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Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins

January 22, 2018 · Natalie 80 Comments

The yummiest easiest chocolate chip muffins made with non-dairy yogurt so they are SO moist and tender (and vegan!). Prep ahead snack or freshly baked treat!

If I was forced to choose just one muffin to be the only muffin I could eat for the rest of my life, this would be the one. Why? Because they are a) the fluffiest and easiest and yummiest muffin you’ve ever laid eyes upon and b) versatile AF (AF = as fruitloops, obvi). Those mini chips are just a melty placeholder for a zillion possible things you could mix into these muffins. Because once you have a perfect batter like this, the world is your muffin oyster.

I try not to throw around words like favorite or best or mind-blowing too much, but if I did I would be using them all right now.

How does this sound:

7 ingredients.
One bowl.
30 minutes.
Tested almond and oat flour options.
All the chocolate chips.
Flawless texture.
Moist without oil or nut butter.
As foolproof as baking can be.

They are the BEST muffins I’ve ever made. And they are my current FAVORITE snack. And they are going to BLOW YOUR MIND. Superlative police come at me!

There is only one wet ingredient in this whole recipe. It’s the secret sauce that makes these muffins so magical. It’s something I haven’t baked with in so long I forgot how wonderful it is for both moisture and texture. The multi-talented stuff gifting all of us with the sweetest most fluffily fabulous muffins is…yogurt!

VEGAN YOGURT MUFFINS. That’s what’s up.

It’s really not fair. If you search “greek yogurt muffins” the internet has pages upon pages for you to choose from. But search “vegan yogurt muffins” and by the bottom of page one it’s already like: Oh you meant vegan blueberry muffins didn’t you? No google – I want yogurt in my vegan muffins, kay? (Although actually I’d be okay with yogurt AND blueberries. Just sayin.)

I don’t know if you noticed, but the non-dairy selection on the yogurt shelf is expanding like crazy. Almond milk yogurt options that just keep getting better, coconut yogurt in any creamy flavor you like, flax milk yogurt is apparently a thing, and they are even inventing new words like cashewgurt. It’s wild out there.

Because ~~it was on sale~~ I wanted to try something new, I made these muffins with the Forager Project cashew milk yogurt. And lemme tell you, this stuff is good. Tangy but not too tangy, and just the silkiest don’t-even-have-to-stir-it texture. I am quickly becoming a big fan of this brand. I may or may not have recently ordered six (yes, you read that right) bags of their greens chips. This post is not sponsored or anything, I’m just telling you as an FYI.

Enough about chips that count as salad though.

I did also test these muffins with coconut yogurt, and it worked too. If your yogurt is quite thick, consider adding a couple of tablespoons of nondairy milk to thin it out (see video below for proper consistency) and whisk away those lumps. Or if you aren’t vegan, you can use dairy yogurt even. Plain/unsweetened yogurt of course, don’t get crazy on me with peach flavored or anything.

This may sound weird, but the yogurt also makes this batter taste cream cheese frosting-ish. Like different texture, but the flavor and aroma are spot on – sweet, tangy, undertone of vanilla. Licking the spatula all I could think was: Someone get me a carrot cake! You’ll see what I mean. So when I say one batch yields ten muffins, what I mean is one batch yields eight muffins. Maybe six if you are an over-filler like me.

The rest of this recipe is so so simple – coconut sugar, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and then your choice of flour(s). The almond flour version is my favorite with the most perfect muffin crumb I’ve ever witnessed. Birthday cakes everywhere are jealous. The oat flour option is great too, although a little drier since this recipe is relatively low fat.

Are you seeing this perfect intermingling of chocolate and fluff and more chocolate and more fluff…

I’ve already made three batches, so you have some catching up to do. GET ON IT.

Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins

★★★★★ 4.8 from 20 reviews

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8 muffins 1x
Category: muffins
Method: baking
Cuisine: american

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Description

The yummiest easiest chocolate chip muffins made with non-dairy yogurt so they are SO moist and tender (and vegan!) Prep ahead snack or freshly baked treat!

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup (240g) non-dairy yogurt (*)
1/3 cup (55g) coconut sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 cups (220g) almond flour (**(see notes for oat flour option))
1/2 cup (60g) tapioca starch (***)
1/3 cup (55g) chocolate chips

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yogurt and coconut sugar. Stir/whisk until combined and no lumps remain.
Add the baking powder, vanilla, salt, and flour. Stir to form a thick batter.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter into a muffin pan filling each muffin until it is level with the top of the pan. You will get 6-8 muffins depending on your pan. Gently smooth the tops.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350F or until golden brown and firm to the touch when you lightly press the center.
Remove from the oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan.
Enjoy! Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes

*I used cashew yogurt, but any kind of yogurt will work. If it is quite thick, add a couple of tablespoons of nondairy milk (see video for proper consistency). **For the oat option, use 1 1/2 cups oat flour and omit the tapioca starch. ***You can sub arrowroot or cornstarch.

Keywords: baking, dessert, snack, paleo, vegan

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Banana-Free Smoothie Cubes

January 17, 2018 · Natalie 29 Comments

The key to SUPER creamy smoothies without banana—power-packed smoothie cubes with veggies, fats, and protein that you can prep ahead for easy blending!

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY VITAMIX VIA THEFEEDFEED.

You know those moments when an idea so clever and obvious hits you and makes you wonder why years ago you didn’t think of it? This is one of those moments.

Easy. Practical. Versatile. Nutritious. Customizable. Just checking all of the NEED IN YOUR LIFE boxes. Not saying I can predict the future, but if I could I would tell you that these cubes are destined to be a freezer staple very soon.

The key to making smoothies without banana, and a peek at some fun new blender things from Vitamix this way…

In case you are confused—since when does smoothie making involve avocados and ice cube trays? Let me explain.

You know how frozen bananas are the easy way to make thick and creamy and sweet smoothies. And how 95% of smoothies use them. And how you can make almost ice cream with them because they do their job so well. And how sometimes you are out and have to have oatmeal for breakfast instead. And how easy it is to consume 4-5 bananas in the form of a creamy bowl but that maybe doesn’t always make you feel so good. You are nodding right now, yes?

Well I created a frozen banana substitute with less (or zero) fruit from a variety of good for ya stuff that will still make your smoothies taste like melty soft-serve. A faux frozen banana you could say. Bonus: no ripening required.

I wanted this to be more of an inspirational guideline recipe than a hard-and-fast rules recipe. Which is to say, there are LOTS of options:

Cauliflower or zucchini. You need one or the other, but you can use both. Cauliflower makes for a frostier texture, zucchini is creamier. Cauliflower should be cooked (or buy it already cooked/frozen), zucchini can be raw (but peeled for color purposes).

Avocado or sweet potato. Avocado—higher fat, sooooo creamy, no cooking, not very sweet. Sweet potato—lower fat, naturally sweet, gotta cook it, may turn every smoothie you make with these cubes a hideous shade of brownish-orange. So there’s your pro/con list.

Hemp or chia or flax seeds. Or all three of these super little seeds.

Dates or unsweetened. Add the dates for one-stop creamy AND sweet smoothie cubes. Or skip the dates for heavy on veg, light on sugar smoothie cubes to use for creaminess in smoothies with other fruits. Or use honey or maple syrup for sweet but fruit-free smoothie cubes. Up to you.

Milk. From-a-carton coconut milk is what I used, but any kind of milk will work. Or you could use coconut water, but they may be more icy.

Protein powder or collagen. Only if you want to. This is the simple and yummy vegan protein powder I use. And collagen peptides are much cheaper on Thrive Market (honestly the main reason I joined), so if you’re going that route check them out.

Extra boosts! Now this is where things get fun and highly customizable. Consider good stuff like: maca powder, turmeric, greens powder, ginger, vanilla bean, etc. Anything to bump up the flavor and/or effortlessly sneak in the healthy stuff.

Or if you hate decisions, disregard all of the above, just keep scrolling, and I’ll tell you exactly what I did.

Can we talk about the shiny red elephant in the ~~room~~ post for a sec? That is the new Venturist V1200 from Vitamix and obviously I am obsessed with it because I mean just look at it. It’s swanky and elegant and not just beautiful to look at but beautiful to use too.

A few things I love about this model in particular:

It’s smart but simple. It still has the digital timer and Self Detect technology and variable speeds and pulse feature, but the controls are simple just like the original models.
Smaller cups. Ya’ll, this is huge. In addition to the standard 64oz container, there is a 20oz single-serving sized smoothie cup and an even smaller 8oz cup (that I am completely smitten with). Oh, and they’re dishwasher safe!
Lighter weight. Sounds like nbd, but with the acrobatics I do while shooting videos I appreciate that.
It can do it all—batters, smoothies, nut milks, flours, ice creams, nut butters, etc.

I’ve been told I don’t post enough recipes that don’t use the blender, to which I say once you know the magic of working with a Vitamix you won’t ever want to cook/bake anything without it again either.

The smoothie cube making process is as simple as blend > freeze overnight > store in the freezer for any and all smoothie making occasions. No ice cube tray? A mini muffin pan makes for a fine stand-in.

They will last in the freezer for quite a while, so feel free to double or triple the batch, fill up that freezer, and feel like a meal-preppin queen. One batch will make 4-6 (INSANELY CREAMY) smoothies depending on how much other fruit you add. I’m telling ya, the texture is next level luxurious. And they don’t melt as fast or turn brown like banana smoothies either.

Bananas—who needs em? Wait…actually we do for banana bread. Nevermind bananas, I love you.

But for blending not baking, THESE CUBES. Your new smoothie secret weapon.