While they may look simple at first glance, these rich chocolate muffins house a luxurious hazelnut center that adds a bit of sweet and creamy nuttiness to every bite. For even more hazelnut flavor, melt a bit of the hazelnut spread in the microwave and drizzle it over the tops of the muffins just prior to eating.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (112 g) almond flour
- ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseed
- 1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (59 ml) unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup (64 g) almond butter
- 6 tbsp (128 g) honey
- 2 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (64 g) chocolate hazelnut spread, such as Nutella
How to Make It
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare a muffin pan by lining the cavities with parchment paper liners. Set aside.
- Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, ground flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a high-speed blender and pulse a few times until all the dry ingredients become well combined.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate hazelnut spread, and process on high for about 30 seconds or until the batter becomes smooth and creamy. Periodically stop and scrape down the sides of your blender, as necessary.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about ⅓ of the way full. Drop 1 teaspoon of chocolate hazelnut spread into the center of each cavity, and then cover with the remaining batter.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Keep in mind that the chocolate hazelnut spread in the middle means that the toothpick won’t come out 100 percent clean, but you’ll be able to tell if it’s the spread or the batter. And for this recipe, you’ll want the toothpick to come out clean of batter! Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. As soon as they’ve cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
