I love zucchini.
I’m just gonna put that out there and recommend that if you do NOT love zucchini, you not read the rest of this post, as I know some people have it in for harmless, delicious, not-that-nutritious zucchini, and I won’t have any of that attitude here.
I kind of grew up on zucchini, as it was one vegetable that always proliferated wildly in our family garden. While I have many memories of (unsuccessfully) digging in my heels in protest of picking beans or hoeing potatoes, I did love the fruits (and vegetables) of the forced labour, and now look forward to one day having space of my own to have a garden.
We always had so much zucchini that mom would go on a blitz, making zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini cake, zucchini muffins, chocolate zucchini muffins, minestrone soup and chili full of zucchini, bags of zucchini in the freezer for future baking…and she would STILL have boatloads of zucchinis-as-big-as-your-leg to give away. She told me once, “You know you don’t have any friends when you have to buy zucchini”, since everyone who grew zucchini had so much they would give it anyway to anyone they could catch.
Mom, I do so have friends. Just not the right kind apparently. But I always feel a little lonely when I buy zucchini thanks to that. So I strap my zucchini into the passenger seat for company. Such a good listener.
Anyways, thanks to this deliciously zucchini-filled upbringing, I have a soft spot for mass baking zucchini goods. A single batch of zucchini muffins was never to be found at our home, so last week I made 2 batches of zucchini muffins and 2 loaves of zucchini bread and realized my freezer was eensy and put the rest of my zucchini in spaghetti, teriyaki noodles, and omelettes. My family asked me to take a breather :)
As part of the fun, I made these muffins. I have my mom’s plain zucchini muffin recipe which I like with a thick slab of cheddar cheese, but my new version stays moist for much longer, and the chocolate chips make them feel like a real treat. These are, in my opinion, and being well-versed in zucchini goods it is a pretty well-formed opinion, are the best zucchini muffins around.
My family loves them too, and even the green bits can’t throw them off. I always double the recipe since it only makes 10 muffins and that just isn’t enough since I like to stock the freezer at the same time, but it is the perfect sized batch to enjoy fresh. I often make a dozen regular ones and 18-20 mini muffins, perfect evening snacks and before-bed filler for Gemma, and a fun answer when someone says “Did you have breakfast?” to say, “Yes, I grabbed a handful of muffins.”
Enjoy!
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, unpeeled
- ½ cup chocolate chips, ideally miniature ones
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 10 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In small bowl, whisk egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened, then fold in zucchini and chocolate chips. Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full and fill 2 empty spots ⅔ full with water to ensure even baking. Bake 19-22 minutes or until tops are browned and firm to the touch.
Muffins adapted from allrecipes.com
I always have to buy zucchini since I don’t have any friends that grow any. We did a couple of years ago but our yard is too small and not enough sunshine and we got 8 of them. My mom used to cut slices of zucchini and put cream cheese on them. I love zucchini! It goes in my spaghetti, on pizza, chili, etc…and of course in baking! I just love making my double-chocolate zucchini loaf. Gonna have to try this one too!
That’s it. I’m growing zucchini!
Please do :)
We used to get lots of zucchini from our old neighbours and I made lots of zuchinni bread which we all loved. Always had some in the freezer as well so I could make loaves all year, yum. Haven’t seen one in years now :o(
I’m happy to have instilled a love of zucchini in you, as well as a desire to have a garden (also thanks, of course, to Dad for that since he was the chief weeder :) Love the picture :):)
Mmm, thanks! I forgot about the zucchini i’ve got in the freezer! :) I have a faaaaabulous chocolate zucchini bread recipe. Yum. Looking forward to trying these too!
ahahahaha i think that is my favourite picture of a zucchini ever :)