Indulge in a chocolate treat without feeling quite so guilty. These muffins are combine the great taste of chocolate with nutritious bran and apple juice.
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup bran
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
In a bowl combine milk, juice, oil and eggs. Add bran and let soak while combining the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Stir gently until combined. Pour into greased muffin tins. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes (for regular muffins) or 400 for 10 minutes (mini muffins).
I used mini muffins because the kids prefer them, and it’s good for me because I feel like I totally pigged out by eating 3 mini muffins, when really that’s only equal to one normal muffin.
Cole had been bugging me to make chocolate muffins for the longest time. I don’t know where he got the idea from, but he was determined that I was going to make them for him. So finally I caved and whipped up these muffins. I tried to make them somewhat nutritious by using bran and cut down on the refined sugar by using apple juice. They tasted alright, but a little boring. Chocolate chips probably would have helped but I didn’t have any. So Cole suggested chocolate on top of them. I happened to have a bar of dark chocolate, so I microwaved a few squares and spread it on top of the muffins. Then they looked like this:
Thank you Cole, you’re a smart kid.
Messy, but still smart.
My kids like to whine, especially when it comes to the food they eat, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to make tasty and healthy meals for them. Follow along as I share family-friendly recipes and reviews from my picky family members, who I lovingly call “The Whine Critics.” 
