Low Sugar Double Chocolate Muffins
One of the things I used to enjoy back when I was eating more sugar than I realised was the occasional breakfast muffin.
Considering the amount of sugar in them, they were more like dessert muffins, but by calling them breakfast muffins, I felt I was legitimately allowed to eat cake for breakfast.
But since one double chocolate chip muffin can contain 44g of sugar, and so has almost double the amount of sugar I should consume in a day, I figured that if I want to enjoy them now, even as a treat breakfast, I needed to come up with a new version.
My pumpkin & ginger muffins are a fall favourite in our house, but for a more wintery muffin as the weather turns frosty here, I decided to try out the trusty, filling, rich and warming double chocolate variety.
I knew I wanted it to still be moist and almost fudgy, and I wanted the chocolate flavour to really come through. I wanted it sweet enough to enjoy as a treat, but containing little enough sugar to warrant eating in our low sugar house.
This is the result.
Fudgy. Chocolate-y. More-ish. And with only 1/4 teaspoon sugar per muffin (or you can even use regular sugar in place of the natural sweetener and still only have 1-1 1/2 tsp sugar per muffin)!
That’s what I call a result!
Little hands can:
- Help measure out ingredients
- Mix dry ingredients and stir in wet ingredients
- Divide the batter between muffin cases or holes
With only 1/4 teaspoon sugar per muffin (as opposed to 11 teaspoons in a Starbucks one), these muffins are a great way to have chocolate for breakfast when you are a low sugar family! 🙂 Adapted from this recipe from Keto Kitchen.
- 1 cup (140g) flour (gluten-free is fine)
- 1/2 cup (50g) cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (65g) xylitol*
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar free vanilla extract
- 3 medium eggs, beaten
- 2/3 cup (160ml) single (pouring) cream
- 1/3 cup (150g) butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup (60g) dark chocolate (85%+), chopped into small chunks
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
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Mix the flour, cacao powder, xylitol (or alternative*) and baking powder. Make a well in the middle and pour in the vanilla, eggs, cream and melted butter or coconut oil. Mix to combine. Add chocolate, and stir to mix evenly.
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Divide the batter evenly in a lightly greased or lined 12-hole muffin tin.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins, or until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.
*Xylitol is a natural sweetener known for its dental benefits (it's a common ingredient in sugar free chewing gum and toothpaste), but it may cause minor digestive discomfort in particularly sensitive individuals like those with IBS and while it's totally safe for humans, it is fatal to dogs. Not your thing? Alternatives include: half the amount of Natvia, or use the same amount of any granulated/caster sugar, it only adds about 1 tsp sugar per muffin, which is still just a fraction of a coffee-shop one!
Looking for more low sugar snack inspiration? Why not checkout this 30+ low sugar snack recipes e-book – all the recipes (15 savoury and 15 sweet) take only 5 mins prep time and are kid-approved, healthy and delicious!
