Not to completely gush on Sweet Laurel, but I'm pretty smitten! I've long been a baker, but recently I've evolved my style to focus on more "healthy" baking - no refined sugars, no white flour, etc. But everything I'd come across seemed counterintuitive to the intention, as the ingredient list was loaded with processed foods and/or fake foods trying to mimic their replacements.
Enter Laurel Gallucci. I am thoroughly impressed by the recipes she offers in her cookbook. They are easy to make, taste really good (and not just because they're "healthy" - they just plain taste good), and the ingredients are super straightforward (check out that ingredient list below!). Partnering with Claire Thomas' design expertise was a boon for the brand, too!
And, the best part, is that my daughter will actually eat these! She has definitely inherited her mother's sweet tooth, so I try to balance out the treats she eats. These muffins are so yummy and so loaded with chocolate I don't even have to fib to her about the ingredients used. She willingly devours these no questions asked. And, so does her mom. 😉
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Healthy(ish) Chocolate Almond Muffins My Kid Will Actually Eat
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 9 Muffins 1x
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Healthy Baking
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Be sure to use paper liners, as these tend to stick to the muffin tin, no matter how well you grease it. And, reminder: Even though you'll still use a 12-cup muffin tin, only fill 9 of the cups with batter. 🙂
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups almond flour (260 g)
- ¼ cup 100% unsweetened cacao powder (24 g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp fine-grain salt (like table or sea salt)
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 TB vanilla extract
- ¾ cup chocolate chips, divided (4 oz)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Line 9 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cacao, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Fold in ½ cup (3 oz) of the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter among the 9 prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate drizzle, melt the remaining ¼ chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 15-30 seconds. (Since there aren't a lot of chocolate chips, this will melt quickly.) Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the muffins. Let the chocolate set, then serve.
Notes
- There are two types of almond flour on the market, "Blanched" and "Natural." Blanched means the almond skin has been removed, so the flour is lighter and more uniform in color, while the Natural will look more brown. Both work equally well in this recipe. I, personally, prefer Blanched Almond Flour.
- If labeling at the store is getting you confused, know that for all practical purposes, "almond flour" and "almond meal" are the same thing.
- Feel free to use unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder - both are equally delicious. If using cocoa powder, both natural and Dutch-process work well in this recipe.
- I would hope it goes without saying, but just to be clear, please use 100% pure maple syrup in this recipe. Save the Aunt Jemima's for another use.
- To save on dishes, I measure the maple syrup in a 2-cup measuring cup, and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. No need to dirty another bowl!
- When testing for doneness, try not to hit a chocolate chip, as the toothpick will emerge covered in melted chocolate, misleading you on the doneness of the actual muffin.
- The chocolate drizzle is completely optional and rather over-the-top. But it sure looks pretty. 🙂 Another option is to omit the drizzle, but top each muffin with a few extra chocolate chips before baking.
- These freeze wonderfully (even with the chocolate drizzle). I like to make a batch on Sunday, throw them in the freezer, and then use for lunches throughout the week.
- As the original headnote of this recipe states, even though these "muffins" are essentially chocolate cupcakes, they do contain 10g of protein each (thanks, almond flour!), so passing them off as a "healthy" treat works for me! 😉
- Recipe slightly adapted from my go-to better-for-you baking book, Sweet Laurel: Recipes for Whole Food, Grain-Free Desserts by Laurel Gallucci & Claire Thomas, included in the list of My Favorite Baking Cookbooks.
- Very slight editorial clarifications were made to this recipe June 1, 2021.
april
No idea why I was sleeping on this recipe!!! SO good! I skipped the drizzle so that I could look myself in the mirror and say "they're healthy" to my family. Easy, delicious, choco-fix, kid endorsed, with 10g of protein each. What are you waiting for?
Sarah Marx Feldner
I literally laughed out loud reading this. Thank you for putting a smile on my face - and for the great review!
Sabina
It turned out so good. My whole family loved it!
Thanks for the recipe.
Sarah Marx Feldner
Yay! I'm so happy this is family-approved. Thank you for trusting Bake it Write to try a new recipe.
Lila
The ¾ teaspoon threw me for a loop. It means three-quarters of a teaspoon, not 3…¼ teaspoons.…🫠
Sarah Marx Feldner
Hi Lila! "three-quarters of a teaspoon" and "3...1/4 teaspoons" is the same measurement, no? I hope you still try this recipe, it's a goodie! 🙂
Claire
These were the best!! Thank you! I left out the choc chips and they still turned out amazing. I put them into cupcake papers so my little boy doesn't feel like he is missing out at birthday parties! So so good!!!
Sarah Marx Feldner
This makes me so happy to read, Claire! I'm so happy you like the muffins. And I am SO happy your cutie can feel like he is celebrating with everyone. Yay!!!
Maria banez
The best and healthiest muffins that I made so far. I tried some recipes before made of almond flour but it didn’t came out this good. It was hard. I love the texture of this one.
Sarah Marx Feldner
Thank you so much for the endorsement, Maria! And I agree, these really do stand apart from the other healthy-ish muffin recipes out there. Thank you for trying the recipe!
Abi S
These are delicious!! I added in 2 bananas and a little Greek yoghurt and no choc chips but put some frozen berries in. You wouldn't even know they were almond meal! Super good
Sarah Marx Feldner
Yay! I'm so happy you found this recipe, Abi. And great to know it held up to your personalizations. Yum!
Cassie C.
Yes!!!!! These are my favorite sweet treat to eat, and I don’t need to feel guilty about it! I’ve made these twice already this week! Definitely putting this on a regular rotation of baked goods to make often for my family! Thank you!
Sarah Marx Feldner
Oh, my - how did I never reply to this lovely comment?!? Thank you for making this recipe, Cassie. And, 2 times in one week - amazing!!! And totally something I would do 😉
Maria
Hi Sarah! I just made these and the kids absolutely love them, I have 5 kids and needed a recipe like this. Thank you! I am curious just for my own tracking do you have the amount of Carbohydrates for 1 muffin by chance? I think I read 10g of protein. Thanks so much! - Maria
Sarah Marx Feldner
Maria! To have your - and your 5 cuties' - approval...yay!!! Thank you for baking these - they remain a favorite in our house. The 10g of protein was referenced in the headnote of the original recipe. I just checked that recipe again, but there is no mention of any other nutritionals, including carbohydrates. Sorry.