A few years ago, Dad and I planned an East Coast baseball trip for late August, before the craziness of work took over his life in September. We started in Philadelphia, briefly paused for an Orioles game in Baltimore, and finished in Washington, DC, where Dad scheduled a day’s worth of business meetings at the end of our trip.
We arrived at the airport bright and early on that Friday morning, ready for our cross-country Southwest flights. We carried on all of our luggage (Dad always avoids waiting at baggage carousels after landing, if he can!) and passed through the security checkpoint with plenty of time before takeoff.
As we walked towards our gate, we passed by a Starbucks kiosk and decided to pick up breakfast to enjoy while waiting to board the plane. I ordered a banana and a latte (I needed the extra caffeine after my alarm rang so early that morning!), while Dad opted for his favorite dark roast plain black coffee and a chocolate muffin.
Once we found seats in front of our gate, Dad opened the paper bag with his pastry, peeled off the wrapper, and took a big bite. Rich chocolate batter, lots of chocolate chips, a perfectly tender crumb… As a huge chocoholic, I immediately said yes when he offered me a taste!
When Grandma and I recently chatted about our baseball trips and which stadiums Dad and I have left (only 7 out of 30!), that airport breakfast memory resurfaced… But I decided to be a little creative and combine Dad’s original black coffee flavors with the chocolate muffin he ordered, which resulted in these Healthy Mocha Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins! They taste just as indulgent as the one Dad ate years ago — basically like a brownie crossed with a muffin! — but they’re only 35 calories with no refined flour or sugar!
And my chocoholic heart is extremely excited about that!
For the batter, you’ll start with two key ingredients: white whole wheat flour (like this!) and unsweetened cocoa powder (like this!). Just use regular ol’ unsweetened cocoa powder! You’re adding equal amounts of flour and cocoa powder, so these muffins already taste really rich and decadent without Dutched or special dark cocoa powder.
However, it’s extremely important that you measure the flour and cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. Too much of either will dry out your muffins, and too much cocoa powder will make them taste bitter, rather than perfectly decadent.
Because of that, I highly recommend a kitchen scale! ← That’s the one I own and love. It only cost $20, and it has been the best kitchen tool I’ve ever bought! I use it to make every recipe that I share with you on my blog and in my cookbook because it ensures my treats turn out with the proper taste and texture every time.
For the coffee component of the mocha flavor, you’ll use instant coffee crystals. These are the ones I use—or these for the decaf version! The coffee flavor is very concentrated in the instant coffee crystals, so I don’t recommend substituting regular brewed coffee instead. Instant coffee is inexpensive, shelf-stable, and perfect for baking, so it’s worth keeping in your pantry!
Just a few more important ingredients! Because you’re only using 1 tablespoon of butter, Greek yogurt provides the majority of the tender texture, and it gives your muffins a protein boost too. Win-win! Then you’ll use liquid stevia to sweeten your muffins. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing artificial or refined (aka it’s clean eating friendly!), and you just need 1 ½ teaspoons for all 32 muffins. This is the kind I buy because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste, and I always purchase it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (You’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
And of course… The mini chocolate chips! I’m obsessed with these because they taste so rich and melt really well. I always press some into the tops of my muffins before baking. Don’t they look so cute and inviting?
Oh! One last tip… Remember to coat your muffin liners with cooking spray! Low-fat muffin batter (and cupcake batter!) sticks to liners like superglue, so this little trick allows you to easily peel back the liners without any issues. Nifty, right??
Ready to eat your own brownie-like muffins? And when you make these, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy mocha chocolate chip mini muffins!
| Healthy Mocha Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins | | Print |
- 1 cup (120g) white 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
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp (210mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 1 tbsp (6g) instant coffee crystals (see Notes!)
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature and lightly beaten
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 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 6 tablespoons of milk and the instant coffee until the instant coffee has fully dissolved. (It may take a few minutes!) Whisk in the coconut oil, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 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 13-16 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.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE: 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.
STEVIA + SWEETENER NOTES: I highly recommend using the liquid stevia. I buy it onlinehere because that's the best price I've found. (You’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
These muffins are meant to taste similar to 70% dark chocolate. For a sweeter taste, add an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon of liquid stevia. Alternatively, substitute 2-4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for the same amount of milk.
If you prefer, ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted for the liquid stevia, and the milk should be reduced to 6 tablespoons to compensated for the added liquid.
COFFEE NOTES: This is the instant coffee that I use — or this for a decaf version! The coffee flavor is very concentrated in the instant coffee crystals, so I don’t recommend substituting regular brewed coffee instead. Instant coffee is inexpensive, shelf-stable, and perfect for baking, so it’s worth keeping in your pantry!
For a stronger coffee flavor, add an additional 1 teaspoon of instant coffee crystals.
If you're not a fan of coffee, you can easily omit it to make plain double chocolate muffins!
MUFFIN LINERS NOTE: 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.
TO MAKE STANDARD SIZED MUFFINS: 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, sugar free}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Mocha Chocolate Chip Scones
♡ 35-Calorie Peppermint Mocha
♡ Healthy Fudgy Peppermint Mocha Cookies
♡ Healthy Dark Chocolate Mocha Truffles
♡ Healthy Single-Serving Mocha Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
♡ Healthy & Fudgy Mocha Brownies with Coffee Drizzle
♡ Mocha Brownie Protein Bars
I forgot to give 5 stars
Awww, thank you for the five start rating too, Ayda!! You’re so kind! 🙂 🙂
Hello Amy, I really love your recipes..
When it comes to this recipe, is it possible to replace liquid stevia for powdered one?
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Nina! What’s the exact powdered stevia (brand + product name!) that you’d like to substitute? 🙂
Sorry for not answering before.
I’m in Europe, and in my country I can find only this one:
https://www.vitalia.com.mk/product/diabetic-1/
Thanks so much for sharing, Nina! According to the website link you included, 1 teaspoon of your stevia product is the equivalent of 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar. If that’s true, then you’ll need ¼ cup of that particular stevia product, and you’ll likely need to reduce the milk as well. I’d recommend starting with ½ cup + 2 tablespoons to start. You may need more, but I’m honestly not sure since this is a stevia product that I’ve never worked with before. The batter should be on the thick side, but not as thick as cookie dough! So if you can’t incorporate all of the dry ingredients, then add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Does that make sense? 🙂
Thank you so much for this detailed answer. I’m on my vacation right now, but as soon as I return home, I will try to make them, according to your instructions. I will let you know about results 🙂
It’s my pleasure, Nina! I’m happy to help! 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful rest of your vacation, and I can’t wait to hear how your muffins turn out!
Hi Amy! Can I substitute granulated sugar in place of the liquid stevia?
It means a lot that you’d like to try my recipe, Sue! Yes, you can substitute granulated sugar. To replace the liquid stevia, you’ll need ½ cup (96g) of granulated sugar, and you’ll also need to decrease the milk to ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150mL) to compensate for the added volume. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these mini muffins if you end up making them!