Alright so from now on, I’m only eating my vegetables if they’re disguised as these Maple Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. Who’s with me?
These muffins are just the thing to make with Mother’s Day right around the corner. Surprise mom (or anyone else really) with a fresh batch of these muffins and they will be super impressed. They’re moist and fluffy with a hint of maple and ginger. Of course, no muffin is complete without a healthy dose of chocolate chips, and these muffins are no different. These muffins are easy to make and the recipe is designed to ensure you have to do as little work as possible to create the fluffiest and most moist muffins. When making these muffins, there are just a couple things to watch out for:
Zucchini - you want to squeeze out as much water from the zucchini as possible to make sure your final loaf does not get soggy and deflate after baking. Zucchini is a watery vegetable, which can be a good thing because it adds moisture to the muffins, however too much moisture is not a great thing. If there is too much liquid in a muffin recipe or really any recipe, it can jeopardize the final outcome. Your final product may deflate after baking because the dry ingredients cannot support all of that moisture which is why you want to ring out as much water from the zucchini as possible by squeezing it with a cheesecloth or pressing it down in a fine mesh sieve.
Mix-ins - chocolate chips are my go-to mix-in for everything, but if you aren’t feeling them try switching them out for some citrus zest, candied ginger, nuts, etc. Go crazy with it and experiment with different flavors.
Baking temperature - this recipe requires you to switch the oven temperature mid-bake. Now I understand this step may seem *a little* fussy, but trust me, there is a reason for it. When making muffins, you are chasing after that beautiful, tall, domed top. The best way to achieve this is by placing your muffins in a hot oven (400° F) for 15 minutes so they can rise to their potential and then lowering the temperature (to 350° F) to make for the remaining time so the insides can solidify. This method creates the tallest and fluffiest muffins.
Measuring flour - the key to any fluffy and tender baked good is accurately measuring your flour. Typically when you just scoop out the flour straight from the container, you end up measuring way too much much flour. This is because when you scoop the flour straight from the container, you are packing it down too much, meaning that your measuring cup is filled with dense flour. Measuring too much flour can ruin almost any baked good, so I recommend using a kitchen food scale when possible since this will provide the most accurate results. However, if you do not have a food scale the most accurate way you can measure your flour is by spooning the flour into your measuring cup until it is full. Then with the flat side of a butter knife, swipe the excess overflowing flour off. This method is called spooning and leveling your flour.
Don’t over mix - you want to mix until the batter is just combined. This means that you mix until there are no flour steaks or clumpy bits. This is because over mixing your batter can lead to a dense and tougher final muffin.
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
SERVINGS: 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour or half whole wheat, half all purpose (210 grams)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
¼ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 large zucchini (about .75 lb)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅓ cup chocolate chips
Pinch of salt
METHOD:
Preheat your oven to 400° F and 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners and/or cooking spray.
Start by finely shredding your zucchini with a box grater or cube it and pulse in a food processor until it forms a rough puree. Using either a cheese cloth or sieve, squeeze out as much water as you can from the zucchini. This step is essential in preventing a soggy loaf.
Set your shredded zucchini to the side. While you prepare all of the dry ingredients.
Measure your flour (by spooning and leveling), baking soda, baking powder, ginger, and cinnamon and salt to the bowl with the sugars and mix until everything is combined.
Mix together until everything is just combined. You do not want to over mix.
Then evenly distribute the batter throughout your muffin tins. You should add about a ¼ cup to each tin.
Bake at 400° F for 15 minutes and then lower your oven heat to 350° F. Then bake for 25-35 minutes more until a toothpick comes out clean. Make sure to let the muffins cool before serving.
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