One of the things that clients and friends continually ask me for is a new healthy breakfast option. Everyone loves Greek yogurt, eggs, and oatmeal, but everyone also wants a make-ahead option that’s maybe a bit indulgent and definitely portable.

Nothing says indulgence more than chocolate, and nothing says portable like a muffin, so that was my starting point for these chocolate fig muffins.

With all of that in mind, I set out to develop the most tender, fudgy, higher-protein, higher-fiber, chocolaty muffins that were made with only dates as a sweetener.

It was a tall order, and after a couple of tries, I perfected these chocolate fig breakfast muffins to the point where I had to hide them in order to stop eating them!

 

My kids eat them all day long, and my husband loves them, too. I even dropped some off at my mom’s the other day, and she devoured them, toasted with nut butter. GAHHHHH how delicious does that sound!

Let’s be honest here. I usually call muffins ‘breakfast cake’, because that’s basically what most of them are. With very few redeeming qualities over and above a slice of your favorite dessert, most commercially-prepared muffins are loaded with sugar, low in protein, high in calories, and low in fiber.

 

Not exactly the breakfast of champions! Yet I still see lots of clients grabbing one on their way to work, then pooping out an hour later because they just ate, well, dessert for breakfast. That is NOT going to happen with these chocolate fig muffins, no way!

Just as a point of comparison, a Tim Horton’s Chocolate Lava muffin has 440 calories, 29 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein. My chocolate fig muffins have 340 calories, 8 grams of sugar (all coming from figs and dates), and 9 grams of protein. Plus, unlike some other ‘healthier’ muffins, these ones are BIG.

 

Any muffin can be lower in calories when it’s tiny; rest assured that I made these ones substantial so you won’t be foraging for something else 10 minutes later. (like you do after the muffins you get at stores)

 

The fiber, low-glycemic carbs, and the protein in these muffins will sustain you for hours!

The pure unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe is a good source of antioxidants, the figs give crunch, sweetness, and fiber, and along with the dates, a richness that really makes these muffins tender and addictive.

Their protein comes mostly from the almond flour, which is a great add-in to recipes if you don’t want to use protein powder or dairy.

Chocolate Fig Breakfast Muffins

A big 2 cups of unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze bumped up the chocolaty flavour and was the perfect way to replace the dairy in this recipe without compromising on texture or taste!

I call for non-alkalized cocoa powder in this recipe because cocoa processed with alkali (aka ‘Dutch process’) doesn’t have the same antioxidant power. If you don’t have non-alkalized cocoa, don’t want to buy it, or don’t care about what cocoa you use, then don’t worry about it.

Cocoa that’s Dutch process will say ‘cocoa processed with alkali’ on the label.

Some good choices for non-alkalized cocoa powder are: Ghiradelli, camino, Valhrona, and Navitas Naturals.

Make a batch of these beauties on a Sunday, and eat them all week long as an on-the-go breakfast.

Adding some nut butter as a topping makes them even higher in protein!

Protein-Packed Chocolate Fig Breakfast Muffins

These scrumptious, fiber-and-protein packed chocolatey muffins are the perfect portable breakfast! Make a dozen and enjoy them all week.

Servings: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat or white all purpose flour
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 2 1/2 cups unsweetened chocolate flavoured Almond Breeze
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup dried figs
  • 1 cup dates
  • 3/4 cup non-alkalized cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup chia seeds
  • 2/3 cup coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, chia seeds, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well.
  3. In a high-speed blender, combine the Almond Breeze, water, egg, figs, dates, coconut oil, and vanilla. Blend until mostly smooth - you’ll see some small pieces of dates and figs in the mixture, and this is how it should look.

  4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing gently until incorporated. Do not overmix.
  5. Spoon batter into muffin cups or greased muffin tin.
  6. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean (some residue is normal, as these muffins are quite moist).
Recipe Notes

Store in an airtight container….if you have them for that long 😉