Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Zucchini and chocolate might seem like an odd combination, but trust me — I was a skeptic myself once upon a time, until my mom served chocolate-zucchini cake to me as a child. I was alarmed by how good it was, and you will be too!
If you bake from time to time, then you may have most of the ingredients in this recipe in your cupboard, and you’ll just need to get the fresh ingredients.
I recommend using the bigger, woodier zucchini in this recipe, since they will be shredded and baked here. Save the smaller and more flavorful zucchini for the fettuccine and the quiche.
→ Meal Cost: $4.80 for 24 small muffins, or $0.20 each
→ Check out more great recipes in this meal plan!
Tester’s Notes
Muffins are a great way to use up a bumper crop of zucchini, especially when there’s chocolate involved. I liked the additions of cinnamon and chocolate chips, and highly recommend them. The only fat in these muffins are from yogurt and eggs, so enjoy with abandon for breakfast or a snack!
– Christine, August 2015
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Makes 24 small muffins
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
Butter or vegetable oil, for the muffin tin
- 1 or 2
small zucchini (2 cups shredded)
- 1 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups
rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups
sugar
- 1/2 cup
cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons
baking soda
- 1 teaspoon
salt
- 4
large eggs
- 1 cup
plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon
ground cinnamon, optional
- 1/2 cup
dark chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 24 muffin cups with butter, or, if you have paper liners on hand, line the muffin cups.
Cut off the round end of the zucchini (which is a little tough), keeping the stem to use as a handhold. Shred the zucchini with a box grater into a large bowl, stopping before you get to the stem. Measure out 2 cups of shredded zucchini, saving any leftover for another use.
Dump the flour, oats, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and, if using, cinnamon and chocolate chips into a medium bowl. Mix the eggs, yogurt and grated zucchini in a separate large bowl. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
With a spoon, dollop the batter into the muffin tins until each cup is about three-quarters full. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Pull the muffins out and poke them in the middle with a toothpick or knife. If it comes out wet, bake the muffins for 5 more minutes. If it comes out clean, they’re done.
Let the muffins cool in their tins for 20 to 30 minutes, then eat warm!
Recipe Notes
Reprinted with permission from Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day by Leanne Brown, copyright (c) 2015. Published by Workman Publishing Company.
