Let My Garden Grow
The endless surplus of zucchini continues in my garden. If you’ve read Born To Eat, by now you realize I (Wendy Jo) love to garden. And, when you garden you have to get creative in the kitchen in order to use up the bounty, because when things start to bloom it seems everything comes in at once. As your may have read, I’ve posted quite a number of recipes with zucchini lately from zucchini fries to zucchini pancakes to my classic zucchini bread filled with orange marmalade and dried cherries. Today however we were craving muffins…and overly ripe bananas beckon me to use them along with some dark chocolate chips that seemed like the perfect combination. I hope you find it the perfect combination, too!
Zucchini Banana & Dark Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 medium zucchini, grated & squeeze dried
- 2 small ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup canola, coconut, or vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 if using convection). Spray 12 muffin pans with cooking spray.
- Grate zucchini into a tea towel and squeeze dry. (note: if you prefer a less obvious zucchini look use the small grater)
- In a small bowl, mash the bananas, then whisk in oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla and set aside.
- Next, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the center. Stir about 10 times to lightly moisten and then fold in the zucchini and dark chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and set in the center. Let cool for 3-5 minutes & enjoy. Store at room temperature for 3 days or freeze for later.
Baby Bites:
Yes, even beginners can enjoy these muffins! Skip the sugar and the salt if you’d like, but both Leslie and I agree the dark chocolate is a great addition and not to be missed. The bitter chocolate has health benefits, very little sugar, and loaded with fiber; so, we don’t think babies should miss out on the benefits…but that’s your call!
You can serve the muffin in fingers for Beginners & Novice eaters. Pre-advanced & Advanced eaters can enjoy a whole or 1/2 muffin.
Time To Share
What is your favorite zucchini recipe? Have you ever tried putting zucchini into muffins or casseroles? We’d love for you to share a link with your favorite zucchini recipe, too!