Zuchini chocolate muffins

I'm always looking for ways to make things a little healthier for the young adults, like adding cauliflower to white rice. This "healthier" muffin recipe is similar to one I used to make when my kids were young. Back then, we had a garden, and we were always trying to use up the extra zucchini. It also helps with portion control to make it in cupcake form instead of a loaf pan, so we can count exactly how many we need.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/wprm_print/chocolate-zucchini-bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa or unsweetened cocoa

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled

• 1/4 cup canola, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil

• 3/4 cup  packed light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups packed shredded zucchini

• 1 cup  semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, add the eggs, melted butter, oil, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Stir until smooth. You might have a few small brown sugar clumps and that is fine.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, don’t overmix. Stir in the shredded zucchini until just combined. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean, you might have some melted chocolate chips on the toothpick and that is fine. You just don’t want a lot of gooey batter.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove from the pan. Let the bread cool on the wire cooling rack until slightly warm. Cut into slices and serve.

7. Note-if you use coconut oil, make sure it is melted and slightly cooled. The bread will keep on the counter, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days. This bread also freezes well. To freeze, cool the bread completely and wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost before slicing.