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Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

If you are a parent trying to sneak in extra veggies into your child’s diet…or just an adult who needs to sneak veggies into your own diet (like me), then this is the recipe for you!

Zucchini is one of those wonderful vegetables that can be a total chameleon. It can replace noodles, added to bread, and accompany some chocolate in these delicious muffins!

For those of you worried about the presence this green-skinned squash in your chocolate zucchini muffins, trust me, these muffins are way more chocolate than zucchini. At least in taste. 

The zucchini actually has no taste or texture, really. It just makes the muffins super moist and extra delicious without a whole lot of extra fat or sugar. Okay, there’s plenty of sugar in here, but not as much as you would expect for a chocolate muffin!

How to Make It

First, break out your grater and grate 1 big zucchini. That should give you more than enough zucchini to add to the batter.

I recommend that you let your zucchini drain on some paper towels while you prepare the rest of the batter so that you don’t add too much extra moisture.

Next, assemble the dry ingredients in one large bowl. Give them a good whisking to break out any lumps and bumps in the flour and cocoa powder. 

In a liquid measuring cup, combine all of the wet ingredients (except the zucchini). Mix the wet ingredients together to break up the egg and emulsify everything into one smooth liquid. 

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until it forms a very thick batter. 

Fold in the shredded zucchini which will immediately loosen up the batter so that it feels more like a regular muffin batter. 

If you want even more chocolaty goodness, toss in some chocolate chips. 

Scoop the batter into prepared muffin tins then pop them in the oven to bake. 

Note: I prefer to use an ice cream scoop for portioning out my muffins because it’s a perfect size! And much easier to use!

Once they come out of the even they will have risen slightly over the edge of the muffin liner and the chocolate chips will be soft and melted. 

Because these muffins are so moist, thanks to that zucchini, you definitely want to let them cool a bit before sinking your teeth into them. Otherwise, they will just fall apart right in your hands. Not that that’s a bad thing. I am just warning you so you can either grab a paper towel beforehand or just eat them over the sink. 

All in all, these chocolate zucchini muffins are not a bad way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies into my diet!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Yields 18
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup zucchini, shredded
  2. 2 cups flour
  3. 1 cup sugar
  4. 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  5. 1 tbsp baking powder
  6. 1/4 tsp salt
  7. 1/2 cup whole milk
  8. 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  9. 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  10. 2 eggs
  11. 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep a muffin tin with muffin tin liners. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly mixed.
  3. In a separate bowl or measure cup, whisk together milk, eggs, yogurt, and butter until smooth.
  4. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until it forms a thick batter. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips (if using).
  5. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, portion the muffin batter into the muffin tins. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
  6. Let cool on the counter for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the baking tin and let cool on a wire rack.
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Zucchini Squash Fritters

What is a girl to do when she buys a Costco sized bag of zucchini and summer squash? I mean, I can only eat zoodles so many meals in a row. Baking zucchini bread seemed to defeat the purpose of buying the zucchini in the first place (not to stuff my face with carbs). So I thought I would try something a little different: zucchini squash fritters!

Not only did I now have a healthy and delicious lunch option that wasn’t a bowl of zoodles, but was finally able to use the one attachment I have never used on my food processor! The grater!

Let me tell you, that was almost more satisfying than actually eating the fritters. 

Start by grating your zucchini (and in my case, also some summer squash) in whatever way you prefer. If you have a food processor, break out that grater attachment and have some fun!

Then dump your grated squash into a colander and set it in the sink or over some paper towels. Sprinkle in some salt to extract the moisture a bit more quickly.

After about 15 minutes, transfer the zucchini to a couple layers of paper towels and then squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Add it to a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients, including two different types of cheese, garlic, turmeric, and black pepper. 

I have been on this kick of adding turmeric to a lot of my food just for all the health benefits. (Don’t believe me? Just Google “turmeric” and you would have to dig pretty deep past all the healthy articles before you got to any recipes.) But it also adds a nice subtle flavor that goes really well with the zucchini. 

Finally, mix the zucchini in with the rest of the ingredients and form into ball. Place the balls into a hot, oiled pan and press them flat into their fritter shape. Once the first side starts to brown, they should be easily lifted off the pan. If you meet any resistance, they may not be fully cooked, or you don’t have enough oil.

I guarantee you will be pleased with these little zucchini squash fritters. They are a little crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Since there is a little cheese hidden in there, every once and a while you will get a little of that melted goodness. 

These made for the perfect light lunch and the second most delicious way to use up some extra zucchini (first if obviously this way). 

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Zucchini Squash Fritters

Ingredients

  • 4 medium zucchini squash, about 1 1/2 lbs, grated
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp Mozzarella
  • 1 tbsp Parmesan
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp oil

Instructions

  1. Dump grated zucchini in a colander placed in the sink or over paper towels. Sprinkle over salt. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to draw out the moisture. Transfer zucchini to 2 layers of paper towels. Wrap towels around the zucchini and press out as much moisture as possible.
  2. Add zucchini, garlic, flour, cheeses, egg, and spices to a large bowl and mix until combined.
  3. Heat a pan over medium high heat. Pour in half of the oil. Form zucchini mixture into golf ball sized balls or spoon directly into the pan. Press flat with the back of a spatula.
  4. Cook for about 2 minutes, until browned and then flip to the other side. Cook for another 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.
  5. Transfer to a place lined with a paper towel. Keep warm in a warm oven (less than 200 degrees), until ready to serve.
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Quinoa and Brussels Sprout Stuffed Acorn Squash

Quinoa and Brussels Sprout Stuffed Acorn Squash

Of all the squashes in the grocery store this time of year, acorn squash probably gets the least amount of love. Everyone is going straight for the butternut, pumpkin, or spaghetti squash leaving the acorn squash all by it’s lonesome. 

Well, I would like to change that because acorn squash is delicious and very versatile. My favorite way to eat acorn squash is to stuff it. I stuff it with anything from ground turkey to lentils and vegetables. What ever you would stuff in a bell pepper or pile on top of a spaghetti squash, you can probably stuff in the acorn squash. 

This time around I stuffed my acorn squash with a stuffing made up of chicken sausage, brussels sprouts, and quinoa. I was thinking of doing a classic Thanksgiving stuffing, but then I thought I would do something a bit healthier. I replaced the bread with quinoa and the pork sausage with chicken sausage. 

I started by roasting the acorn squash in the oven, and at the same time preparing the stuffing. I first made the quinoa and sauteed the sprouts, onions, sausage, and spices. Once the quinoa was ready, I added it to the sprouts and mixed everything together. The timing worked out perfectly, so that the stuffing was ready once the squash was nice and tender. From there, I just packed the stuffing into the squash and baked it together for a just a few minutes. 

Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

I love meals like this – stuffed squash, stuffed peppers – because they are pretty easy to throw together, there are easily adaptable, and generally pretty healthy. So even though 1 serving (1/2 squash, stuffed) is pretty big, its pretty healthy. There is the healthy carbohydrates from quinoa, vitamins K and C from the brussels sprouts, protein from the sausage, and vitamin A and potassium from the squash. That’s a pretty well rounded meal!

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Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Stuffed Acorn Squash

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Quinoa and Brussels Sprout Stuffed Acorn Squash

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1/2 acorn squash

Ingredients

  • 2 acorn squash, halved
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 cups, brussels sprouts, quartered
  • 4 links (approx 8 oz) chicken sausage, sliced
  • 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds from the center of the squash. Drizzle with olive oil and place face down on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tender.
  2. Meanwhile, place quinoa water in a small sauce pan over medium high heat and cook according to package directions.
  3. In an saute pan over medium high heat, saute onion, shallot, and garlic in 1 tbsp of olive oil until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add brussels sprouts and stir to coat. Add sausage and cook until completely cooked through and sprouts are tender.
  4. Once quinoa is cooked through, add to saute pan with sprouts. Stir in sage, thyme, and salt and pepper.
  5. Spoon stuffing into the center of the acorn squash and pack down. Stuffing should overflow out of the center. Bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

pumpkin-soup-4

I will admit that I am relatively inexperienced when it comes to cooking with pumpkin. Sure, I can bake with pumpkin that comes out of a can, but something about that chubby little gourd intimidates me a bit. Maybe because I think of it more as a decoration than a vegetable. 

But really, it’s not any different than some of my other favorite Fall vegetables, like butternut, spaghetti, and acorn squash. Which is why I decided to stretch myself a bit and try making some savory pumpkin foods instead of staying in my comfort zone of sweet pumpkin foods. 

The first recipe I decided to tackle is a pumpkin soup. I figured I could adapt my favorite butternut squash soup recipe pretty easily to work with pumpkin. (I’m really breaking outside that comfort zone, guys. Watch out!)

I started by peeling and chopping up 1 medium sized pie pumpkin. Then I roasted the pumpkin in the oven for about 20 minutes until it was tender. 

And just a quick reminder, you don’t want to use a pumpkin that you find outside the super market waiting to be carved. You want to use a pie pumpkin, which is much smaller and can be found with your other Fall squash in the produce section. 

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Once the pumpkin is nice and roasted, I add it to a pot with sauteed onions, garlic, shallot, stock, milk, and spices. Once all the flavors are all melded together, I transferred the soup to a blender to blend until smooth. You could also use an immersion blender for this task, but if you do use a blender or food processor, make sure to it doesn’t splatter all over the place. 

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

I like to serve this with a few pepitas on top and a dash of cinnamon. I didn’t want this soup to taste like pumpkin pie, but cinnamon and pumpkin just go so well together! You could also drizzle in some truffle oil (truffles are good on everything) or spoon in some sour cream to make this extra creamy. But this soup is great on it’s own and the perfect lunch or dinner for a crisp Fall day. 

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Creamy Pumpkin Soup

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Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sized pie pumpkin
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil.
  2. Using a paring knife, peel the skin off the pumpkin then cut in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Chop pumpkin into large chunks. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer the pumpkin on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until pumpkin is soft and slightly caramelized.
  3. Place a stock pot over medium high heat. Drizzle in 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute onion, scallion, and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add pumpkin, stock, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper then bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Remove soup from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour into a blender and blend until smooth.
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Lemon Squash Muffins

 

These muffins were inspired by a recipe I saw in a recent Women’s Health magazine for lemon zucchini bars. I had obviously heard of zucchini used in baked goods before – in breads, muffins, even brownies. But it was always green zucchini, and it was always paired with chocolate.

A light bulb went off in my head and I immediately felt the need to translate the lemon bar recipe into a muffin recipe.

The grated squash not only replaces the need for some of the flour and sugar, but it keeps the muffins very moist. It does not add much flavor or texture, which is great if you are weirded out by having a vegetable in your muffin.

Other than the squash, the recipe I used was fairly close to my standard muffin recipe. I used egg whites instead of a whole egg to cut down on the fat. Because of the added moisture from the squash, the extra fat isn’t needed. I also cut back on some of the sugar even though I was using a pretty tart fruit like lemon. If you prefer your lemon baked goods on the tarter or sweeter side, you can adjust your recipe accordingly.

As usual, feel free to use whole wheat flour, almond milk, or sugar substitute in your recipe. Just bare in mind, it may change the flavor or consistency of your muffins slightly.

What other ways would you use a vegetable in a baked good?

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