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These healthier chocolate muffins are ultra rich, moist, and loaded with chocolate but without any guilt!
When it comes to technology and related trends, I am usually totally current and knowledgeable. As a blogger and as a twenty-something, I kind of have to be. There is one sort of technology-related trend that I have been firmly against. That is, until now.
I don’t know why but the idea of utilizing a software/app like Spotify totally freaks me out. I want to OWN all the music I love. I want to be able to pick it up and take it anywhere. I’ve never wanted to rely on an app that is internet based for my entire beloved music library. Sure, I use Dropbox to backup and store important data to a cloud server, but I also have an external hard drive. Something I can rely on, that won’t instantly disappear if the company that makes it goes out of business. Last night, though, I caved. I realized I hadn’t purchased any new music in months and needed something new to listen to. I don’t know about you but sometimes I’ll hear a great song on a commercial or *gasp* on the radio and I remember how much I love music and am suddenly motivated to find more great music and more new-to-me artists. So I re-downloaded Spotify and made myself completely private and disconnected to my Facebook because the idea of everyone knowing what I’m listening to feels like a complete invasion of privacy and was another reason I had originally deleted the app after my first few hours of use. Then I proceeded to get way lost down the rabbit hole of discovering new music, playlists, and artists for over an hour. I guess I’m reluctantly reformed.
Do you use Spotify or a similar app? Any recommendations for music I need to hear??
Recipe Rundown
Taste: You seriously cannot tell there is no oil or butter in these muffins or that they’re made with half whole wheat flour and half the amount of refined sugar. Amazing.
Texture: Ultra moist, tender, and rich. These are almost brownie-like.
Ease: Very quick and easy. One bowl and one tin.
Appearance: I don’t recommend using cupcake liners for this recipe because these muffins are so incredibly moist they can stick to the liners. So, they may not be dolled up but they still look pretty darn tasty.
Pros: Guilt-free yet still perfectly delicious. Plus, these can be frozen and popped in the microwave for an on-the-go breakfast or snack.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Oh yes!
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Healthier Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl whisk the applesauce, yogurt, egg, maple syrup, sugar, and vanilla until well combined and smooth. Add the flours, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir the batter with a rubber spatula until everything is well combined, but do not overmix, the batter may be lumpy but that’s okay. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the muffin tin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to two months. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes to reheat.
So can I use 3/4 cup of vegetable oil in place of the applesauce and have the same taste?
It definitely won’t have the same taste or texture, this recipe was specifically developed to use healthier ingredients like applesauce. You may want to use a regular chocolate muffin recipe instead (here’s a favorite: https://handletheheat.com/chocolate-coffee-toffee-crunch-muffins/).
substitute for applesauce? Thanks!
Applesauce IS the substitute here! It’s used in place of melted butter or oil.
holy flying balls, these cupcakes are awesome!! I am trying to cut down on sweets, but last night I was craving for some chocolate, and I decided to bake these cupcakes! I didn’t have maple syrup, so I used the same amount of brown sugar, added a little more of vanilla (I’m a vanilla freak!) and didn’t have chocolate chips so I had to skip those –bummer! they still turned out AWESOME and deliciously moist. Thank you thank you thank you!
These sound amazing! I’m curious – I have some leftover lowfat buttermilk, can I substitute that for the yogurt? Regardless this looks delicious and I’ll still make it, but it’s nice to use up some leftovers 🙂 thanks!
Delicious recipe! Thanks for sharing. I added 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp or more to taste of cardamon, clove, ginger and a handful of candied ginger chopped fine. Addicting is all I can say….
Holy Moly-these are amazing!!! Hubby was looking for something like Costco’s chocolate muffin and these fit the bill. Many thanks for sharing.
So happy to hear that!
Oh friend….these are delectable. I had to given them away because they would no longer be healthy if I ate them all. My teenage son ate his share as well and didn’t notice they were healthy. The folks that received them loved them also and asked for the recipe. Slam dunk or should I say touch down!!
What moves these delectable-looking gems to the muffin side of things rather than cupcakes, Tessa? Sometimes it’s awfully difficult to tell the difference. Cupcakes have frosting, but so do muffins sometimes. I think of muffins as having more grain content & nut &/or fruit add-ins. How do you define the 2 categories?
I usually define cupcakes as being made by creaming/beating butter + sugar together whereas muffins, if made with butter, usually involve simply stirring melted butter and other liquid ingredients with dry ingredients. Much quicker and easier than cupcakes. Of course there are always exceptions!
These muffins look perfect! I would love one at any time in the day!
I’d be totally lost without good music. Love these muffins, you can’t beat chocolate for breakfast!
Yum! Delicious and guilt-free are always things I’m looking to bake! bookmarking this recipe–thanks for sharing! 🙂
Also, I used to use Pandora, but I stopped because it would give me random music that I didn’t care for. I started using Spotify recently and prefer it, but I also don’t like how it shares what you’re listening to everyone online.
Uhmm yes please!! I could eat those Costco Chocolate chip muffins every day forever….except they are 1000 calories so…not.
Now I have a replacement that I actually can eat everyday forever without my waistline moving an inch. You rock! Pinned.
P.s I do not use spotify. I use Pandora. I just moved here from Canada and we don’t have programs like this, so I am taking one step at a time. Spotify is my next discovery!