The Chocolate Muffin Rage

Chocolate Muffins! Just the name makes your mouth water, doesn’t it? Most of us don’t think of chocolate muffins as the healthiest choice. But you can add a bit of a healthy twist by adding shredded carrot or zucchini or by adding peanut butter or oats or oatmeal to the mix.  

You can also start with a healthier choice by using semi-sweet chocolate or making low-sugar or no-sugar muffins for those who are diabetic or watching their sweets.   

If you like more decadent chocolate muffins, you can skip the healthy ingredients and go for the classic chocolate chip muffin recipe or even a muffin mix if you are in a hurry. Some of the mixes in the stores have ideas for added ingredients and some come with the chocolate chips already in the package. Try lemon, coconut or pistachios and see if you like the variation.

For a fall seasonal favorite, you can add canned pumpkin and pecans. Our personal favorite is coffee, walnut chocolate chip muffins, but you may have another preference. Cranberries and blueberries are just fine when added to the basic chocolate muffin recipe. Come to think of it, you can add just about any fruit to a chocolate muffin or chocolate chip muffin recipe and come out ahead!  

Muffin shops have cropped up in every city in the country and some are making so much money they have opened franchises and provided franchisees with secret muffin recipes. Specialty muffin shops make muffins bigger than cake plates, stuffed with all kinds of wonderful ingredients. Take for example our current favorite, the chocolate streusel pecan muffin. Sheer bliss! If you like your chocolate muffins more basic, you can even find a dozen shrink wrapped muffins in your local wholesale warehouse store. Inexpensive and tasty – what could be better?