Make good use of the giant zucchini your neighbor gave you, and send the kids out the door with a wholesome treat!
~ Find my new cookbook, Living Legacy: Stories of a Restaurant Family, at Wit & Thyme ~
This recipe was inspired by the four-pound zucchini my daughter brought home from her babysitting job. It only used one-quarter of the enormous summer squash. Another quarter was turned into plain zucchini bread (I’m still tweaking that recipe; it’s not ready for the blog). I’ll probably throw the rest into some Italian Vegetable Soup or Gazpacho.
The zucchini and oats add a nutritious boost to the deep chocolate flavor of these muffins, making them a treat you can feel good about indulging in with your morning coffee and packing in your kid’s lunch.
Chocolate Zucchini Oat Muffins
(12 – 14 muffins)
2 cups grated zucchini
* 1 – 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar or white sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder + 1 teaspoon hot water or 1 teaspoon coffee extract (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup old-fashioned oats
Preheat oven to 350º F.
* The amount of sugar depends on what you have on hand and how sweet you want the muffins. I used 1 1/4 cups of coconut sugar; the muffins were not super sweet but perfect for me, and the coconut sugar has more depth of flavor. Using the same amount of white sugar will produce a sweeter muffin. Taste the batter and adjust as needed, but keep it in the 1 – 1 1/2 cup range.
Rinse and grate the zucchini to yield 2 cups; I leave the skin on – you can peel it first if you want.
Mix the sugar and eggs in a stand mixer or with electric beaters. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract.
This step is totally optional, but a little coffee will deepen the chocolate flavor. I like to keep these little instant coffee packets on hand, mainly for traveling (they can significantly improve hotel room coffee), but mixed with a bit of hot water, they also make a great substitute for coffee extract.
Sift to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir it into the sugar, oil, and egg mixture.
Stir in the grated zucchini, chocolate chips, and oats.
Coat a muffin tin (you may need an additional tin for extra batter) with non-stick cooking spray. A standard ice cream scoop fills each slot 3/4 full of batter.
Bake muffins in preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes. The tops should spring back slightly when they are fully baked. Allow them to cool and store in an airtight container.
You can also wrap and freeze them individually to pop in the microwave for a convenient warm, melted chocolate treat.
My girls begin their junior year of high school today, and I continue to forge ahead with my business ideas and plans. Roadblocks like anxiety, unworthiness, and self-doubt will get in the way for all three of us. I pray that we all find the power within us to be fearless and tireless in our pursuits. People like us (and like you!) need to disturb the universe. I believe lightness, humor, and gratitude are vital components to impactful success, as much as intellect and hard work. Here we go… wish us luck and grace, and I’ll wish the same for you 🙂
Only when we take ourselves lightly
can we take ourselves seriously,so that we are given the courage to say,
‘YES! I DARE DISTURB THE UNIVERSE’.
MADELEINE L’ENGLE
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