Delicious double chocolate zucchini muffins are the perfect breakfast or dessert! Or have it for both!! (My recommendation).
The great question this time of year always seems to be what to do with all that zucchini. I ride a select fine line with the kids on this one. Should they find that there is zucchini in ANYTHING I'm cooking, meal time immediately stops.
If I make zucchini muffins, they like. Zucchini cake? Slice it up. Zucchini and caramel? Amazing combo they say! Zucchini Cookies? Throw them in the lunchbox. Zucchini bread? They want another slice.
And let's just be realistic. With my genes, and all the sugar cravings I had with each of them while pregnant it's not like they weren't doomed to a life of making sure any yucky vegetable I require them to eat is met with an equally sweet dessert for balance.
Remember, it's all about the balance.
But I don't have to feel too guilty about serving them up some of these muffins in the morning before they head out to school. I usually make up a batch and freeze them for ease on busy school mornings. I pull them out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw on the counter hoping with fingers crossed that the dog doesn't have a midnight snack craving for chocolate. (Kidding, they are out of her way but that dog has a sweet tooth that rivals mine).
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups blended or shredded zucchini
- 1 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup milk (can use soy or almond to substitute if desired)
- ½ cup sugar (coconut sugar can be substituted)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar (coconut sugar can be substituted)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
- ½ cup dark mini chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- (if using coconut sugar use 2 tbsp)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- To prepare zucchini: Shred the zucchini with a grater and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease muffin cups.
- Mix together your topping ingredients--the one tablespoon of white and one tablespoon of brown sugar and cinnamon (or your two tablespoons of coconut sugar) and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, place your flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder and whisk until combined. Set mixture aside.
- In a mixing bowl, place your sugar, milk and eggs. Beat for two minutes on medium speed until mixture becomes slightly fluffy.
- Turn mixer to low. Add in the vanilla and greek yogurt and continue to blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Add in the grated or blended zucchini and continue mixing until well blended.
- Slowly add in the flour mixture and continue to mix until incorporated.
- Turn mixer off, fold in chocolate chips.
- Fill muffin cups ⅔ of the way full with batter. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the two loaves.
- Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 18-25 minutes. Muffins will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the muffins crack on top.
- Remove from oven, allow loaves to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from muffin pans. Allow muffins to finish cooling on a wire cooling rack.
Recipe links courtesy of:
Gimme Some Oven, Super Healthy Kids, Barbara Bakes, Chef In Training
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