Paleo Triple Chocolate Muffins
To all my Galentines, this Triple Chocolate Avocado Muffin is made just for you. It’s free of dairy, gluten, refined sugar and nuts, but it’s full of the good stuff.
Let me share with you how these muffins are actually a health food. Okay, well maybe not a health food, but for sure a real food treat. Three forms of chocolate (hallelujah!), which we all know is a an antioxidant. And the chocolate I used is the unprocessed kind – high in plant compounds called cocoa flavonoids, which studies show have beneficial effects on heart disease risks, as well as on blood flow to the brain. And the second key ingredient, avocado, is a great source of B vitamins, potassium, lutein and folate. Avocados often get a bad rap for being high in fat, but it’s the good monounsaturated kind that helps lower bad cholesterol, when eaten in moderation. That fat makes these muffins really satiating. So it’s not like you’re hiding in your closet plowing through a large heart-shaped box of candy. These muffins are perfect for a special breakfast with your family or as a treat with a cup of coffee.
So bake some these muffins for yourself. Share with your little sweeties at home. And maybe even make a special delivery to a friend. Tell her that she’s free of anything that might be weighing her down and that she’s full of all the good stuff. Free of self-doubt. Free to be herself. Free to pursue the passion placed in her heart. Full of potential.
Chocolate, the Good Stuff
Let’s talk types of chocolate, shall we? In this recipe, I was shooting to incorporate really clean ingredients so I’d be able to share them no-worries with friends who have some dietary restrictions. Because everyone needs a little chocolate mid-February.
I used half Terrasoul Superfoods Cacao Powder and half Bob’s Red Mill Toasted Carob Powder, because I’ve never baked with carob powder before and I wanted to experiment! Carob, which is actually not chocolate, comes from the finely ground, dried and toasted pods of the carob tree. It also has some fun health benefits and a roasted chocolate flavor. Use it if you want, or just sub cocoa powder for the carob and you’ll be just fine!
For the chocolate ‘chips’ I used a high-quality bittersweet chocolate bar, roughly chopped. I highly recommend going this route because it makes your muffins extra delicious, orrrr depending on your dietary preferences, you can just throw in some mini chocolate chips and call it a day. See, I’m trying to be uncomplicated for you.
Now let’s make some muffins.
Ingredients
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup carob powder
4 t. baking soda
2 avocados, pitted and flesh removed from the skin
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup honey (depending on your preference)
4 eggs
4 t. vanilla
1 cup non-dairy milk of choice (I used unsweetened coconut, not the canned but the refrigerated kind)
1/2 cup chopped chocolate or dairy-free mini chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
Grease muffin tins (about 18 of them), or line muffin tins with silicone or paper liners. If you use paper liners, some of the muffin will probably stick and you’ll sacrifice chocolatey muffin goodness. Just a warning!
Now mix all your ingredients together. I’m a no-fuss, the less-mess is better kind of gal, so I literally just throw all my ingredients in my Vitamix and blend until they’re smooth. Sorry if you’re much more methodical … my quick process here is probably horrifying to you. You could also use a food processor, but feel like some sort of high-powered blending apparatus in necessary to get the avocado creamy and mixed in uniformly. Above all, you don’t want to taste avocado chunks in your muffin.
Using a scant 1/4 cup, divide your muffin batter evenly among about 18 muffin tins.
Bake for 18-22 minutes. I baked mine 19 minutes and they were perfect! Just know your oven and check early so you don’t over-bake.
Allow to cool on a rack. Then share with a chocolate-loving friend! My daughter says these taste like a brownie, and I’ll take that as a compliment.