Flourless Chocolate Chip Muffins with Ch-ch-chia Power!

Overview:

Well, I did it. I created a food blog, yay! So to celebrate, my very first recipe will be a dessert one (or breakfast as well if you have a morning sweet tooth). These are flourless muffins with chocolate chips with no added dairy butter or sugar! Plus, they are secretly (and relatively) good for you. 

So what are the health benefits of these muffins? Well, these muffins are actually PACKED with fiber-rich chia seeds! Chia seeds are powerful little buggers that are rich in Omega-3 and help you feel full longer. Read more about them here. 

Another great thing about this recipe is that it can easily be made gluten-free or vegan. You may substitute gluten-free oats found here or dairy-free cacao nibs found here. These allergy-free mini chips are also a nice alternative. The egg pictured can also be omitted.

But probably the nicest thing about this recipe is that it is so easy! Like literally, all you do is mix everything together and put it in the oven. It's that simple!

This recipe should yield 6 medium sized muffins, or 6 servings.

Ingredients:

1/3 c of unsweetened organic applesauce*

1 whole organic banana 

1/2 c of quick oats

1/4 c chia seeds** (I get mine at Costco)

1 package of maple almond butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract (I use more since I love vanilla)

1 tsp cinnamon (Again, I use more)

Chocolate chips! (As many as you like! I used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet but the darker the better. )

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Grease your muffin tin with some cooking spray or olive oil (I used the latter). I made 6 medium sized muffins with this recipe.

3. Mash the banana and incorporate the applesauce, almond butter, egg, oats, and chia seeds.

4. Add in the vanilla and cinnamon.

5. Add in the chocolate chips! 

6. MIX!

7. Let bake for 12-14 minutes. 

8. Let the muffins cool for a bit before adding more chocolate chips to the tops of the muffins.

9. Enjoy!

Notes:

*Experiment with the amount of applesauce. Adding more will produce more moist muffins while less will create drier ones. It all depends on personal preference.

**If going for the vegan option, adding more chia seeds will serve as a egg replacement. Chia seeds absorb the liquid they are placed in and may act as a binding agent.