Double chocolate zucchini muffins

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

After visiting my sister last week, she handed each of my kids one of these chocolate muffins as we headed out the door. Walking down the sidewalk, with two silent, chocolate-faced kids, I was waiting to hear their opinion. When we got to the car and the last crumbs disappeared, my son shouted at the top of his lungs, “Deee-licious cupcakes!” And the six-going-on-sixteen-year-old voice said, “Mom, these are the best ever.” 

The zucchini continue to stack up around our house so I didn’t waste any time whipping up a batch of these Double Chocolate Muffins, using the same recipe from King Arthur flour. The mini food critics were right. These are quite possibly the best disguised zucchini you will ever find.

Thanks to the cocoa and espresso powder, these muffins have a rich, dark chocolate flavor. The zucchini keeps them moist, even with a smaller amount of oil than most quick breads. And by using honey as a sweetener, it cuts the sugar to just 1/4-1/2 cup (depending on how sweet you like them). I suppose technically they are cupcakes, but you can call them muffins because they have grated zucchini in them. Practically health food.

Just like the Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread, these muffins come together in one bowl. By using a food processor, you can shred a large amount of zucchini in a short amount of time. Both are great time savers.

Oh, these last days of summer, where the house cools off enough to turn on the oven and the garden is still cranking out good things to eat. And zucchini. Enjoy these muffins with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. Or both. (I did.)

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Adapted from a King Arthur flour recipe
Yield: 14 muffins (or 1  loaf)

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/3 c. honey (raw honey is AMAZING)
1/2 c. vegetable or coconut oil
1/2 c. brown sugar or coconut sugar (I used 1/4 cup)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. espresso powder, optional
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 2/3 c. unbleached flour
2 c. shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/2 c. chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is a great, allergy-friendly brand)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°; lightly grease or line a muffin tin with paper liners (or lightly grease an 8″ x 5″ loaf pan).
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder, cocoa, and flour to the wet ingredients, mixing until well combined.
4. Gently stir in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.
5. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin or loaf pan.
6. Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes, the loaf for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Remove the muffins/bread from the oven, and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning it onto a cooling rack.
8. Cool completely before slicing; store at room temperature or in the refrigerator or freezer.

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I am in the market for a second muffin pan, so I was checking out the options on Amazon. I got totally distracted by the silicone muffin pans, especially this 24-pack of Silicone Baking Cups/Cupcake Liners (Amazon). I love the idea of ditching the paper cups, in favor of these reusable ones. I have never baked with silicone before, but the reviews are great. This product alone has over 1,900 reviews, with a 4.5/5 star rating!

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