Zucchini & Olive Oil Chocolate Muffins

These muffins are magical, and let me tell you why. These muffins have saved me multiple times over the past week. Last Thursday night as we were preparing for our road trip to California, my taste-tester fiance came home from work and needed to make sure that they weren't poisonous (you know, just in case), which saved me an extra 30 minutes to get dinner on the table. Then they saved us again on our 5-hour road trip, when I just couldn't fathom stopping for a road side snack (I see you McDonald's french fries). And then again between meals and sipping champagne on the coast (life is rough). And in fact, the recipe that I based these muffins on saved us on a long day of road tripping in Colorado for a ski weekend last year. See? Magic muffins. So if you are looking for something healthy to feed the kids in between popsicles, cannonballs, and summer break sleepovers, I've got you covered. They'll never even know there are vegetables in there! 

Zucchini & Olive Oil Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini, excess liquid squeezed out
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a muffin tin with liners.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, oats, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the honey, yogurt, olive oil, and mix well. Then add in the vanilla, mixing again. 

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. Add in the shredded zucchini and stir a few times until the zucchini is just incorporated into the batter.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.