Back when I was a pregnant grad student (LOL) I used to have to sit through 2 hour and 40 minute lectures all day long. Don’t get me wrong, I am a super nerd and loved all of my classes, but around 10am my stomach would start rumbling…loud.

You may not know this, but during the first trimester of pregnancy, you do not need to consume any additional calories and sometimes you may even consume less due to morning sickness, nausea, and food aversions. The second trimester is when energy needs increase by around 300 extra calories per day, and during the third trimester to around 400 extra calories per day. Breastfeeding mamas will need to consume around 500 extra calories per day to account for all the energy burned from breastfeeding (oh yeah!).

With that said, during my mid-morning lecture, I knew I needed an extra snack to keep handy so that mama and baby were happy during class. I didn’t want to eat prepackaged snacks as I was trying my best to consume as many whole foods as possible and keep processed foods to a minimum throughout my pregnancy.

I also placed a high emphasis on quality carbohydrate sources and high protein throughout my pregnancy and so I wanted to create a simple snack that would provide both. Muffins are an easy, no fuss recipe to make and they travel well. Hence, I set out to make a delicious and nutrient packed muffin recipe.

Initially, I made these as blueberry muffins which were great, but I wanted something that felt more decadent and so I changed this to be made with raw cacao and chocolate chips. This recipe satisfied my mid-morning craving for something sweet and gave me an energy boost to continue learning about the Krebs cycle (nerdy science reference lol).

Whether pregnant or not, these muffins are a great snack option for all ages and phases of life.

What is your favorite mid-morning snack to have?

Double Chocolate “Lecture” Muffins

Makes 12 standard size muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour

• 1/4 cup cacao powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 cup coconut oil

• 1/8 cup maple syrup

• 3 organic eggs OR chia seed eggs*

• 1/2 cup enjoy life chocolate chips (or any other version gluten free, dairy-free chocolate)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cupcake tin with 12 paper liners.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, cacao, and baking soda and whisk.

3. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, and eggs or chia seed eggs.

4. Mix until well combined.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips and spoon the batter into the paper liners.

6. Bake 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

8. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
   
   Nutrition Information: Yield: 12 muffins Serving Size: 1 muffin
   Calories: 238 Total Fat: 19 g Saturated Fat: 6.9 g Carbohydrate: 14 g
   Fiber 4.3 g Sugars: 8 g Protein: 5.6 g
   
   *To make 1 chia seed egg, combine 1 Tbsp. chia seeds with 2 1/2 Tbsp. water. Stir and rest for 5 minutes to thicken.