Skinny Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins -- For the Birthday Girl Who Made Us All Cry

Amber turned 21 Saturday. Dinner at our house. She had a glass of wine for the first time at our table — she is legal now — and Gayle raised a glass of sparkling cider and said, "To Amber. The woman my daughter would have been proud of." Amber cried. I cried. Dave cried (rare). Justin nodded and held his water glass up. Tyler toasted with a root beer. Josie had apple juice.

Drove Tuesday.

Book two at 140,000 copies sold — very strong for a second book.

Gayle stable.

After a dinner that left every one of us a little undone—in the best possible way—I wanted dessert to feel like a hug. Amber’s 21st deserved chocolate, no question, but I also wanted something I could feel good about setting in front of Josie and Tyler and Gayle all at once. These Skinny Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins were exactly that: a little celebration, a little indulgence, and something every single person at that table could enjoy—root beer, sparkling cider, wine glass and all.

Skinny Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 18 minutes | Total Time: 28 minutes | Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other plant-based milk)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips, plus extra for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat — prep pan. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
3. Mix wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, stir together the applesauce, almond milk, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined—do not overmix. A few small lumps are fine.
5. Fold in chocolate chips. Gently fold in the 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
6. Fill the pan. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
7. Bake. Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
8. Cool. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 168 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 148mg