Yesterday I jumped on Facebook and hosted a mini cooking show out of my tiny NYC kitchen!

I mention in the video that this recipe is still more of an indulgence than an "everyday" staple... Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins are still Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins even if you take off their "quirky" glasses and give them stylish new clothes and a "cool girl" makeover a la "She's All That". (Whatever happened to Freddie Prince Jr, anyway?)

So, with that said these muffins have SUGAR. Although less than their usual counterparts, they still have traditional sweeteners. They also have DAIRY from the yogurt and GRAINS from the oat flour (which really is a total breeze to make, by the way.) So consider this your official allergen warning. Also, the big one, PEANUTS... because peanut butter. However, these are happily gluten free!

So, onto how to make these muffins work for YOUR macro diet!

If you're following the macro diet (AKA keeping track of what you fuel your body with) and you want these to fit into your daily macros, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the nutrition info below! They have a reasonable amount of carbs, a little protein boost and some healthy fats. If you add a few pre-cooked chicken breakfast sausages (yep, I'm still touting the glory of Applegate Farms breakfast sausage out of the goodness of my heart) you can probably enjoy one or two of these bad boys as a healthy breakfast idea. They could also fit nicely into a pre or post workout snack! Sure, there's a little fat in there, which will slow down how quickly those carbs hit your bloodstream, but your body will likely still put them to very good use!

I think the most important thing to remember about your nutrition and what you choose to eat is that CONTEXT MATTERS. There will be times when having a "healthy" version of a chocolate muffin just isn't gonna cut it. You want the real deal, full fat, all-the-sugar, happy hormone pumping muffin. These muffins turned out really nice, but I'm not gonna lie to you and tell you that this is the last chocolate muffin recipe you'll ever want or need. You have to decide what is important to you and what you want most in each moment. If you're trying to eat super clean and stay on the straight and narrow, then skip these muffins. If you're just rolling on a maintenance phase and you can enjoy some less healthy foods now and then without consequence, go for it and whip these up! You can certainly indulge in these in the context of an overall healthy diet and still stay right on track with your goals. But as I offer up a "sex with your pants on"** recipe I beg you to consider where you are in your relationship with your body and my plea is this: please do not feel guilty about eating your food. If you make these muffins, enjoy them. If you decide you want a "real" muffin, enjoy it. Just know that a little sugar or dairy or grains won't set you back for all eternity, and just enjoy "off roading" a little bit. Life is too short to feel bad about food.

** I stole this term from Melissa Hartwig over at www.whole30.com. She is awesome and I love this concept. Sometimes, if you're gonna indulge you've just gotta do it all the way.

I found this awesome recipe at www.ChelseasMessyApron.com. I'm not familiar with the site but based on this experience it looks pretty great!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tablespoons oat flour (regular oats that have been blended/food processed)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar lightly packed

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup Plain Greek yogurt - I used Siggi's 0%

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons honey

1 large egg

5 tablespoons dark chocolate chips (about 2 ounces)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9 of the cavities in a muffin tin.
Do not use muffin liners! The muffins won't come out well.
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, honey, and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter (do not warm up), applesauce, yogurt, and vanilla. Beat until completely combined.
Beat together dry and wet ingredients and add in the egg. Mix until just combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips and (if desired) top each muffin with a few more.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Mine took exactly 18 minutes!

Recipe Makes 9 Servings/Muffins.

Nutrition Information from MyFitnessPal.com

Serving Size: 1 Muffin

Protein: 6g

Carbs: 18g

Fat: 11g

Total Calories: 174 cals

About Ashley:

Ashley is a Pilates instructor and personal trainer in NYC who specializes in biomechanics and exercise nutrition for women. She uses the science behind exercise physiology to empower her in-person and remote clients to lead healthy, happy lives. Her passion project is sharing this information through her blog, which focuses on Lifestyle, Exercise, Active recovery, and Nutrition and serves as the backbone for her L.E.A.N. Life online health and fitness programs. She aims to get this information into the hands of as many women as possible so they can feel stronger and more confident in their bodies! Follow her Instagram page for daily fitness and nutrition tips!