Toasted Coconut Chocolate Muffins!

So apparently this week is all about trying new things over here! Up next we have a recipe :) 

Trager and I are "trying" to be a little more conscious of what we're eating and, with Valentine's Day coming up, it was proving a little difficult to stay strong! Brownies are our weak point so I knew I had to find an alternative. So, without further ado...

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons oat flour (regular oats blended)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg
• 5 tablespoons chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons toasted coconut 

Instructions

1. To toast the coconut, preheat the oven to the 400 degrees. Spread your 3 tablespoons of sweetened coconut on a foil lined cookie sheet. Cook for 2 minutes then turn your coconut so it cooks evenly. Repeat until the coconut is a pretty golden color. Keep a close eye...it burns easily!
2. Once your coconut is cooked, turn up the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 9 of the cavities in a muffin tin and fill the other three with water to ensure they cook evenly. NO muffin liners.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, oat flour (blend regular oats until they are a flour consistency. Make sure to measure the oats AFTER being blended), baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and honey. Beat until completely combined.
5. Beat together dry and wet ingredients.
6. Add in the egg. Make sure not to over mix it!
7. Stir in the chocolate chips and toasted coconut last. Save some of the chocolate chips to the top of each muffin.
8. Fill the nine cavities with your batter. It will be a little thick.
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 12-14 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 ^^^Props to all you food bloggers out there...taking pretty food pictures is not easy!!^^^

  

My very favorite part of this recipe is that each muffin is only 150 calories!! So I don't feel quite as bad when I can't help having two :)

These have kept our brownie cravings at bay so far...but I may need another batch before the weekend is over!  Let me know if you try them too!!