Happy Sunday! It’s a dreary day here in St. Louis and I’m writing this as two kids are napping and rain is falling outside my office window. It’s the kind of afternoon where we have the TV on and we just kind a lounge. A welcomed lazy day during an otherwise busy summer!

So, instead of clean/meal prep/put away laundry… I figured it was a good time to get this recipe up on my blog. Because, if you are like me and have a lot of zucchini from the garden (or market or from a neighbor’s garden!), muffins are always my go-to thing to make with it!

These are sweetened with maple syrup and a ripe banana. And I added chocolate chips because I swear my kids will eat anything with chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

Zucchini + Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1.5 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)

• 1 ripe banana, mashed (medium sized banana)

• 1/4 cup maple syrup (you could also use honey)

• 1/2 cup milk of your choice

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 2 Tablespoons oil

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup chocolate chips (mini chocolate chips also work!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grate the zucchini and then place it in a paper towel and wrap up and squeeze to remove the excess liquid. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the banana with the maple syrup, milk and eggs. Add in the vanilla and oil and whisk. Add the rest of the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt) and mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the zucchini.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.

5. Use an ice cream scoop and scoop batter into muffin tins (spray tins with non-stick spray or use muffin liners).

6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden on top. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from tin.