More Chocolate FlourLess Muffins

Any time I hear "flourless" anything, I roll my eyes and shrug, because... well because it just doesn't sound as amazing as the "real" thing when you get to the ingredients. And my reaction wasn't any different when I came across this recipe for HEALTHY Flourless Chocolate Muffins.

HOWEVER... (yes... it's a big however)

When I kept reading and noted the ingredients, I figured it's worth a try. Four ingredients? Chocolate with peanut butter and banana? I mean, why not? Worth a try and, if all else fails, it's only four ingredients and 20 minutes of my time. I may have a little time for that...

So I dove head first into baking them while the roomie and I binge watched Grey's Anatomy Season 11 (yes, I'm aware that I'm a weeee bit behind). And HOLY MOLY THEY ARE SO GOOD!!

They are RICH and GOOEY, which is opposite of what you'd expect from a muffin or a cupcake or whatever, but that makes them extra satisfying, oddly enough.

I'm posting the original recipe, though I made 1.5x the recipe, which resulted in 15 delicious, ooey gooey, finger-lickin' good muffins baked in cupcake tins (only 12 pictured here (: )

And let me tell ya! These muffins are WONDERFUL to have right before or right after a workout. I've had 1 or 2 right after a workout the last few days and it really helps me not be ravenous! And between the carbs (sugars) in the banana and the protein in the peanut butter, it's a great snack! A match made in heaven, if you will ;)

Fun fact: bananas are PERFECT after a workout. When you push your body to the limit, you're likely to zap the potassium levels in your body, so restoring them right after a workout (within 15 minutes!) is important since it's a key mineral in muscular energy. And when you eat a banana with some proteins, like those in nut butter, the simple carbs in the banana give your body the energy it needs to start immediately utilizing the protein for muscle recovery. BOOM!

Now... without further delay... the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 350.
• In a food processor combine all ingredients. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.
• Once everything is mixed well, spoon batter into lined muffin cups. I used silicone molds. The batter will be VERY sticky. I found wetting a spoon kept it from sticking.
• You can top your muffin with chocolate chips or chopped up nuts. 
• Place muffin pan in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Wait until these are completely cooled before removing from the pan.

Store these muffins in the fridge. They should last at least 5 days. You can also freeze them for longer storage. Enjoy!

Love, Paulina