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Adjusting on the fly: Lower-sugar chocolate chip protein mini muffins

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Jeney and I were planning on making some chocolate banana muffins with added protein. I had the chocolate protein powder ready to go, went to grab the bananas, and realized they were completely bad. Absolute bummer.

Instead of throwing in the towel, I decided to just experiment with what we had on hand. I grabbed some unsweetened applesauce to replace the bananas, and threw in some coconut milk. I also wanted to keep them lower in sugar, so I only used 25g of organic palm sugar.

The first attempt was a bit of a learning curve. Applesauce holds way more water than bananas do, so baking them at 350°F took forever; about 23 minutes total just to get a clean toothpick test. They tasted great, but the timing was way off.

So I dialed in the parameters for the next batch. The trick is cutting the coconut milk down to 90g to balance out that extra applesauce moisture, and cranking the oven straight to 375°F. That higher heat forces the moisture out fast and gives the mini muffins a perfect rise in about 15 to 18 minutes.

They turned out awesome.

Moist, chocolatey, lower-sugar, and exactly what we needed for a quick snack.

Here is the recipe, have a wonderful week folks!

The Recipe: Chocolate Chip Protein Mini Muffins –

  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Bake Time: 15 – 18 Minutes
  • Oven Temp: 375°F (190°C)
  • Yield: 24 Mini Muffins

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:

  • 300g unsweetened applesauce
  • 55g dairy unsalted butter, melted
  • 90g coconut milk
  • 25g organic palm sugar

Dry Ingredients:

  • 145g all-purpose flour
  • 70g Cellfuel Chocolate Protein powder (2 level scoops)
  • 5g baking soda
  • 3g fine salt

Mix-ins:

  • 45g chocolate chips (plus a few extra for the tops)

Instructions

  1. Prep the Oven & Pan: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Thoroughly grease a 24-count mini muffin pan with baking spray or line the cups with mini paper liners.
  2. Whisk the Wet Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, weigh and combine the applesauce, melted butter, coconut milk, and palm sugar. Whisk until completely uniform.
  3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, protein powder, baking soda, and salt to clear out any dry pockets or lumps.
  4. Gently Fold Together: Pour the dry mix directly into the wet bowl. Fold gently with a spatula just until the dry pockets disappear. Do not overmix, or the protein powder will make the muffins dense. Fold in the 45g of chocolate chips.
  5. Portion and Bake: Spoon the batter evenly into your 24 mini muffin slots, filling each about 3/4 full. Press a couple of additional chocolate chips onto the top of each muffin dome. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 18 minutes.
  6. Toothpick Test & Cool: Check them at the 15-minute mark with a toothpick inserted into the center. Once it comes out clean, remove the pan from the oven. Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

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