Delicious Chocolate Vita Muffin Knock Off!

Who doesn't like Vita Muffins? They are the perfect little treat when you're trying to watch what you eat. Who likes that they cost $6 for 4? I'm sure quite a few people would put their hands down. While I'm perfectly okay spending more on things that are healthy for me, I'd much rather bake my own if possible. Well, blog friends, it's totally possible. In fact, these muffins aren't as good as the Vita Muffin version, they are far better. That's just my opinion though.

I've been eating really whole foods lately. Avoiding sugar, excess flour, and sodium. I've basically been sticking to a "clean" diet filled with fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Well, usually, when it's time for PMS, I'm all over anything with those sweet, little, white, granular bits. Not this time! I baked these muffins to give me the chocolate I crave but without flour, refined sugar, and all those other nasty ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup oats

3 egg whites

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or 1 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup hot water

1 cup sugar substitute or 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp stevia (I used 1/2 cup agave nectar)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I may have used slightly more...)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin pan with foil cupcake liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a blender or food processor, mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth. Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in 1/2 of the chocolate chips. Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.

Place muffin tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven, distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin. Place muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes at 116 calories per muffin! Perfection! You can find the original recipe here.

Jet-lag Boredom.

I got home from Thailand around 10am Vancouver time last Tuesday after not sleeping for 48 hours. I was determined to stay up until at least 8pm so I could get into a normal sleeping pattern. What better way to keep yourself awake then by baking muffins! I adore muffins, but they are always so unhealthy (even if they are the devious bran muffin which one would think is healthy!) so I avoid them and eat them rarely.

I came across a recipe for Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Muffins and thought I'd like to try it! They are delicious and don't cost me 400+ calories like their unhealthy counterparts! I even froze some to keep them for my lunches and by the time noon rolls around they are defrosted and still just as tasty!





Ingredients


1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I reduced to less than 1/2 cup and it was sweet enough)
1/2 cup quick oats
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/3 cup Greek yogurt - plain
1/4 cup skim milk (I used almond milk)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used a mix of berries since that's all I had. I also used frozen but when the blueberry season is in full force I'll try fresh!)


Method


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, brown sugar, oats, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, oil, egg, and lemon rind. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in frozen berries. Scoop into muffin tin, filling 2/3 full.

3. Bake in center of oven for 30 minutes!


I am still adjusting from my trip. I sleep at the right times, I just get tired much earlier than normal resulting in me waking up far too early too.

As I briefly mentioned in a previous post, Dan's deployment has been cancelled. This means he'll be coming home!! I don't know when he'll be home because paperwork and out-processing have to be completed but I'm crossing my fingers it's not too long! I've been busy cleaning my place because I have a feeling it will be spontaneous! He's trying to get on a course which will take him away from home again for six weeks, but after that, we'll be living like a regular old civilian couple for awhile!

Oh, and I happened to notice that this is my 100th blog post! So happy 100th to me!