Justin's Stuffed Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Or we could also call them: "it's a mess but so delicious."

Because that's definitely what you'll end up saying.

So this is your very early warning, these are messy. If you're like me and you like your muffins soft and gooey, you're going to love these!

These muffins (or cupcakes if you're being 100% honest with yourself), came out of my love for Justin's peanut butter cups and a need to do something with them. I'm not the biggest candy eater (give me cake, ice cream, or cookies any day of the week instead), but I do love any candy that combines a peanut butter and some good old chocolate. And these Justin's cups are just so creamy! And they're organic and gluten free? I'm in!!

And so these were born. They're chocolate-y, moist, gooey,  and you can't even tell there's zucchini in there! It's just the added moisture. And they're somewhat healthified with a few healthy substitutes (applesauce, Greek yogurt, and half whole wheat flour).

I used milk, dark, and white chocolate peanut butter cups, but I found the dark chocolate the best!

So give these a try for dessert, a snack, or breakfast (if you're feeling fun)!

Justin's Stuffed Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Servings: 12-14 muffins

Prep Time: 15 mintes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients: 

Dry Ingredients- 

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. coffee powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients-

1 cup shredded zucchini

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup applesauce

2 eggs 

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 

12 Justin's Peanut Butter Cups

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners and spray with a non-stick spray. 
2. Shred zucchini and lay it between dry paper towels to release the moisture. You want most of the moisture gone, but not all of it. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix until combined. 
4. In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, expect the zucchini. Stir. 
5. Pour the wet ingredients the dry and mix until well combined. Then fold in the zucchini.
6. Line the bottom of each muffin with about a tablespoon of batter. Level them off, and add one peanut butter cup to each muffin, pressing firmly.
7. Fill the rest of the muffin tin until they are almost completely full. 
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until muffins no longer jiggle. 
9. Let muffins cool on a wire rack, and serve warm.