The Best Salted Chocolate Zucchini Einkorn Muffins Recipe

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The discovery of Salted Dark Chocolate Zucchini Einkorn Muffins has certainly brought about a high consumption of summer squash this year! Zucchini bread and zucchini muffins are both popular during harvest time. I still remember watching a college friend open a care package while away at school to unveil homemade zucchini bread. I was most likely drooling and thought for sure the package was suppose to have my name on it. Fast forward 15 years and my salivary glands are still triggered by the scent of freshly baked zucchini bread. The difference these days is that I make it with einkorn flour and unrefined sugars. The biggest celebration happens when my child who HATES vegetables bites in and loves it.

Zucchini Einkorn Muffins Find Salted Chocolate

Enter in the salted dark chocolate. This actually happened by accident (I’ll have you know that the best inventions happen by accident though I have yet to find proof). So I was making cupcakes to enter a church picnic contest at our church. I’ll tell ya, Mennonite bakers are a tough act to follow. This was kind of a last minute choice on my part and I decided to try making my zucchini bread into cupcakes. The one problem with this is that cupcakes and muffins are quite different. Cupcakes are light and airy. Muffins are thick like sweet bread. Mine were definitely muffins. Even so, I still won a prize for presentation. At least they looked like cupcakes with the frosting and shiny sprinkles!

It wasn’t all a loss. Salted chocolate is good for Pete’s sake. I happened to bring some extras to share for the potluck. When both my kids and others gave compliments, I began to think they might make a pretty good muffin recipe. Yup. They do. I honestly have a hard time going back to plain zucchini bread.

Sourdough einkorn Muffin Recipe

Yes, this recipe uses sourdough. I just couldn’t help but add it. The flavor works, the moisture helps and I’m always happy to be baking with my starter. Any sourdough starter will work but I stick to an einkorn sourdough starter. If you don’t have one, you can learn how to get it going HERE.

How Is Einkorn Flour Different

If you’ve been around here for long, you’ve learned how much I love the nutrient rich grain einkorn. This ancient grain, the original wheat, boasts a big supply of protein and vitamins. In addition, the body has a much easier time digesting it’s chemical structure. Einkorn anti-inflammatory by nature. Learn more about that HERE. Yes, it’s healthy and many who struggle digesting gluten can consume einkorn without issues.

Those are not the only differences though. Einkorn has a much lighter sweeter flavor that doesn’t seem quite as sharp when using the whole grain. The only downside in my opinion is those who bake with einkorn must learn how it works with other ingredients. Because of the lack of gluten as well as the high protein, einkorn tends to be more dense. Learn more about baking with einkorn flour HERE. How is einkorn different? It’s dense with protein and nutrition.

As far as recipes with einkorn, this one is great for beginners! Muffins are a wonderful way to dip your toes into the world of einkorn baking because it’s much harder to “mess up”‘ the recipe.

Einkorn Muffin Recipe: How to Make it

Ingredients

1 Cup freshly grated zucchini

1 1/2 Cups Coconut Sugar or Sucanat Sugar (unrefined cane sugar)

1/2 Cup Melted Butter or Coconut Oil

4 large Eggs at room temperature

1/2 Cup Sourdough Starter

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 Cups Whole Grain Einkorn Flour

1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Dash of Ginger

1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Salted Dark Chocolate Bar

Instructions: Zucchini Einkorn Muffin Recipe

• Preheat oven to 375 Degrees Fahrenheit. Generously Grease a Muffin tine with butter or coconut oil.
• In a large bowl beat together wet ingredients with sugar: Sugar, eggs, oil or butter, vanilla and sourdough starter. Mix in zucchini.
• In separate bowl or on top of wet ingredients ( if you’re a rebel like I am) blend together the dry ingredients: Flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Combine completely but DON’T overmix.
• Fill muffin cups half full with batter. Sprinkle 3/4 of the chopped salted chocolate bar over batter. Finish filling batter in each cup to 3/4 full. Sprinkle the remaining finely chopped salted chocolate over the tops of each cup and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and starting to brown on edges.
• Let cool for five minutes before removing from muffin tin. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Here are a few tips to get you off to a good start making your Salted Chocolate Zucchini Einkorn Muffins.

• Find a good quality chocolate for your salted dark chocolate bar. Believe me when I say, it’s all about the chocolate. I used Lindt this time but I know there are other good brands out there. I’ve used a Belgian chocolate before that was exquisite!
• I made this recipe using freshly grated zucchini but you can also use grated zucchini that’s been frozen. To do this thaw your frozen grated zucchini until there’s no more ice. Drain the liquid and pat dry extra liquid with a towel. Because of the liquid loss you’ll use two cups thawed zucchini as opposed to the one cup of freshly grated zucchini.
• Theodore Bailey from “Coffee House and Pastries” encourages that resting the dough overnight produces a moist tender and taller muffin. Try it!

How to Store Salted Chocolate Zucchini Einkorn Muffins

I love making foods to enjoy and then enjoy them again! The best way to do this is to preserve them. The best way I’ve found to keep these zucchini einkorn muffins is in a gallon freezer zip lock bag or airtight container. Wait until the muffins are completely cool. Store these in the freezer for no more than two weeks. Mine began showing ice crystals about this time.

Make it into Einkorn Zucchini Bread

Would you rather make this as a bread recipe? Forget the einkorn zucchini muffins and make it a loaf! It’s easy to adapt. Simply pour batter 3/4 full into a well greased9″ x 5″ loaf pan. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-55 minutes or until middle is cooked through and edges begin to brown. There may be some extra batter so fell free to make a mini loaf or a few muffins with it. Let the loaf cool for at least 30 minutes before taking out of pan or you may risk it falling apart.

Einkorn Muffin Recipes and More

Sourdough Einkorn Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Recipe

How to Make Einkorn Sourdough Buttermilk Waffles

Overnight Sourdough Bagels with Einkorn

I hope you enjoy your muffins. Thanks for stopping by!

From the Hilltop,

Krista