Chocolate almond mini muffins

The flavour combination of chocolate and almond is always a winner in my mind and these mini muffins are no exception! My kids aren’t allowed to take nuts to school so I often serve them for afternoon tea. They love peanut butter on celery, or chocolate almond biscuits (in our book Boosting Your Basics) or just a classic peanut butter sandwich! And I do love experimenting with almond meal.

This is a fulfilling little snack that uses one bowl and takes no time to make. Perfect for an afternoon tea treat, you can pop a chocolate melt on top or stir through some chocolate chips – or just leave them out! One of my recipe testers said they put a dollop of chocolate hazelnut spread on top which sounds amazing, too!

For more healthy snacks for kids you can find all new recipes in our books. Or, the Best of our baking ebook might be what you’re after!

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups (130g) almond meal
• ¼ cup cacao powder or cocoa
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup your preferred milk
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
•  Chocolate melts to top or ½ cup choc chips (optional)

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 160°C and grease a 24-hole mini muffin tin.
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Step 2

Combine the almond meal, cacao or cocoa, coconut and baking powder - mix to combine. -

Step 3

Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, milk and maple syrup (and chocolate chips if using - if using melts see below) and mix to form a thick batter. -

Step 4

Spoon into the muffin tins and push a chocolate melt button into the tops if desired.
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Step 5

Bake for 12 minutes or until the tops slightly spring back when you touch them. Allow to cool before removing from the tin. -

Step 6

Storage: Allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Alternatively wrap individually and place in a freezer proof bag for up to 2 months. Microwave for 10 seconds before serving – they’re yummy warm. -