Healthy Chocolate Muffins

One bite of these chocolatey muffins and I travel back to my childhood years. This recipe reminds me of my mom’s chocolate cake, the one she made for birthdays and special occasions. So moist, light and delicious; I could eat the whole thing. Of course, that cake was not vegan and required tons of refined sugar and flour; not your everyday snack.

These muffins taste just like that (and I wasn’t even trying), but without all the unhealthy stuff. They are SO INCREDIBLY FLUFFY, it’s hard to believe they are 100% plant-based, naturally sweetened and use whole-grain flours; which nobody will ever notice. Plus, they’ve got a hidden veggie that keeps them light and moist; don’t worry, you are not going to taste it!

For this recipe, I used butternut squash purée, something I’m always making and freezing. It’s so tasty and versatile, one of my favorite veggies. Just cut the butternut squash in half, brush it with a little olive oil and bake it at 350 °F / 180 °C until the skin is bubbly and the flesh is tender (about 40 minutes). Remove the skin, place the flesh in a big bowl and use an immersion hand blender to make a smooth purée (a food processor should also work). Mashed butternut squash is great for muffins, cakes, soups, dips, burgers (like my super tasty quinoa, butternut squash and pecan patties). I always make my own, but you can use store-bought if you are feeling a little lazy.

These sweet chocolatey muffins are perfect for your afternoon coffee break or as a quick breakfast. Great dessert or snack for your kids too. The only problem is, they are so light and delicious, it’s hard to stop after just one.

If you try them, let us know what you think. Tag us on Instagram @mondaydreamsblog or leave a comment below, we love hearing from you!

Healthy Chocolate Muffins

Light, fluffy, moist and incredibly addictive chocolate muffins. Whole-grain, naturally sweetened and can be easily made GF. Great afternoon snack or breakfast on the go.

Servings 12 Medium Muffins

Ingredients

DRY:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
1 cup oat flour - GF, if necessary
½ cup + 1 Tbsp of cacao powder
2 Tbsp ground flax
¼ cup coconut sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt

WET:

¾ cup unsweetened almond milk, at room temperature
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup butternut squash purée**
½ cup coconut nectar***

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °F / 180 °C.
Grease a muffin pan with a little coconut oil. If you are using muffin liners, omit this step.
In a medium bowl, mix the milk with the apple cider vinegar. Set aside while you prep the rest.
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add vanilla extract, melted coconut oil, butternut squash purée and coconut nectar to the milk mixture. Stir well to combine.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and carefully stir everything together. Do not overmix it.
Spoon the batter into your muffin cups/pan and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes. Stick a dry knife into one muffin, it should come out clean. If it doesn’t, bake for a couple of more minutes.
Allow them to cool before eating (tough one, I know!). They will taste sweeter and finish setting as they cool down.
Enjoy!

Notes

* Use GF flour, if needed. It will change the texture a bit, but they should end up just as delicious.

** If you don’t have butternut squash purée, pumpkin should also work.

***I use coconut nectar for two reasons. One, we don´t have maple syrup down here. A real shame, I know! Two, besides being absolutely delicious, it has a low glycemic index. But feel free to use maple syrup instead.

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Gaby

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