Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins: The Best Thing I Ever Baked. And Healthy???

In my spare time I, like most ladies, like to spend a little time on Pinterest.  Unfortunately, looking through the pages and pages of fat ladened dips and appetizers, the most decadent desserts, and the calorie packed meals, makes it hard to stick to the healthy diet that I try to enjoy.  (ESPECIALLY now that I am 6 months pregnant.)

HOWEVER, in the pages and pages of Pinterest treats, a gem appeared.  These muffins, if made exactly how the website suggests are only around 90 calories per muffin!  However some of the changes and substitutions that I made bumped the calories up slightly.

Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins

For the original recipe and post, please check out Dashing Dish, a site full of GREAT, healthy recipes!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups Oats (I used "Quick/Instant" Oats with great success)
3 Egg whites
3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
1/2 cup Unsweetened Applesauce (I used Organic Unsweetened)
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (or regular plain low fat yogurt.  I used my homemade Greek yogurt, see recipe here)
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar (or 2 tsp vinegar)  I used vinegar and had success with the muffins, but was instructed by my baker friend to try Cream of Tartar next time to achieve a fluffier muffin for our altitude.
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cup Hot Water
1/2 cup Baking Stevia OR 1 cup of sweetener of choice (I used 1/2 cup Brown Sugar because I didn't have any low calorie sweeteners at my disposal)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

      

 Baking Steps:

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners. 
 

2- In a food processor, mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.

     

3- Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in 1/2 of the chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.

      

4- Place muffins tins in the oven for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven momentarily (but don’t shut oven off), and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on the muffin tops.
 

5- Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6- Remove the muffins and let them cool to room temperature before removing from the pan.

ENJOY and feel less guilty and enjoy this chocolatey treat that can nourish your chocolate craving without packing on the calories!

Note:  These also froze well as my husband and I took them in our lunches to work (frozen in the morning, thawed by lunch) for a healthy dessert treat!



(sorry for the poor picture, it was iPhone or nothing!)



I'd love to hear from you if you try the recipe, or have other healthy recipes to share!