Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

June 25th, 2008

The batter of these muffins is very thick and not too sweet — the real sweetness comes from the chocolate chips. I double-grated the zucchini in my food processor. The second pass turns the strings into almost a mince, which I thought would be less obtrusive for my vegetable-averse kids. It’s not necessary to do that extra prep, though.

G. gobbled them up, actually making little happy noises as he scarfed down a still-warm muffin. He did point to one of the more visible zucchini pieces and ask me to take it out, but I said “It’s just part of the muffin,” and that seemed to satisfy him. A. hasn’t tried them yet, but I will offer them for breakfast tomorrow with some yogurt.

Finally, this was my first time using “nut and party cups” rather than traditional paper cupcake liners. I see a lot of food bloggers using them so I thought I’d give them a try — I found them at A.C. Moore, a crafts store, in the cake decorating aisle. They’re easy to use because they have more structure than a regular liner and can be used without a muffin tin (and you can fit lots on a baking sheet). I think they’re very clean and precise-looking, too. But they’re definitely a bit harder to peel away from the muffin after baking.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from Simply Recipes’ Zucchini Muffins

Makes 14 muffins

3 c. grated zucchini (about 1 large)
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
1½ c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients up to the chocolate chips, and mix thoroughly. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Lightly grease your cupcake liners with non-stick spray and fill to just below the top — you may need to pat the batter down as you fill the liners, as it is very thick.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 30 minutes before removing muffins from their liners.

 Print this post

Entry Filed under: Bread & Muffins, CSA