Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins for Summer Mornings (and Road Trips South)

When I was a kid, few things were more exciting than when my mom made chocolate zucchini cake. We’d hover around, hoping to grab the slice with the most chocolate chips scattered on top. The real magic, though? We were allowed to eat it for breakfast! Total thrill.

Fast forward to today, now it’s my own garden producing a surplus of zucchini, and I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen as much as possible. I’ve grated it into chicken burgers, baked it into my savoury tart, folded it into cake… but this week, I wandered into muffin territory.

Until now, I’d never made chocolate muffins. But there’s something about a small cake that feels extra special, especially with a domed top and a few sprinkles snuck from the baking cupboard. The kids were instantly sold. And, so was I.

In an effort to use up our zucchini stash, I scribbled a rough recipe together and to my surprise, it was a winner on the very first try. Moist, rich, not too sweet. A perfect summer bake.

These also turned out to be the ideal snack for our road trip to the French Riviera last week. We left early (4:30am!), hoping to beat the infamous Saturday traffic that clogs every route heading south. With most holiday rentals flipping on Saturdays, the roads (and every rest stop) are packed. So now I plan ahead, tucking sandwiches and homemade treats into our cooler so we can stop wherever we like… or not at all.

And let me tell you, biting into one of these muffins somewhere between Burgundy and the sea felt like such a luxury. Chocolate flavour, using produce we grew summer, and the satisfaction of knowing we were well on our way towards sun and sand.

A muffin worthy of making twice

They were such a hit, I baked another batch as soon as we got home.

So here it is, an instant staple recipe, made for summer mornings, garden gluts, and long road trips. If you try them, I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram @vineandtheolive, or leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12 muffins

Course: Snack

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/3 cup Cocoa powder sifted
• 1 tsp Baking powder (if you're in France use 1 1/2 tsp of levure chimique in place of baking powder and soda)
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp Plain yogurt
• 1 3/4 cup Zucchini shredded
• 1/2 cup Chocolate chips

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 220C / 425F
2. Prepare you muffin pan with 12 parchment muffin liners
3. In a large bowl mix together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder & soda (or levure chimique in France,) salt and cinnamon until it is homogenous.
4. In another bowl blend together oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, yogurt and zucchini.
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Don't overdo it, but make sure there are no dry bits left.
6. Fill the muffin liners to the top and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
7. Place in the oven for 5 minutes at 220/425 and after without opening the oven door reduce the heat to 175C/350F for 15 more minutes until a toothpick comes out clean