Every December throughout high school, our marching band climbed onto five huge charter buses and drove down the I-5 highway from Northern California to Anaheim. With our suitcases crammed into the cargo space underneath the buses and our instruments loaded onto a few moving van-style trailers that followed behind our caravan, we arrived at our hotel eight hours later with everything we needed to perform.
The next day, after spending most of the morning running around Disneyland and fitting in all of our favorite rides (the Matterhorn, the Teacups, and Thunder Mountain Railroad always sat at the top of my list!), we gathered in Toontown, and a designated park employee led us backstage to the dressing rooms, where we changed into our marching uniforms.
Once we climbed onto the risers for a huge Disney group photo, we navigated around the outer rim of the backstage area, still following the same park employee, until we arrived at the side gates just inside the park entrance. At our designated time, the park employee pulled open the gates, and we lifted our instruments to our lips to play a selection of marching songs as we strode down Main Street, around the Walt Disney statue, and towards the back of the park.
To prepare for our busy day, our band director arranged a special breakfast served by our hotel’s kitchen before we spent 12+ hours at Disneyland. Served in a separate banquet hall, rather that the hotel’s regular (but fairly small!) dining room, they set up multiple long buffet tables nearly shaking underneath the weight of all of the food. We had 250 band members, plus an addition 30-50 chaperones, which added up to quite a few hungry tummies for them to feed!
The kitchen generally set out stereotypical continental breakfast items: chafing dishes full of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausages, and pancakes; a large tureen of oatmeal with a variety of milks, sugars, fruits, and nuts for topping; baskets of white and whole wheat toast, alongside little single-serving tubs of butter, jams, and jellies; a large variety of single-serving cereal boxes with pitchers of milk; and (if we were lucky!) a basket of mini muffins at the very end of the table.
Before joining the end of the line, I almost always walked to the other end of the buffet table, just to see if the kitchen had set out those mini muffins that morning. With their tender texture, buttery flavor, and adorable size, they were my favorite part of the meal! While most people grabbed the blueberry or lemon poppy seed ones, I always gravitated towards the ones with chocolate chips… And that was especially true if the batter was chocolate-flavored too!
Since school recently started here in my city, and since I can hear the marching band practicing on Tuesday evenings, those Disneyland parade memories resurfaced… Along with a craving for mini muffins. So I baked these Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Mini Muffins as a result! They’re just as rich and chocolaty as the ones I remember, and they even have the same fudgy texture as brownies. But with absolutely no butter, refined flour or sugar and just 39 calories, I don’t feel guilty about sneaking a second or third!
To start, you’ll need whole wheat flour and unsweetened cocoa powder. That’s right, just the regular ol’ versions of both! Because we’re using equal amounts of flour and cocoa powder, the muffins already taste really rich and decadent without the special dark (aka Dutched) variety of cocoa powder. This is the cocoa powder that I use—I love its indulgent taste!
It’s incredibly important to measure both the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using either the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either, especially the cocoa powder, will dry out your muffins, making them crumbly and giving them a slightly bitter taste. This is the kitchen scale that I own, and it has been the best $20 that I’ve ever spent. I use it every day and for every recipe that I publish here on Amy’s Healthy Baking because it ensures my treats come out with the perfect taste and texture.
Because these mini muffins only contain 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, the rest of their tender texture comes from one of my favorite ingredients in healthier baking. Do you know what it is? That’s right—it’s Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your treats a protein boost, too.
To sweeten the muffins, you’ll use a combination of pure maple syrup and vanilla crème stevia. Be sure you buy the good stuff when it comes to maple syrup! The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs. (I’ve also bought it online!)
As for the other ingredient, stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s very concentrated. A little goes a long way! You’ll only need 1 teaspoon to sweeten this entire recipe. This is the kind that I use because I love its warm vanilla flavor and don’t notice any funky aftertaste like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, and I typically buy it online here. (You’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
As a chocoholic (that’s why I published my Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook!), my favorite part is the mini chocolate chips! Their smaller size ensures that every bite contains a morsel of chocolate. This is the brand that I buy because I love the its rich flavor, and the chocolate chips melt really well too!
If you decide to use muffin or cupcake liners like I did in these photos, be sure you generously spray the liners with nonstick cooking spray. Low-fat muffin batter typically sticks to liners like superglue, so this little trick makes those paper liners peel away from the muffins much easier!
Who else is excited about this extra chocolaty breakfast?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees that I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your mini muffins and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| The Ultimate Healthy Chocolate Mini Muffins | | Print |
- 1 cup (120g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 cup (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla crème stevia
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
- ¼ cup (56g) miniature chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 32 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Mix in the maple syrup and stevia. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in 3 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups, and gently press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
Be very careful when measuring the flour and cocoa powder, especially the latter! Use the method outlined in the links above or a kitchen scale. (I highly recommend a kitchen scale! This is the one I own, and it has been the best $20 I’ve ever spent. I swear by it!) Too much of either will make the muffin batter very dry, and too much of the cocoa powder will also make the muffins taste bitter.
Agave or honey may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
I highly recommend using the vanilla crème stevia. (You'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) If you prefer, an additional 6 tablespoons of pure maple syrup may be substituted for the vanilla crème stevia, and the milk should be reduced to 6 tablespoons to compensated for the added liquid.
These muffins are meant to taste similar to 70% dark chocolate. For a sweeter taste, add an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon of vanilla crème stevia. Alternatively, substitute 2-4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for the same amount of milk.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Be VERY careful if using liners! Generously coat the liners with nonstick cooking spray before adding the muffin batter. This batter will stick to liners like superglue if they aren’t coated with cooking spray.
If you prefer, this recipe will yield 12 standard sized muffins. The baking temperature remains the same. Begin checking on them after about 19 minutes. The muffins will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops feel firm to the touch.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar, higher protein}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins
♥ Chocolate Chip Banana Mini Muffins
♥ Chocolate Chip Zucchini Mini Muffins
♥ Mini Dark Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
♥ Clean Triple Chocolate Scones
♥ Skinny Slow Cooker Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies
♥ Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
Mini muffins are just SO cute!! That’s the only thing I need….a mini muffin tin! These would be perfect for my first day of classes today, but thankfully they can be made into regular-sized ones too 🙂
I’ve been OBSESSED with my mini muffin tins lately! Maybe you’ve noticed?… 😉 I hope you had an amazing first day of classes Marina!! ♥
These muffins look amazing! I would like to make them using raw honey instead of Stevia. Would that work? If so, how much should I use?
I just read through the recipe more carefully (grin) and I see you can use honey instead of the Maple syrup substitute. So, 6 tablespoons of honey, and reduce milk by six?
Exactly! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the muffins Denise!
These look absolutely amazing! Would all-purpose flour work in these or do you think whole-wheat is better? What do you think putting fruit, like raspberries, in them would be like? 🙂
I already answered your first question in the Notes section of the recipe underneath the Instructions. 🙂 I think that adding finely diced raspberries would be a fun addition, and I’d love to hear how that turns out if you try it Katie!
Can I substitute almond flour for the whole wheat flour and still get good results?
I haven’t tried that substitution and can’t guarantee the results. The muffins will most likely turn out somewhat denser because almond flour doesn’t contain gluten, and gluten is what allows baked goods to maintain their shape after rising while baking. I’d recommend adding the amount of xanthan gum that I include in my preferred gluten-free blend to compensate because xanthan gum imitates gluten’s structural properties. I’d love to hear what you think if you try the muffins Allison! 🙂
You described the EXACT foods I’ve been eating for breakfast (on holiday) the last couple of days – coming downstairs from the hotel room in the morning and selecting breakfast items from the self-serve section of the restaurant! I’ve had fruit & granola, as well as the cooked breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausages, and beans. We don’t have pancakes with cooked breakfast over here – they’re not even an option in hotels, which is outrageous! I think we need to protest?! However, there were croissants which was good☺. And then of course, the little muffins – each individually wrapped in a plastic packet (I was being good and didn’t have one, which I’m glad about because now I can make THESE lovely chocolate muffins and eat them guilt free! They’ll probably be even yummier than the hotel ones anyway!!) Even though I’ve loved the relaxing time and having my meals served to me, I’m now itching to get back in the kitchen and get baking – first the cinnamon rolls, then the banana brownies, and then these chocolate muffins!!?
That’s SO funny Katie!! Great minds think alike! ? I’d totally protest if there weren’t any pancakes too… They’re such a staple (along with waffles) in hotel breakfasts over here. But I could be persuaded not to protest TOO loudly if I could have croissants! ? I can’t wait to hear what you think of these mini muffins — after the banana brownies and cinnamon rolls, of course! ♥
BEST. FOOD BLOG. EVER. I seriously love this blog more than anything and it’s definitely the best one I’ve found!!! Thank you for all these amazing recipes!! 🙂
You’re so sweet to say that Julia — my heart just melted!! That means so much to me! ♥ ♥ I truly appreciate your kind words, and I can’t wait to see what you try next!
hi Amy, i dont have liquid stevia but only the granulated type that resembles sugar. can i use that and what amount should i use? thanks!
Oh and I forgot to mention my stevia sugar is twice as sweet as normal sugar. So 1 teaspoon of stevia = 2 teaspoon sugar.
Yes, you can use that Karen! Thanks for including that conversion tip about your stevia. You’ll need about ¼ cup of your stevia, or slightly more if you prefer sweeter muffins, and you may need to reduce the milk by about 2 tablespoons. The baking time may also vary slightly. I can’t wait to hear how the muffins turn out!
Thanks Amy! I can’t wait to try it out 🙂 will it be OK to follow this measurement for your other recipes requiring liquid stevia?
You’re welcome Karen! I almost always put the granulated sugar equivalent of the vanilla creme stevia in my recipes that include it, so you can determine the ratio you’ll need in those other recipes based off of your stevia. 🙂 I’m so excited to hear what you think of these muffins!
Amy, I just made these and they are delicious. I used unsweetened almond milk and gluten free flour and even used sugar free maple flavored breakfast syrup and not only did they smell divine while baking, they are delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe.
I’m so glad you loved the muffins Barbara! 🙂
There are so many flavors of the stevia you recommended. Besides the vanilla creme have you used any others like the chocolate, and if so was it good? Is it worth buying a few different flavors to go with a particular recipe?
I’ve only worked with the vanilla creme flavor in baking recipes (and the mixed berry flavor in overnight oats), so I’m not the best person to ask. I imagine it’d be fun to try some of the other flavors though! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these muffins Lorraine!