Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins!

These are favorites among favorites! I made them about a year ago, and upon remembering their warm, rich flavor, had to do it again this past weekend…rainy days make for excellent bake-athons.

To me, the chocolate/zucchini combination is the chocoholics answer to carrot cake.  Like shredded carrots, zucchini keeps the crumb phenomenally moist, and seems to just disappear into the chocolate oblivion that is this muffin.  Last time I’d topped them with a goat cheese/cream cheese frosting…which was surprisingly delicious and gave them a nice zippy tang, but this time around I left them plain.  Though they are really not “plain” at all–quite rich actually–and a marvelous excuse to have chocolate for breakfast.

Chocolate-Zucchini Muffins

Adapted from http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000281.html

Yields about 2 dozen standard sized muffins

– Ingredients –

1 1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c butter, melted

3/4 c vegetable oil (or coconut oil, as recommended by the original site. I tried it this time around, and had delicious results!)

3 eggs

1 t vanilla

1/2 c buttermilk

2 c grated zucchini

1 c chocolate chips

2 c flour

1 c cocoa powder

1/2 t salt

2 t baking soda

1 t allspice

1 1/2 t cinnamon

– Directions –

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a muffin pan or line with paper cups.

2) In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, butter and oil.  Beat in eggs, one at a time until well Incorporated.  Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini and chocolate chips.

3) In a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon batter into large muffin pans. Bake in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes.

They’ll also make your house smell incredible… I’m such a sucker for the chocolate + spice combination!