chocolate zucchini muffins

Banana Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate zucchini muffins are a delicious way to add extra veggies into a sweet snack or breakfast without sacrificing flavor. Zucchini adds moisture and tenderness to muffins while remaining virtually undetectable in taste. Chopped chocolate is the perfect topping for these muffins.

Ingredients

2 large eggs
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup light brown sugar
⅓ cup whole-milk plain strained (greek-style) yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon espresso powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 small zucchini, shredded (about 2 loosely packed cups)
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped (about ½ cup), divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners; coat with cooking spray.
Whisk 2 eggs, ½ cup oil, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup yogurt and 1 tablespoon vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour, ⅓ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon baking powder together until combined. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture; gently stir until just a few dry streaks remain. Fold in shredded zucchini and ¼ cup chopped chocolate until just combined. Evenly spoon the batter (or use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop) into the prepared muffin cups; top with the remaining ¼ cup chopped chocolate.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool slightly on the rack before serving warm or at room temperature.