Yesterday, my daughter Skylar really wanted muffins. Real talk, I almost hopped into the car and made a quick trip to Dunkin Donuts–the fast, easy, and no baking mess to clean up option. But then seeing her happily playing around the house, I was reminded that her little growing body needs clean, healthy, and nutrient-packed fuel to stay strong. I had some low key mom guilt for the few minutes that I was planning on not only America running on the sugars of Dunkin that morning, but Lauren and Skylar as well. Don’t get me wrong, these treats are a favorite part of our life–probably more than I should admit–but I would rather save this for when time is limited and there isn’t the option to a healthier alternative. Plus, when it comes to the best baking assistant around, Skylar is second to none. So that was that, healthy chocolate chip muffins (that are, mind you, delicious, soft, and fluffy) and quality time with my little baker. Win-win.
Mom Hack: I try to sneak as many necessary nutrients into things like muffins and pancakes. Skylar eats these right up, and the flavors and texture of baked goods makes additions nearly undetectable.
Here’s What You’ll Need:
- 2 Cups oat flour (you can make this by simply grinding up oats in the blender until they’re powder)
- 1/2 Cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 Teaspoons cinnamon
- Pinch ground ginger (optional)
- 1/2 Teaspoon salt
- 2/3 Cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1/3 Cup coconut oil, olive oil, or unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 Cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 Cup unsweetened almond milk
- Optional: Pink Sprinkles to make them look pretty like ours 🙂
And Here’s What You’ll Do:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with paper or foil liners; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the oat flour, mini chocolate chips, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger (if using), and salt; whisk well to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, eggs, oil (or butter), applesauce, and milk; mix well until thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stirring until combined. The batter will be thin (don’t worry).
- Divide the mixture among the prepared muffins. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 degrees fahrenheit and continue baking for another 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and allow the muffins to cool completely in the muffin tin. Serve at once or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze these in a freezer bag for up to 1 month.
These muffins are one of our favorite go-to recipes, and the fact that they taste so good without all the processed junk that other baked goods can include is a major benefit. The next time you’re thinking about a healthy recipe to try, I highly recommend giving this one a go. It has Skylar’s seal of approval all over it, and mine too.
Enjoy!
– LW
LIFE WITH LW 