It can be a challenge to come up with healthy snacks that are easy to make AND that your kids will eat. We created these muffins to take advantage of the endless zucchini this time of year and those over-ripe bananas that look oh-so-unappetizing. Those bananas are perfect for baking! Did you know that as bananas ripen, the starch converts to sugar, making bananas sweeter and an excellent substitute for some of the refined sugar in baked goods! My kids are on to me, so upon prompting they did guess that I had put bananas and zucchini in the muffins...but that didn't stop them from devouring 2 dozen of them in 2 days! Enjoy :)

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

• 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour

• ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2 large or extra large eggs

• 1 cup milk

• ⅔ cup honey

• ¼ cup coconut (or other) oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed

• 2-3 cups zucchini or other squash (about 2 small zucchini)

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Grate zucchini into a large bowl using a box grater. Let sit while you complete the next several steps.

3. Measure flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

4. In a large bowl, crack eggs and whisk with a fork. Add milk, honey, oil, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add bananas and combine with a hand mixer or spatula.

5. Add flour mixture to the banana mixture and combine with a hand mixer or spatula.

6. Grab zucchini by the handful and squeeze very tightly. You’ll be surprised how much water comes out! Drop squeezed handfuls of zucchini into the bowl with rest of the batter. Combine using a spatula.

7. Add chocolate chips to the batter and combine using a spatula.

8. Use an ice cream scooper and place one scoop of batter into each muffin tin.

9. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan.