Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins
Author: Cookie Madness
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 18 mins
Total time: 28 mins
Wheat free chocolate muffins. Reduced calorie and reduced fat.
Ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cups oats
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened Hershey’s dark cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup hot coffee or how water
  • 1/3 cup of *drained* applesauce or pureed baby food prunes
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/3 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
  • 3/4 cup sugar or Fibrelle or your choice of non-liquid sweetener = to 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon chocolate extract (optional)
  • 1/3 cup extra dark chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with foil or paper liners or just spray with baking spray.
  2. Grind the oatmeal in a food processor. Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and pulse to mix. Open the processor and add hot water (or coffee), applesauce, egg whites, yogurt, sugar (or Fibrelle), vanilla and chocolate extract (if using). Process until well mixed, stopping to scrape sides of processor. Remove top of processor and stir in the chocolate chips (or pour mixture into a bowl if that's easier for you)
  3. Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cups -- it should come almost to the top. Put in the oven, set the timer for 18 minutes.
  4. Immediately reduce heat to 350 F. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes or until muffins appear set. Let cool and set in the cups.
Notes
To drain applesauce, start with about 2/3 cup. Spread a circle of applesauce on a stack of paper towels and let it sit for about 10 minutes so that towels soak up the extra water. You'll be surprised at how much water you lose by draining it. This recipe halves easily. If you don't have a food processor but you do have a coffee grinder, grinder the oats in the coffee grinder and make the recipe in a bowl. Use whatever type sweetener you like, but check to make sure that whatever type you use equals 3/4 cup regular sugar. Some measure spoon of spoon, but others don't. If you make the muffins with Fibrelle, you might want to let people know that the sweetener has maltitol in it. Some people are fine with them, but others are sensitive. With the Fibrelle, prunes and oats, this is definitely a high fiber muffin! If you're serving these to a group of people you don't know. it's probably best to stick with the sugar.
Recipe by Cookie Madness at http://www.cookiemadness.net/2011/11/dark-chocolate-oatmeal-muffins/