And today’s muffins are totally acceptable for dessert. Double chocolate, anyone?
I made these muffins twice last weekend. I developed the recipe as I went. Sometimes the best of recipes just come as I’m mixing the whole wheat flour and baking soda together. Other times I have recipe fails, other times I lay in bed and scribble down ideas as I’m falling asleep. All Day I Think About Recipes.
Today’s chocolate muffins are very easy to make. Start with some of your wet ingredients: unsweetened applesauce, some sugar, and honey. Applesauce takes the place of butter and oil in this recipe. For a traditional chocolate muffin recipe, you’ll love these double chocolate muffins.
Sometimes baked goods without fat can be dry and crumbly. I can’t stress enough that these are NOTHING like that. There is only 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in the recipe yielding 12 large muffins. 1/2 cup of sugar is not enough, so I use 1/4 cup of honey as well. A few more wet ingredients are egg whites, greek yogurt, and vanilla extract. Instead of using 1 egg, I use two egg whites.
The dry ingredients are simple: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and your leavening agents. You will use 1/2 cup of both flours and the cocoa powder, which I loved. It’s so easy to remember! You can sift the dry ingredients together, which I did, but this step is not necessary. Sifting gets rid of any cocoa powder lumps, making it easy to mix with the other ingredients in the recipe.
The last thing you’ll add? Chocolate chips of course! I used mini chocolate chips, but regular size work too.
If you are looking for a recipe that uses all whole wheat flour, try my healthier chocolate banana muffins instead!
Today’s muffins are the perfect breakfast recipe. Or top with peanut butter Greek yogurt frosting for a healthier dessert. No mixer required, taking 10 minutes to prepare the batter, and are made with so many easy ingredients: greek yogurt and applesauce keep the muffins moist and soft, they are sweetened with only a little sugar and honey, and include whole wheat flour. Not bad for a chocolate treat!
Skinny Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You won’t realize these double chocolate muffins are lightened-up and low fat!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (133g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (85g) honey
- 2 large egg whites (or 1 large egg)
- 3/4 cup (183g) vanilla Greek yogurt*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (64g) whole wheat flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (41g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (90g) mini chocolate chips, plus a few more for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. Do not use liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the applesauce, sugar, honey, egg whites, greek yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Sift* the flours, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together. Slowly stir in the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix. Get any dry pockets of flour out. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. The batter will be a little chunky.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups – fill them all the way to the top. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (191°C). Bake for an additional 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to eat.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Muffins stay soft, fresh, and moist at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat up (if desired) before enjoying.
- Yogurt: You can also use regular yogurt– plain or vanilla.
- Sifting: Sifting the dry ingredients is optional, but recommended to rid any cocoa powder lumps.
- Tall Muffin Tops: Why the initial high temperature? The hot burst of air will spring up the top of the muffin quickly, then the inside of the muffin can bake for the remainder of the time. This helps the muffins rise nice and tall.
- Nutrition: According to SparkRecipes, these muffins have 165 calories, 3g fat, and 34g carbs each.
Keywords: skinny chocolate muffins
Reader Questions and Reviews
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I don’t know what I did wrong, followed recipe exactly, but mine turned out SUPER eggy, almost souffle-like. The flavor is good, but my child who I made these for won’t go near them! 🙁
★★★
I made these muffins today and they taste great but did not rise. I don’t know what I did wrong, I followed the instructions.
I made these today and they’re so unexpectedly good!
I didn’t have whole wheat flour so I did 1 cup of all purpose. I used plain unsweetened fat free Greek yogurt, and sweetened Mott’s applesauce (all I had on hand). I think the sweetened applesauce balanced out the unsweetened yogurt. I added extra vanilla as well.
To avoid the egginess I used 1 large egg instead of two egg whites but with fat free yogurt I thought it was a nice trade.
I made mini muffins also (don’t have a regular size muffin pan). In a silicone mini muffin pan I sprayed lightly with non stick spray, baked at 425 for 4 minutes to rise, then dropped the temp to 325 for 8 minutes more.
They are fantastic! Very soft, satisfy the chocolate craving, and low calorie. They are a *tad* spongey but I actually like that.
Tips: be sure to sift or at least whisk the dry ingredients together before combining with the wet, don’t scoop your flour with the measuring cup, and don’t overmix the batter. Just fold gently until there aren’t anymore dry spots. I’ll be making these again!
★★★★★
Really moist and delicious!
★★★★★
I made these yesterday and they are already gone. It’s nice to know the kids are grabbing something healthier.
★★★★★
I just made these into 42 mini muffins followed recipe exactly except swapped sugar out for monkfruit sweetener. They’re quite tasty. Next time I’ll reduce monkfuit sugar amount so it’s less sweet. Other than that this recipe is a keeper
★★★★