My life requires a lot of chocolate.
And when I say my life, I really mean me. I love the stuff. I crave it in my yogurt, I want it in my banana bread, and I definitely need it in my cookies. I don’t drink coffee, so whenever I need a little afternoon pick-me-up, I’ll pop a bite of chocolate in my mouth (yeah, a super healthy alternative, I know).
Any time we can work chocolate into breakfast it’s a total win. I don’t, however, want to feel like I just ate birthday cake for breakfast. I need to have some substance and vitamin behind the chocolate curtain to keep me going until lunch time.
These double chocolate mini muffins are a rich little bite. They’re soft, satisfying, and unlike most quick breads, a little bit better the next day.
The glaze is optional, but is it? Really? The muffins are much healthier without it, but also much sweeter with it. I like the sweet, what can I say. That chocolate chip blanketed in glaze right there? Definitely my favorite part.
I took this opportunity to use up a couple of leftover baby food jars I had laying around. The 4 ounce jars are just right for throwing into the mix to lighten things up. I used apples and sweet potato, but you could also use banana, carrot, or squash. If you’re using a homemade puree you may need to add more or less flour to the mix, depending on how wet your puree is. The batter should be scoopable, not runny.
What’s your favorite way to eat chocolate for breakfast?
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Rich chocolate muffins, made lighter!
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/2 cup sweet potato or carrot puree
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
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Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray two mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together butter, applesauce, sweet potato, maple syrup, browin sugar, baking soda, and eggs. Stir in milk and whisk again. Add cocoa powder and flour and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Do not over mix. The batter should be thick, but if it appears too thick you can add a bit more milk. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.
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Divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin tins (should be about 40 mini muffins) and sprinkle with a few more mini chips if desired. Bake about 10 minutes, watching carefully as you don't want to over bake them. The tops should spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing from the tins and letting cool completely on a rack.
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To make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a large bowl until smooth. Dip the tops of cooled muffins in the glaze, allowing extra to drip back into the bowl. Place glazed muffins back on the cooling rack to allow the glaze to set.
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Glazed muffins are best eaten the day they are made, but will keep in an airtight container for several days.
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