Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
This healthy chocolate chip muffins recipe makes a delicious, whole grain treat after dinner or on the go!
There’s just something about healthy chocolate chip muffins. I bite into their soft, spongy little bodies, and I’m immediately whisked away to my fabulously warm and sweet-scented dream kitchen and that perfect, double oven I keep fantasizing about. My stress seems to melt away and the only thing occupying my mind is that deep, rich gooey chocolate that seems to massage my shoulders and rub my feet on the way down.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MUFFIN AND A CUPCAKE?
Typically, a muffin is heartier. It’s often made with whole grains and is also often filled with healthier fare such as dried fruits, nuts and seeds. Muffins can be sweet or savory. They can sometimes be very similar to cupcakes, however, but cupcakes are basically tiny cakes. So there is a difference.
ARE MUFFINS HEALTHIER THAN CUPCAKES?
That is the broadly held idea. However, it’s not always the case. A muffin can be made just as sugary and just as unhealthy as a cupcake. While a cupcake is definitely cake in a smaller form, a muffin can have just as much refined sugar, process grains and other additives that many cupcakes have. And on the other side of that, a cupcake can be made with whole grains and healthier ingredients. So it all really depends on what you put into your muffins and cupcakes.
All that being said, these muffins, despite containing honey and chocolate chips, are a pretty good way to go if you are craving something sweet. They are unprocessed, whole grain muffins that use healthier ingredients at every turn. You can’t go wrong!
BASE MUFFIN RECIPE:
If you are wanting a good base recipe to use for other muffins, this is a great one. Sub the chocolate chips with other things like berries, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, whatever you can think of that fits into your definition of health and clean!
MORE CLEAN EATING RECIPES:
HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS RECIPE
Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (affiliate link)
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup oil (anything light in flavor)
- ¾ cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup chocolate chips (either grain sweetened, low carb or dark chocolate are the cleanest choices)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line your muffin tin with cupcake papers.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, chocolate chips and baking soda.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend everything else with a whisk.
- Add the flour to the wet ingredients and whisk again.
- Pour into your muffin tin. Fill up the cups only half way.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
My ultimate stress relief food is dark chocolate and a big mug of steaming hot tea with a moment of peace and quiet even if I have to lock myself in the bathroom and turn on the shower to drown out the noise of 2 kids and the husband!
my ultimate stress relief food is usually anything that has the sweet and salty combo… sadly, whatever is easiest and closest to me. But, Recently I’ve been trying when I get stressed and feeling like I’m going to eat I hope on the treadmill instead and try to get in another 20-30 min of walking. One of my new years goals is to stop stress eating and start being more active… easier said than done. I came to this decision within the last week due to a family member being admitted to the hospital and the emotional roller coaster that it caused on my family.
Chocolate of any kind.
I’m trying to learn better ways to deal with stress.
Thank you for this blog and encouraging me to learn more about Tosca! My resolution for 2011 is to Eat Clean and keep reading your blog to learn more Clean Recipes!
Blessings,
Gina
My food of choice in stressful times has to be brownies! Especially super fudgey ones 🙂 if they’re not in reach I go for a Jane Green novel. They funny, entertaining and heart warming!
What is your ultimate “stress relief” food?
Now (post-bariatric for two and a half years) I have this specific protein bar which totally calls my name on high stress days. When I can’t have that… see the next question!
If you don’t turn to food for stress relief, what else do you do to find that relief?
When I can’t find my protein bars… GYM HERE I COME! I find that dragging my sorry stressed out, exhausted tush to the gym and pushing through an hour and a half of weights and minor cardio usually does wonders for improving my outlook. YAY adrenaline!
My “food” stress relief is chocolate and my non food stress relief is taking a hot bath. The chocolate gets me in trouble. Even if it is something healthy, I eat WAY TOO much of it!
My ultimate stress relief food is something I keep on hand at the house(all 15lbs of it, gotta love bulk food stores!) is Rolled Oats. As strange as it may sound, it is my go to snack when I get stressed at work in the afternoon or in the evening if I need a healthy easy to prepare snack before bed. What I love most is the portability of this snack. For work- I pre-measure and take it to work in a baggie(1/2cup oats, 3 tsp all natural/stevia based protein powder and some walnuts). This can be eaten dry or with some water and heated in the microwave. In the evening, I would take that same 1/2 cup, add 2 cup of water,3 tsp casein whey protein powder(for good muscle recovery) and a tsp Stevia. Microwave for 3 mins and stir in 1 TBS all natural Peanut Butter. I sometimes add 1/4c of pumpkin for just a little more creaminess or sweetness. Not only does this calm my stress level but it also makes me feel good knowing I put something clean and healthy into my body.
What is your ultimate stress relief food?
**C H O C O L A T E ***
If you don’t turn to food for stress relief, what else do you do to find that relief?
a hot bubble bath… ahhh!
My ultimate stress-buster food is natural peanut butter on whole wheat bread. I either put sliced banana on it, or clean apple butter if I am craving something sweeter.
If I’m trying not to indulge with food, I take a hot bath with whatever new magazine has shown up in my mailbox.
My ultimate stress relief food is pizza. OMG I don’t know what it is, but after a couple of slices of pizza (any kind) I feel full and relaxed. It’s nuts I know lol
My stress relief food is a simple PB&J with a glass of milk. It’s one of those “take me back to my childhood” things when life was so much simpler. Like some have mentioned though, I’m trying to move away from food as a stress reliever. I’ve found that my daily workout does a good job of it as does some old time jazz.
I love to curl up with a book and read uninterrupted – However, it is stressful if I try and read when any of my family wants to talk to me (I actually think that my DH is sort of jealous of the book – LOL). I also love to go and watch a movie in a Theater all by myself – very good stress relievers for me (grin).
My stress relief “food” is a (single) piece of Dove Chocolate Promises. I used to eat the heck out of the milk chocolate but cut it out completely when I started eating clean (about a month ago). Now I allow myself one piece of the Dove Dark Chocolate Promise once in awhile. It is so much richer that I only need one piece and I can probably make a bag of the promises last the entire year. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
A steaming bowl of pasta with homemade marinara sauce. Yum!
My go to stress reliever is cadbury chocolate,just one square and a deeeeep breath. All is rite in the world
Awesome
i dont turn to food for stress release. i like going to the gym, chatting with friends, watching something funny…..how can anyone be stressed out when laughing? ;D
I can’t honestly say I’ve ever seen avacado oil; what is the difference in the recipe of using it vs. olive oil? I don’t have any avacado oil on hand but want to make these!
Paulissa – You can use olive oil too. Either will work.
Wow, those look great!
I’d have to go with a big cheeseburger on a fresh, slightly grilled whole wheat bun with provolone cheese. It really doesn’t get much better than that.