What do you know about North Dakota? Bordered by Montana to the west, North Dakota is the 4th least densely populated with 11 people living in every square mile. Not lacking in North Dakota though– wheat farms. The majority of the Peace Garden State is covered in wheat farms– which includes flaxseed.
North Dakota is the leading producer of flax for oil and food use in the U.S. Why in North Dakota? The lovely blue flowering plant grows best in cool climates with long periods of daylight. There are so many uses for flax– besides these tasty flaxseed chocolate muffins, I mean.
Flax has grown in popularity in recent years for its tremendous health benefits; it’s loaded with nutrients, high in fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids, and lignin’s (which studies show may reduce the risk of cancer) . Added up, flax has been proven to reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure. And the list could go on…
Flaxseed and flax meal also have other uses too, including feeding pets, swine, chickens and horses. The fiber in the stems of flax can be used to make fine paper and padding in things like upholstered furniture, among other things.
Okay… now that you know all about North Dakota and flax, back to these muffins. These North Dakota Flaxseed Chocolate Muffins are DIVINE. We’ve been making them for years in our home and eat them with butter or a slab of strawberry jam. They are also incredibly nutritious– substitute the eggs for egg whites and you’ve got yourself a tasty heart healthy muffin.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax meal*
1/2 cup old fashioned or rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon espresso powder (cocoa powder could also be used)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk (I use almond milk)
1/2 cup dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate chunks
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a muffin tin or line with baking cups.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, oats, brown sugar, espresso/cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the eggs, vegetable oil, and milk, mixing until the batter is evenly incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
Divide batter evenly between baking cups, filling each 3/4 full. Sprinkle a few oats on top, if desired. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve with a small pat of peanut butter or jam.
*can substitute all-purpose flour, if desired
I was looking for a healthy muffin recipe and we tried these and they were great! Enough sweet and choc chips to keep the kids happy 🙂 and used up my flax seed in the freezer! Thanks for teaching us about North Dakota while they baked- I’m searching your blog now for more fun state recipes. Thank you!