Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

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Prep Time10

Cook Time22

Course: Baked Goods/Breads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked Goods, breakfast, Zucchini Muffin

Servings: Muffins

3 over ripe bananas very spotty or completely brown.
¼ cup unsalted butter melted
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup grated zucchini squeezed of as much moisture as possible
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. Regular whole wheat flour or All purpose flour may also be used.
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ cup chocolate chips + ¼ cup for topping. Mini or regular sized will work.

Preheat oven to 425. Line a muffin tin with parchment paper muffin liners* or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
To grate the zucchini, cut off both ends and grate on a box grater. Gather the grated zucchini in a kitchen towel and squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside.
In one bowl, mash the bananas. Add the butter, maple syrup, yogurt, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, mix well. Stir in zucchini and mix until combined.
In another bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until just mixed and a few streaks of flour still remain. Add chocolate chips if adding, and stir a few times to mix them in. DO NOT over mix or your muffins will be tough. A few lumps is fine.
Divide the batter between the 12 prepared muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on the tops of the muffins.
Bake muffins at 425 degrees F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven, reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
Bake at 350 for another 17-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Baking them at the higher temperature at first helps them rise and gives a nice rounded top.
Remove from oven and remove muffins from the muffin tin as soon as possible. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for 1-2 days, or individually wrap and freeze for up to one month

I recommend using parchment paper liners. Regular paper liners may stick. You can also just spray the muffin tin with cooking spray for easy release.