Last week was a blur.  Luckily my mom was here, otherwise we might not have made it (or I might not have made it.)  I had to make the decision to put my 11 year old pup down very unexpectedly and it hit me hard.  He was my first baby and had been with me since I graduated college. Needless to say, I was a little distracted and emotionally drained last week with losing my best friend, plus Parks is a little wild man these days and goes non-stop unless he is asleep which left me little time to spend in the kitchen!  Let me tell you, when life hits hard, having a recipe like my healthy chocolate chip pecan muffins can make or break whether or not I start my day off right.  

These muffins are just the thing to make when you don't have time to think about breakfast or healthy snack options!  They are great to take on-the-go and are surprisingly satisfying for a muffin that you can feel good about eating.  Your whole family will love them and I promise they won't even realize they are eating something that is actually good for their body.

I love snacking on them in the afternoon when my sweet tooth hits for the perfect pick me up to power me through until dinner.  I can't wait for you to try them out for yourself!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups Whole-Wheat Flour

• 1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats

• 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

• 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

• 1/2 Tsp. Salt

• 1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon

• 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk

• 1 Very Ripe Banana

• 1/3 Cup Honey

• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil

• 1 Egg

• Zest from 1 Orange

• 1/2 Cup Chopped Toasted Pecans

• 2 Oz. Chopped Dark Chocolate

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

• Line a muffin tin with liners or spray with non-stick spray.

• Combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

• Mash banana in another large bowl and add coconut milk, honey, olive oil, and egg. Whisk well.

• Combine wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir until all is combined.

• Fold in orange zest, pecans, and dark chocolate.

• Pour batter into muffin tins filling almost to the top.

• Bake for 15-18 minutes until muffins are cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

• Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or can also be frozen.

You can't go wrong with chocolate and pecans and with these muffins you can be guilt free!  Happy Monday and happy baking friends!  Here's to starting off this week a little better than last!