So what do you do when you discover a new brand of truly dairy-free chocolate chips? I mean after you make dozens of delicious truffles. Why you make those Chocolate Chip Muffins your husband has been requesting for months, of course! More specifically, wholesome Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Tony wanted a hearty chocolate chip muffin, something sweet, yet filling. Did I succeed? Well, yes and no. These are yummy … we gobbled them up and the recipe is definitely worth sharing, he agreed. But it seems he wants an even more filling muffin. More oil, more nuts, more fat is his request. But for those of you who don’t want a 700 calorie muffin, I think these will be enjoyed, and are certainly healthier and more satisfying than your average fluffy white muffin.
As an added bonus, we found these muffins to be perfect for this time of year. Though I’m a bit overloaded on sweet goodies, I’m still craving them. The gooey, semi-sweet chips add that perfect bit of indulgence to these breakfast-worthy muffins without giving me a sugar-rush, and corresponding crash. If you want to go a bit more seasonal with them, toss in some chopped crystalized ginger before baking.
Also, note that these babies were concocted at high altitude. Yes, this recipe includes instructions for egg-free / vegan high altitude muffins! No small feat mind you. When baking without eggs, it isn’t always a matter of simply replacing the eggs. Without eggs, the muffins become more fragile and can be more easily affected (or destroyed) by leaveners. Fortunately, I’m getting the hang of it, and have included the amounts I used for the leavener (at 6500ft), plus adjustments for sea level and semi-high altitude. Enjoy …
Special Diet Notes: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegetarian, and optionally soy-free and vegan.
Prefer to bake with eggs? If you prefer your muffins with eggs, simply add 1 egg to the wet ingredients, reduce the milk alternative by 1/4 cup, and omit the flaxseed. You can also probably get away with less baking powder – just 2 to 3 teaspoons at sea level.
- 1-1/4 cups quick oats
- 1 6-ounce container plain or vanilla dairy-free yogurt (I used Plain Whole Soy & Co Yogurt, but you could use coconut milk yogurt or sub in ⅔ cup applesauce or banana in a pinch)
- 1-1/4 cups unsweetened, original, or vanilla milk alternative
- ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ cup oil (I used melted coconut oil)
- ¼ cup honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon flaxseeds, ground (I use a spice grinder)
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour, or a combination (I used all whole wheat pastry flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (this is the amount I used at high altitude (6500ft), for sea level, you may want to double this amount, for 3000 to 6000ft, use 1 Tablespoon)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Optional: Additional brown sugar for sprinkling the tops with.
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF. If needed, grease or line a dozen muffin cups. I use silicone muffin cups and find that they actually work much better ungreased.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, yogurt, milk alternative, brown sugar, oil, honey, vanilla, and ground flaxseeds. Let that sit and co-mingle while you combine the other ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in your large bowl. Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups, it will be quite thick. If desired, sprinkle each muffin with some additional brown sugar for a crunchy sugar crust.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, and then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
