Do you find yourself losing leftovers in the back of your fridge, packing uninspired wilted salads for lunch, and rushing to put together dinner last minute every weeknight? Veteran cookbook author Catherine McCord wants to heal your relationship with your kitchen in her new book, Meal Prep Magic: Time-Saving Tricks for Stress-Free Cooking, A Weelicious Cookbook. This latest offering from the Weelicious founder guides you through food storage organization and fresh, healthy recipes that you can prep ahead of time. And she’s let us in on a tasty muffin recipe that will put your habit of impulse-buying deflated Starbucks danishes to shame.
“This is a riff on another one of the all-time most popular recipes on Weelicious, my Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins,” McCord writes. “Instead of pumpkin, this version is made with applesauce, resulting in a light, moist, chocolate cake-like texture. I think they taste just like boxed chocolate cake mix, and I mean that in the BEST way possible.”
Check out the recipe below — and don’t skip out on McCord’s advice for perfectly reheating a muffin. Breakfast is about to become effortlessly luxurious.
Flourless Double-Chocolate Muffins
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes: 12 muffins
Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) applesauce
½ cup (120 ml) pure maple syrup
¼ cup (60 ml) full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup (60 ml) melted coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (180 g) rolled oats
¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup (130 g) dark chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup (2.8 liter) muffin tin with muffin liners. In a high-speed blender, place the applesauce, maple syrup, coconut milk, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Process until the batter is smooth and the consistency of brownie batter.
Add ½ cup (85 g) of the chocolate chips and stir into the batter by hand with a spatula, then pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cavity up almost to the top. Top the muffins with the remaining ¼ cup (45 g) chocolate chips, adding a few to the top of each muffin.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
You can substitute baby food or pumpkin puree for the applesauce to achieve the same moist texture.
To Enjoy Later
After baking, store the cooled, tightly wrapped muffins at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 3 days. To freeze, place the cooled muffins in labeled zip-top bags for up to 4 months. To rewarm, microwave for 30 seconds, or place in a preheated 250°F (120°C) oven for 5 minutes or in an air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 2 minutes.
Prep In Advance
The dry ingredients can be whisked and left covered on a counter. The wet ingredients can be stirred, covered, and refrigerated overnight or until ready to bake.
Catherine McCord is the founder of the popular website weelicious.com and the family food brand One Potato. McCord is the author of Smoothie Project, Weelicious, and Weelicious Lunches. She has appeared on TODAY, Good Morning America, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children. Find Catherine on social media @weelicious.
Recipe from Meal Prep Magic: Time-Saving Tricks for Stress-Free Cooking, A Weelicious Cookbook copyright © 2023 by Catherine McCord. Published by Abrams.
