Chocolate Zucchini Muffins


Before I had made these muffins, I honestly couldn't remember ever eating zucchini bread or muffins. I'm sure I have since I have such an avid gardening family...maybe when I was a kid my Grandma made them or something. In any case, I could only assume what they would taste like and I was excited. I first made them at the end of summer/beginning of fall when zucchini were in-season and quite inexpensive. Since then, the prices have gone up, but so have my cravings for these chocolately delights, so I just couldn't hold off from buying this little tiny zucchini for $1. It will probably be the last I buy until they come into season again...but it was worth it :)

If summer's bounty has you with a bunch of zucchini these would be a great way to eat them up.

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Makes 12 muffins


1 egg
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup grated zucchini
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup chocolate chips (I like to use the mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your muffin tins.

In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar, applesauce and oil. Add the vanilla, chocolate chips, zucchini and stir well.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sifting gets the lumps out that will inevitably be in the cocoa powder. Mix well and then add to the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is just moist. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Click here for printable version of Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

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THE RESULTS?
I really enjoyed these muffins. I came up with recipe by combining a couple different ones and then tweaking each batch I made. I think I finally got all the measurements and proportions right for these deliciously chocolatey muffins. Vegetables covered in chocolate? YES PLEASE.