Chocolate Coconut (and Secret Beet) Muffins

It's pandemic season, and we in the DC area are on lockdown. Schools are closed, jobs are closed, musician's tours have been canceled (aka my husband is home) and it feels like a good time to simply stay inside and stay healthy.

Luckily, staying inside and staying healthy are two of my favorite hobbies, especially when I have time to bake. I don't want to blow through my stores of my usual baking ingredients, so I wanted to get creative with some of my lesser used flours, and other random stuff I had kicking around. Plus, I wanted to make something a little healthier, lower in sugar, and more filling than the average baked good, since we are (after all) hunkered down for an unforeseeable amount of time, and trying to stave off illness.

Thus, these chocolate coconut beet muffins were born. They are protein enhanced, veggie enhanced, high in fiber, fluffy, tasty, and all around great! If you don't have coconut extract, you can just double the vanilla extract, or add a shot of espresso and try chocolate coffee muffins. Either way, if you happen to have these ingredients on hand, I highly recommend giving them a try!

Ingredients

Dry

2 Cups Bob's 1-1 Gluten Free Flour Blend 1/2 Cup Bob's Gluten Free Oat Flour 1/2 Cup Garden of Life Organic Protein Powder (I used unflavored but vanilla or chocolate would probably be even better) 1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup "Sucanat" aka unrefined sugar (or coconut sugar) 2 Tablespoons Flaxseed Meal

Wet

1 Cup Water I package of Love Beets cooked beets, pureed (keep all liquid)

3/4 cup Avocado Oil 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract 1 Tablespoon Natural Coconut Flavoring 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips 1/2 cup Shredded Coconut (optional. You can always double up the chocolate chips instead!) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together the wet ingredients in a small bowl, then dump them into the dry ingredients and whisk together. The batter is pretty thick, but don't worry. If after mixing it for a few minutes, it truly seems too thick, add 1/4 cup water and whisk again. It should be quite thick.

Add the chocolate chips and shredded coconut and stir until everything is evenly combined.

Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Fill them with approximate 1/3 cup of batter. I recommend a muffin scoop, but if you don't have one, simply use a measuring cup and your finger.

Bake at 350 degrees, on a center rack, for 20-25 minutes, checking the muffins at 20 minutes. If they seem a little doughy, give them 5 more minutes.

Let cool for 10-15 minutes, and enjoy! They are tasty, nutrient enhanced, and have an amazing texture. I topped mine with peanut butter for a delicious and satisfying breakfast.

Happy, Healthy Baking!

-Marian