It had to be done. Right in the middle of choko season, staring down a bench full of them (and more still hanging off the vine), I thought… why not Choko Chocolate Muffins?
Because if you’ve ever grown chokos, you’ll know this isn’t a gentle, occasional harvest. This is abundance. One vine turns into a takeover situation, happily climbing, sprawling, and producing more than any one household could reasonably keep up with.
Timing matters. The best chokos are the young ones. Small to medium, firm, pale green, before they start toughening up or sprouting from the inside. Leave them too long and they become a bit… committed. Still usable, but not quite the same tender, easygoing ingredient you want in the kitchen.
Chokos (also known as chayote) actually originated in Central America, and made their way across the world thanks to their reliability and productivity. They grow easily, store reasonably well, and quietly adapt to whatever role you give them. In some places they’re used in savoury dishes like stir-fries, soups, and curries. In others, they can be slipped into desserts where they soak up flavour and add texture without taking over.
Which makes them perfect for a slightly unexpected move on my part… like muffins.
We already trust carrots. We’ve accepted courgette. So giving choko a go felt less like a risk and more like a logical next step. As it turns out… great call.
Freshly picked and grated, choko folds beautifully into a muffin mix. It doesn’t shout for attention. It just quietly does its job, adding moisture and softness while the chocolate carries the flavour. The result is a soft, rich, properly chocolatey muffin. The choko disappears into the background working on texture rather than flavour. If you didn’t know it was there, you wouldn’t guess (unless you spot the odd green strand mid-bite)!
Young chokos are best for this as you won’t need to peel nor remove the centre seed. Regardless of age, once grated you will need to give handfuls a firm squeeze before measuring to release excess water.
You can swap chocolate chips for chopped dark chocolate if you want something a bit deeper, or adjust the cocoa measurement as you desire.
They freeze well, which is handy… because the chokos will keep coming.
Here’s how it came together.
Choko Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups brown sugar (packed)
- 100g butter (softened)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups plain flour
- 2 Tbps cocoa
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups grated choko (water squeezed out)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate drops
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a muffin tray.
- Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, vanilla essence and milk.
- In a separate bowl, add remaining dry ingredients (excluding choko and chocolate).
- Prepare the choko. As per my notes, young choko can be grated whole whereas older choko may require the skin to be removed. Grate, squeeze out the water, and measure.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. No need to overmix.
- Fold through the grated choko and chocolate chips.
- Spoon into muffin cases, filling about three-quarters full.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
Let them cool slightly… or don’t. They’re very good warm.
