Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins — When the Garden Gives You More Than You Asked For

The ISFA work continues — another kitchen table this week, another young family with numbers that might work. I sat across from a couple in Poweshiek County and laid out the grants and watched their faces change from fear to possibility, and the change is the thing I live for now.

I made caprese salad this week — the summer version, the one that fills the kitchen with the smell that means this time of year, this stage of life, this specific Tuesday when the stove is warm and the family is fed and the feeding is the point. Kevin ate seconds. The man always eats seconds. The eating is the approval and the approval is the marriage.

The garden at peak production — tomatoes by the bushel, corn taller than Jack (which is saying something now, the boy is tall), peppers in every color, the zucchini in its annual attempt to conquer the neighborhood. I've left three on the neighbors' porch. They know. Everyone knows. The zucchini phase is endured, not discussed.

The zucchini wasn’t going to leave quietly, and the neighbors had stopped being surprised — so I did what any sensible Midwestern woman does when the garden turns aggressive: I made it into chocolate. Triple chocolate, specifically, because if you’re going to convince your family to eat their vegetables, you go all the way. Kevin ate three. The man always eats seconds, but he ate three, and that felt like a garden well worth planting.

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 22 minutes | Total Time: 37 minutes | Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 medium), moisture squeezed out
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (for topping)

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well with cooking spray.
2. Prep the zucchini. Shred the zucchini using the large holes of a box grater. Place it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much moisture as possible. Set aside.
3. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined.
4. Mix wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
5. Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined — do not overmix. Fold in the squeezed zucchini, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chips.
6. Fill and top. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top of each muffin.
7. Bake. Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Do not overbake — these muffins should stay fudgy.
8. Cool. Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They are best enjoyed slightly warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 242 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 195mg