I have a confession to make.  I don’t really like zucchini unless it is disguised in a baked good or deep-fried.  I generally find zucchini to be kind of tasteless, so it’s never my first choice when it comes to vegetables.  I suddenly found the urge to bake with zucchini which I am blaming on all the delicious recipes that have been popping up on various blogs.  So I made gluten-free chocolate zucchini muffins.

I’m still experimenting with gluten-free baking so I was a bit nervous how these would turn out, but they came out great.  As with most gluten-free baked goods the flavor is always a bit different from traditional wheat, but it was a good different.  If you have never tried gluten-free baking before, this recipe is a good place to start.

In regards to the actual zucchini flavor, you can’t even taste it!  The Englishman seriously hates zucchini and loved these muffins so that should tell you something right there.  And these muffins just didn’t feel complete without some chocolate chips sprinkled in.

I’d like to think of these muffins as the perfect morning breakfast with a nice pat of butter and a steaming cup of tea on the side.  Or if muffins for breakfast isn’t your thing, then these muffins make a great afternoon snack or after dinner dessert.  And if you are feeling really wild, spread some peanut butter and jam on these.  And maybe some Nutella too.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (adapted from this recipe)
*Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
2/3 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a muffin tin or fill with paper liners.

Grate your zucchini until you have 1 1/2 cups.  This should be 2-3 small zucchini or 1 large zucchini.

In large mixing bowl add your flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  Mix well.

In a smaller bowl mix your wet ingredients: maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, canola oil and water.  Fold your wet mixture into the dry mixture and add your zucchini.  Once mixture begins to get nice and sticky, add your chocolate chips.

Scoop muffin batter into your tin and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven, cool, and eat!

What other zucchini recipes do I need to try?