Zucchini and Chocolate Chip Muffins – Gluten Free

You know that feeling when one day you look in the garden, and no zucchini. The very next day, there is suddenly a zucchini larger than your firstborn child. What do you do with that monstrosity? You definitely can’t give it away — friendships are too valuable for that. The skin is probably tough, and there are enough seeds to plant an entire acre of zucchini. But no one wants to be wasteful, especially when you have tended that garden nearly as carefully as said firstborn child. That is when zucchini and chocolate chip muffins come to mind.

Smaller zucchini are perfect for sautéing, stir-frying and nibbling. But once they get big, creativity is required. After peeling the tough and bitter skin, (saving it to give to my friend’s chickens for snacks), I divide the zucchini into 4 more manageable sections. Then I cut each section into spears, so all the seeds can be cut away. (I do not give the seeds to the chickens, but wonder if they might like them?) Then those spears are put through the grater.

Use the small-to-medium holes on the grater. This is when a kitchenaid attachment is super helpful.

A ginormous zucchini can provide 3-4 cups when finely shredded, depending on size, and how much is cut away to remove seeds. In playing around with this recipe, the sweet spot seems to be 3 1/2 cups. With only 3 cups, the muffins are a little more dense, and the yield might be fewer than 2 dozen muffins. The batch with 4 cups of zucchini was amazing, but I’ve never had another equally super-sized zucchini. With 3 1/2 cups, I get 24 muffins, AND a dozen mini muffins for the grandkids.

All that to say, don’t stress about precise measurements for the shredded zucchini.

One thing that is important, however, is letting the shredded zucchini drain for a while. I put it in a colander in the sink, then place another bowl on top to press out some of the moisture while I pull together the remaining ingredients.

I originally made this recipe with a couple bars of chopped dark chocolate. I thought the muffins were going to be earth-shakingly amazing, but mini chocolate chips are so much easier. And no one can tell the difference.

I prefer using avocado oil over coconut oil (too tropical-tasting) or butter, (which actually makes them too rich for my taste).

Using a cup-for-cup gluten free flour guarantees that no one gets a tummy ache from these muffins. However, any time you bake with gluten free flour, you want to make sure the flour has time to absorb moisture. This recipe does best with a thorough chilling of the batter — even overnight, if you want to bake muffins in the morning.

The cool and fresh zucchini blends perfectly with warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.

A light sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar on the top before baking makes the muffins extra special, but is totally optional.

Another recipe to try is Triple Chocolate Zucchini Muffcakes. With a name like that, it’s got to be great!

So, next time you find a monstrous zucchini hiding in your garden, or tucked into the back seat of your car by someone who used to be your friend, just make delicious muffins! Enjoy!

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