Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars — Something Sweet to Bake While the Roast Is in the Oven

End of July. Brenda turns 48 in two weeks.

Drove Tuesday-Wednesday. Detoured again — a closed Denny's outside of Grand Island. Too corporate looking, too big. Not right.

Gayle's 82nd birthday in November. I am planning a quiet party.

Sunday: pot roast.

While the pot roast settled into the oven that Sunday, I had zucchini on the counter — the last of what’s coming out of the garden — and I started thinking about Gayle’s party in November, about Brenda’s birthday in two weeks, about how the small things you bake are often the ones that say the most. These bars came together quietly, the way a good Sunday should.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 medium), excess moisture squeezed out
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract until combined.
5. Fold in zucchini. Stir the shredded, squeezed zucchini into the butter mixture until evenly incorporated.
6. Combine wet and dry. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined — do not overmix.
7. Add chocolate chips. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a small handful to scatter over the top if desired.
8. Bake. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 28–32 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are lightly golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs.
9. Cool and cut. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into 16 squares.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 215 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 145mg