Reduced Fat Chocolate Muffins is a recipe for small batch chocolate muffins made with cocoa powder, Greek yogurt, applesauce and other things. One of the other ingredients was whole wheat pastry flour, but I've since tested with the equivalent all-purpose and it works just fine. Brown sugar is another ingredient that can be modified. If you'd prefer not to use brown sugar, you can use allulose. Amounts are in the notes.
Reduced Fat Chocolate Muffins Recipe Photo
Here's a more recent photo. This one is an allulose chocolate muffin, with 100 grams of allulose plus a tablespoon of molasses standing in for the brown sugar. It made the muffins quite a bit moister and also cut about 800 calories out of the recipe. I also got 8 (2 ½ oz) muffins when I used the allulose.
Recipe
Reduced Fat Chocolate Muffins
Moist chocolate muffins made with applesauce instead of butter.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour or you can use 110 grams of all-purpose (about 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) (110 grams)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (30 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon plus a pinch of salt ⅜ tsp
- ½ cup plus 2 T. light brown sugar packed (110 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 3 oz Greek yogurt (84 grams)
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- ¾ teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 ½ oz
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. 6 muffin cups with paper liners
- Drain the applesauce. Stack about 8 paper towels on the counter and pour applesauce on paper towels. Spread the applesauce around in a circle almost as wide as the towels letting the towels soak up moisture from the applesauce; Let sit for about 5 minutes. You could probably do this step in a strainer, but I did it with towels.
- Meanwhile, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a small mixing bowl.
- Scrape the drained applesauce (weight should be 5 oz, volume should now be heaping ½ cup) off the towel and place it in a second mixing bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, egg, yogurt, oil and vanilla.
- Pour the dry mixture into the applesauce mixture and stir a few strokes, then add the chocolate chips and stir until blended.
- Divide batter equally among 6 muffin cups, filling to the top, and bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick or chopstick inserted in center comes out clean.
Notes
To substitute allulose, use 100 grams of allulose plus 1 tablespoon of molasses.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Mindy says
Anna, I am so glad that you read my comment. I check your blog every day and feel like you are the authority on baking and experimenting to find yummy recipes!...I have been playing around with bean purees a lot lately (because of the added nutrition, fiber, and ability to substitute out some of the fat, like you said) with lots of good results. I just used two tablespoons for these muffins (I doubled the batch). I usually only sub bean puree for half of the fat in recipes that I am trying for the first time. If I like it, I may use more the next time I make the recipe. I have several great recipes that I use the beans in for most of the fat. I love the stuff!
Anna says
Mindy, what a great idea to use the black bean puree. If you happen to see this, I'd be curious to know about how much you used. That's a great way to add fiber and a little protein. Glad to know the beans tasted okay. If they work in brownies, I don't see why they wouldn't work in muffins.
Mindy says
Hey Anna,
Thanks for the great recipe! I made a double batch of these this morning, using applesauce, black bean puree, and fat free sour cream (instead of the Greek yogurt) with just a little less olive oil. It made 12 beautiful muffins & WOW! They are outstanding!! I am so excited to feed my chocolate-loving family these healthy gems!
Farrah (My KitchenAid Mixer & Me) says
I made twelve of these devilish delights this morning with my daughter. We had to make some adjustments since I didn't have Greek yogurt or unsweetened applesauce. I used lite vanilla yogurt and sweetened applesauce and my son who doesn't like to eat anything that he considers "healthy" ate two of them. I sent a couple home with my sister because she said they looked yummy. These were good right out of the oven, when they are warm, gooey and chocolatey!! YUM I posted a picture on my blog page. Thank you!
Anna says
Katherine, thanks for the review! I was thinking banana would be great, but my daughter doesn't like banana so I went with the applesauce.
Katrina sent a photo of her pumpkin version and they look good too.
katherine says
I made a batch of these this morning from what I had on hand. I used two small bananas in place of the applesauce, light sour cream for the yogurt, white whole wheat for the w.w. pastry four (what is the difference?) and canola oil for the olive oil.... lots of switches... but they were great. My 3 yr old devoured one still warm. I got 8 muffins, as I don't have a jumbo pan.
Thanks for a healthy and chocolate recipe... what a combo!
Krystle says
These look amazing! Im with you the treadmill and I dont mix unless I have somethign to completely occupy my thoughts. Mainly trashy tv or food thoughts!
HeartofGlass says
I run (and bike) outside but will gladly reap the benefits of your boredom! These look PERFECT! And I agree 250 calories is also a perfect healthy dessert total!
Sweets at Vicky's says
I totally agree that the threadmill makes one go ughh sometimes. But! As Katrina says, a great mag is always a perk! 🙂 And then one can look forward to chocolate muffins. life is sooo balanced that way. 🙂
Katrina says
Oh, and I read magazines on the treadmill at the gym, and I always feel a little silly because they are usually food magazines!
Katrina says
Mmmmore Mmmmmuffins! (I love muffins.) Looks like a good one! Maybe I'll break out one of the large cans of pumpkin I bought when there was such a big scare about a shortage. I think I have 7-8 cans! Just wondering, but what brand of Greek yogurt do you like/use?
We are getting LOTS more snow. School tomorrow was already cancelled earlier this afternoon.
I will probably make the muffins in the regular size pan or minis. I'll let you know how they are with pumpkin!
Anna says
Lisa, I just discovered Greek yogurt not too long ago and love it, It's hard to find a non-meat item with so much protein.
Emily, thanks for the exercise empathy. Maybe we could write a cookbook where we make up all our recipes on the treadmill ;).
Shelly, you must have missed it but I put the calorie count in the text. Mastercook says 240 calories each.
Betty, yogurt weighs about the same as it's volume, give or take a few grams. I weighed out 3 oz, but if you used a heaping 1/3 cup, you'd be fine.
shelly (cookies and cups) says
Do you know the calorie count on these?? They look sooo good!
Betty says
Just for clarification is that 3 oz. by volume or by weight for the yogurt. This is too good not to try.
Emily says
Mmm they look so good! I want one.
I'm the same way on the treadmill. I have to think about other things or I'm miserable!
Lisa Ernst says
These look like a good "everyday" alternative to less healthy muffins. To me, 250 calories for a jumbo muffin is a steal, but then I'm not one to count calories. I particularly like the addition of Greek yogurt. When I try my chocolate chip coconut muffins, I may have to add some of the yogurt, or just use this recipe as a base, but without the cocoa.