Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 10-12 baking cups (and spray the inside of the cups with cooking spray for good measure). Set aside.
Shred zucchini and place in a colander lined with cheesecloth or paper towels over a bowl to catch the liquid. Gently press the zucchini to squeeze out excess moisture. Don't toss the leftover liquid just yet!
1 cup shredded zucchini
In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, Pinch salt
In a separate large bowl, beat together the sugar, applesauce and oil until completely combined.
1/2 cup coconut sugar, 2 egg, 2 tablespoons coconut oil
Add yogurt, milk, and vanilla and beat until just combined.
1/3 cup plain non-fat yogurt, 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until just combined.
Add shredded zucchini and stir to combine. If you're batter feels too dry, add some of the leftover zucchini liquid (a little at a time) and stir to combine.
Pour batter into prepared cupcake liners until they are about 3/4 full (a little less if you want to stretch the batter to 12 cupcakes).
Place the cupcakes on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for a couple minutes before removing them and cooling completely on a wire rack.
Frosting:
Beat butter and cookie butter on high speed until combined and smooth.
1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup Biscoff Creamy Cookie Butter
Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, and beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
If the frosting is too thick, add milk a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Coconut milk
Frost cupcakes and top with crushed Biscoff cookies. Enjoy!
Crushed Biscoff cookies
Notes
To make this recipe vegan: Easily made vegan by using applesauce in place of eggs and vegan yogurt in the cupcakes. For the frosting, simply substitute butter for Earth Balance!