Zucchini Chocolate Muffins

Struggling to get fruit and veg into your kids? These zucchini chocolate muffins are packed with a secret serve of zucchini and banana. But the best part is, they're really delicious and guaranteed to get eaten in any kid (or adult) lunchbox.

Zucchini Chocolate Muffin Ingredients:

Makes 12

• Olive oil spray or butter for greasing
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour (I tend to use wholemeal self-raising flour)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 zucchini, grated and excess liquid squeezed out
• 1 (overly) ripe banana, mashed (use up those soft old bananas)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Zucchini Chocolate Muffin Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180.C. Spray a 12-hole muffin tin with olive oil, or grease with butter (however you usually do this – don’t let me interfere).
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg, milk, honey and olive oil to combine well. Stir in the grated zucchini and mashed banana and mix together.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the zucchini and banana mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.
5. Fold through the walnuts and chocolate chips.
6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin and bake for 20–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove from the tin.

Adjustments for Infants and Kids:

• To make these safe for infants under one year old, remove the honey. If you want to add additional sweetness, use the same quantity of maple syrup. (If the banana is super ripe, however, you may find the banana alone will be sweet enough.)
• Ensure the walnuts are thoroughly chopped due to the risk of choking.
• With these muffins, you can introduce a pile of common allergy-causing foods (cow’s milk, egg, walnut and wheat), sneak in some veggies and have all the fun of chocolate.

To Make It...

• Gluten free: use a gluten-free flour blend.
• Tree nut free: leave out the walnuts.
• Dairy free: replace the milk and chocolate chips with plant-based options, or leave out the chocolate chips and use a plant-based milk.

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Zucchini Chocolate Muffins is a recipe by Dr Preeya Alexander from her new book Full Plate. Photograph by Lawrence Furzey. Get more yum recipes in the food section of Hello Lunch Lady.