Tag: Chocolate

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Just last summer, Olympic marathoner Shalane Flanagan and her childhood friend Elyse Kopecky released Run Fast. Eat Slow.; an amazing cookbook full of nourishing recipes highlight ingredients that fuel and replenish. I’ve made many of the recipes from the book and each one was as satisfying and delicious as the last.

One particular recipe that has been quite popular is called Super Hero Muffins. The muffins are made with almond flour, shredded carrots, zucchini, and delicious spices. They make for a quick breakfast or snack that’s filled with tons of “good for you” flavor and leaves out all the empty sugar.

The Change Up

With a busy week ahead and a wicked chocolate craving I had every intention of making Super Hero Muffins and adding some chocolate chips. However, a very key ingredient wasn’t available at my grocer. The spot on the shelf where I grab almond flour on the reg was empty. I briefly contemplated the option to create my own almond flour, but realistically I don’t have a food processor and it just seems like more work than I’m willing to put in. As I scoured the isle for an flour alternative I spotted a new product the grocer was carrying, quinoa flour. I know nothing about quinoa flour but it seemed like a good alternative.

Now that my plan required slight alterations, I decided to go full out on this chocolate craving and picked up some cocoa powder too. I wanted to experiment to see if I could create a delicious treat that satisfied my chocolate addiction and that I didn’t have to feel completely guilty about.

So that’s basically how I ended up with Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins. Check out the recipe below.

 

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa flour

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free)

1 cup Nestle Toll House Baking Cocoa

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup grated zucchini

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup dark amber maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa flour, oats, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, zucchini, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients mixing well until just combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
6. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling each to the brim. Bake until muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. 25 to 35 minutes.

 

The Results

I was pretty pleased with how the muffins turned out. Although I find almond flour quite tasty, the quinoa flour acted a bit more like regular flour in comparison. For example the muffins made with the quinoa flour were slightly lighter and fluffier and less of a nutty taste than muffins made with almond flour.

I’m still working on my family and friends to eat food without refined sugar. One of my kiddos and husband will normally eat one muffin but still would rather have a regular muffin. Oh who am I kidding. They would rather have a cupcake. But for me, I prefer the “NO REFINED SUGAR” option and am kind of pleased that I got this chocolate chip muffins all to myself to eat for breakfast or as my afternoon snack for the entire week.

Speaking of afternoon snacks and cupcakes. I did recently discover that my local grocer, in addition to the quinoa flour also has fresh ground peanut butter. Oh my heavens. You grind the peanut butter right there on the spot. It comes out all warm and gooey and smells amazing. Well I decided to add a tasty dollop (giant scoop) of the peanut butter on top of my muffin. It acted as peanut butter frosting on top of a delicious chocolatey cupcake. It was like heaven I tell you. Pure and simple heaven.

If you decide to make this recipe, I hope you enjoy.

Have you tried the Run Fast. Eat Slow. cookbook? Which recipe is your favorite?