Description
Veggie-Loaded Chocolate Muffins are moist, rich, and deeply chocolatey muffins made with hidden vegetables like zucchini and carrots. They taste just like dessert while offering extra nourishment, making them perfect for breakfast, snacks, or lunchboxes.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Muffins:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely shredded zucchini, moisture squeezed out
- 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it well to prevent sticking.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil (or melted butter), milk, and vanilla extract until a smooth, homogenous mixture forms.
- Add Vegetables: Stir in the finely shredded zucchini and shredded carrot, ensuring the moisture from the zucchini has been squeezed out to avoid sogginess. Mix until the vegetables are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Combine: Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients just until combined—do not overmix to keep the muffins tender. Then, fold in the chocolate chips evenly.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool: Allow the muffins to cool in the tin briefly, about 5 minutes, before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Squeeze excess moisture from zucchini to prevent soggy muffins.
- Use finely grated vegetables so they blend seamlessly into the batter.
- Do not overmix the batter to maintain a tender texture.
- Muffins freeze well and reheat beautifully, making them perfect for meal prep.
