Chocolate Muffins

Since going gluten-free a year ago, I have developed a keen interest in experimenting with recipes and trying to make healthier versions. Inspired partially by this Whole Foods blog entry and a healthy cookie recipe from the Holistic Nutrition Bytes blog, I recently made some chocolate muffins. Here is a picture of one:

Isn't it cute? Too bad it didn't last long in my hands. Can you see the yummy dark chocolate chips, or at least the spaces left where they used to be?

Now, like most gluten-free baked goods, these have a slightly different crumb texture and mouthfeel, but they still taste awesome. Especially when served with some coconut milk ice cream (that stuff improves just about anything I serve it with). These muffins would be divine topped with some ganache made from melted chocolate and coconut milk, but that might make them chocolate cupcakes, which would not be a bad thing. I did post a blog entry about the wonders of coconut milk and how to make awesome ganache with it, right? No? Well, then shame on me, and I will put that on my list of things to share!

So here is the recipe for these chocolate muffins.

1/3 cup almond butter

2 TBSP coconut oil

2 large pink lady apples

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark, only because that's what I had on hand)

1/4 tsp salt

1 (15 ounce) can no salt added black beans, drained, rinsed, and pureed

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1 cup chocolate chips (I like the dark chocolate chips)

1/4 cup agave nectar

Grease cavities of muffin pan or use baking cups and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop apples into small chunks (I didn't bother to peel mine) and puree in blender with almond butter, coconut oil, agave nectar, and eggs. Add black bean puree.

In mixing bowl combine the brown rice flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix well and add chocolate chips. Add the puree mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir just until blended.

Fill muffin pan cavities and bake about 20 minutes or until done. I made these as standard muffins and mini-muffins, and both turned out great. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to how much longer the standard muffins took to bake, so I apologize for not having a more precise baking time.