Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

I love these muffins because they’re like healthy, portable mini cakes. So I guess they’re just healthy cupcakes?

I promise you that they taste just as good as any regular cupcake, especially when packed with loads of chocolate chips. They’re also two times better for you than conventional cakes, so you can eat twice as many! Win, win!

These muffins are a great on-the-go breakfast, sweet snack, or healthy dessert!

The chocolate makes them sweet, while the zucchini adds moistness (sorry) and nutrients. Zucchini is not the only “irregular-to-dessert” ingredient in these muffins- they also contain banana.

Funny story about the banana in these muffins- I brought these muffins into my english class sophomore year for a party and people descended upon them because they were chocolatey (and who doesn’t love chocolate? Seriously?).

One of the girls in my class took a bite and said, “These are sooo good! What’s in them?”

I responded, “Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, zucchini, banana….”

“BANANA!?” She shrieked as she spit out the bite she was chewing (not even kidding- she spit it out into a napkin). “Yuck! These are gross!”

Needless to say, she doesn’t like bananas in ANY way, shape, or form.

It’s funny how people freak out when they know exactly what’s in their food. I think the same thing were to happen if people found out what was in their meat (just saying).

Anyway, everyone in the class besides the banana hater really liked these muffins!

I hope you like them too! Leave me a comment or take a picture and tag me on Instagram (and hashtag #peanutbutterandellie) if you give them a try. I’d love to see your take on them!

Makes 12-14 muffins

adapted from The Happy Herbivore’s Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins

• 1 and ¼ cups flour (preferably whole wheat)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder/ baking cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 banana (the riper the banana, the higher the chance of tasting banana in these muffins. I recommend using a yellow banana with no/ few brown spots on it.)
• 3/4 cup sugar, preferably cane or coconut
• 1 flax “egg” (1 Tbsp + 3 Tbsp water) OR ½ cup applesauce
• ¼ cup nondairy milk (I use almond milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup zucchini, shredded
• ½ cup chocolate chips (I love Ghiradelli semi-sweet)

Instructions:

1. Make a flax “egg” by combining 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp water in a small bowl. Cover it and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Peel the banana, put it in the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix it on medium-high until the banana is a purée. ((If you make this recipe without a stand mixer, mash the banana with a fork and stir everything together with a whisk.))
4. Add in the sugar and flax “egg” to the banana purée and mix on medium until combined.
5. Add the nondairy milk and vanilla to the batter. Mix on medium until combined.
6. Add in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (a.k.a. the dry ingredients). Mix on low until a thickish batter forms.
7. Wash a zucchini, cut the ends off, and grate it. You’ll grate about three-fourths of a regular-sized zucchini to get a cup of zucchini shreds.
8. Add in the zucchini shreds and mix on low-medium until combined.
9. Fold in chocolate chips. Your batter is complete and ready to be spooned into muffin tins!
10. Fill a muffin pan with muffin tins. Fill said muffin tins two-thirds of the way full with batter (I used a spoon to do this).
11. Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes cleanly out of them.
12. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then stuff your face with these marvelous muffins! 

Happy hump day, and happy almost spring!

xx Ellie