Did you know that there is a vegetable (ok technically it’s a fruit, but it’s green…) that can double as a super chocolate fudge enhancer. When I was in high school, I tried a vegan chocolate pudding that had an avocado base. I was shocked once I found out that it wasn’t some kind of butter, egg yolk concoction. It was so rich and creamy! The chocolate flavor overpowers the avocado, and you end up with a dessert that has barely a hint of avocado flavor, but it’s moist and fudgy without the added fat….er added unhealthy fat.
These muffins will knock your socks off with their texture. SO moist you can’t believe that it’s just from a vegetable (it just doesn’t seem like a fruit)! I doubt you’ll be able to taste it at all. Nobody who ate them could tell that it wasn’t just a very moist chocolate muffin. They are about as thick and rich as it gets without being dense.
Because I love dark chocolate so much, I used unsweetened in both the bar chocolate and cocoa powder. If you want the muffins to taste more like milk chocolate, feel free to add a little more sugar, or use milk or semi-sweet chocolate for melting. I wasn’t going for the sweetness level of a cupcake. Any sweetness that might be missing in the muffin is more than made up for by the barely melted morsels of chocolate on top. Don’t skip the chocolate chips! They really add a lot.
Most chocolate chips have enough stabilizers in them to keep their shape in a moderately hot oven. If you wanted them to be topped with melty gooey chocolate, you could sprinkle a chopped chocolate bar on top instead. It would be divinely messy (and totally worth it)
Remember when I was talking about these Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies being 1% healthier because of coconut oil? Well, these Chocolate Avocado Muffins have to be at least 20% healthier, replacing butter with three whole avocados!? So now you can eat 2 instead of 1.
…Because when I eat regular chocolate muffins I TOTALLY only eat 1…
How could you only eat one of these beauties? I ate them for breakfast today, then a few hours later forced Taylor to take them to school so they wouldn’t become subsequent breakfasts, every day for the next week. I still can’t decide if it was a moment of clarity or weakness. I’m sure I’ll be sad in the morning
YOU should make them, so you’re not sad.
Have you ever used avocado to obtain ultimate chocolate fudgy-ness?
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 ripe avocados
- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbl vegetable oil
- 2 cups mini, semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Set up 2 standard size muffin pans with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Scoop insides of avocados (discard pits) into the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until melted. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add avocado puree, sugar, egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla . Mix on medium speed for 2 or 3 minutes, or until well combined.
- Add melted chocolate after it has cooled for at least 5 minutes and mix until combined. Scrape sides of bowl and mix for one more minute.
- Add chocolate avocado mixture to flour mixture and stir by hand until just barely mixed. Don't over mix.
- Fill each paper liner ¾ of the way with muffin dough. Sprinkle each muffin with a heaping tablespoon of chocolate chips.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool for at least 5 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
Christine H. says
Yummy! I love your cupcake liners. Where did you get them?
Lindsey Boubel says
Thanks! Sur la Table. Where else? That color is gone now, but they have lots of other colors π
Christine H. says
Of course, where else! Thanks
Allie says
I have never used avocado in a dessert, but I’ve always wanted to try. I can just imagine the rich, creaminess it would add. These look fantastic, such a chocolate-y treat! With less guilt!
Lindsey Boubel says
You should try it! I’ve seen it used so many ways. I want to try making truffles next. Thanks!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I’ve never thought to try out an avocado and chocolate flavoured muffin before. But these sure look delicious so I will be trying the recipe out!
Lindsey Boubel says
I know it’s a strange combination! Thanks for checking it out π
pam says
Gary said he was seriously thinking about making these as they sounded so good!
Lindsey Boubel says
Thanks! He should!
Jeannie says
These look delicious and I like that I can have two with less guilt! :o) Great recipe! Will try these soon!
Lindsey Boubel says
Thanks, Jeannie! Yes, more is always better when it comes to chocolate, right?
Sophia says
Hey, these look great! LoveIy and chocolatey and moist. love baking food with avocado, it’s an amazing fruit/vegetable >.< I was wondering, when you said the recipe makes 15-20 servings, but we should prepare two standard muffin tins… Do you mean two 12-hole muffin tins? So there are 24 standard sized muffins?
Lindsey Boubel says
Hi Sophia! Thanks for your comment! Avocado truly is a miracle food π
Yes, 2, 12 hole muffin tins. The reason I say 15-20 is because everyone will fill the muffin tins a little differently. Some people will fill them really full and only get 15 or 16, and some will fill them more shallow. Also, 3 ripe avocados will differ in volume, so that can change things a bit. It’s been a while, so I can’t remember exactly how many muffins I got, but I think it was like 17. Sorry to be confusing!
Sophia says
ok, thanks so much for the explanation! Can’t wait to bake these tomorrow <3