate spread its delicious sweetness. They are sold both pitted and with the pits intact. The version with the pits still in is usually slightly softer in texture and therefore blends a little more easily. Dates contain, among other things, potassium, a mineral that, together with chloride and sodium, helps regulate the fluid balance in our bodies. Potassium also helps maintain normal blood pressure. The mineral magnesium is also found in dates. Among other things, it plays a role in the formation of new bones and muscles. In addition, it aids in the transmission of nerve impulses in our nerve and muscle cells and is necessary for energy production in our bodies.
The Recipe
Ingredients: (one large jar)
- 1 zucchini
- 2 tbsp hazelnut butter
- 5 tbsp cocoa powder
- 20 dates
- Lukewarm water
Supplies:
- Powerful blender
Preparation: (15 minutes)
- Let the dates soak for a few minutes in a small bowl of lukewarm water. This will make them easier to blend later.
- Peel the zucchini.
- Cut the zucchini into small cubes.
- Put the diced zucchini, hazelnut butter, and cocoa powder in the blender.
- Remove the dates from the water and take out the pits (if you're using pitted dates, you don't need to do this 😉
- Cut the dates in half and add them to the blender.
- Add 4 tablespoons of the water from the dates.
- Blend.
- If necessary, you can add extra water to make the chocolate spread smoother.
Enjoy your meal!
Zoë, what can I do with the leftover ingredients?
- Zucchini
If there are several zucchini in the package, you can use the others for this super-delicious wrap with bell peppers, zucchini, and cream cheese spread.
- Hazelnut Butter
You can use them in these banana muffins or this chocolate cake (with cauliflower hidden in the crust).
- Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder can add a subtle chocolate flavor to any dish. That's the case, for example, with these chocolate & vanilla muffins. This chocolate acai smoothie , on the other hand, is a super delicious and quick breakfast where cocoa powder will definitely come in handy.
- Dates
Use the leftover dates in the filling for a tart, such as here , for example. In these homemade vanilla-flavored pralines, there are dates. You can also use them to make can also be made with them.
Recipe Video
Join me in the kitchen as I walk you through the recipe step by step. Along the way, I’ll share lots of fun facts about the ingredients, and my dogs, Vico and Zara, were there too 😉
Love this recipe? Then share it with everyone you love. That way, together we can help the world enjoy healthy food!
Sources:
Voedingscentrum. (n.d.-c). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).https://www.voedingscentrum.nl/encyclopedie/vitamine-c.aspx
Nutritional value of zucchini, fresh. (n.d.). Nutritional value table. https://www.voedingswaardetabel.nl/voedingswaarde/voedingsmiddel/?id=982
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