When I made these Chocolate Strawberry Muffins for our family brunch this past weekend, vegans and non-vegans scooped them up. They were a big hit, and the whole batch disappeared quickly. Of course, chocolate and strawberries are a classic combination for a very delicious reason.

Loaded with two kinds of chocolate, these Chocolate Strawberry Muffins are packed with unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips. The final muffin has a fudgy, almost brownie-like texture.

But it's the full cup of fresh strawberries that elevates these to another league. The flavor of rich chocolate combined with delicate pureed strawberries create a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Thanks to all the fruit baked right into these muffins, they are extra moist, yet entirely oil-free. And I think you will find, as I have, that no one will ever guess they're made with 100 percent whole wheat flour.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

Yield: 12 muffins

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh strawberries, pureed

1 banana, mashed

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup non-dairy milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine pureed strawberries, mashed bananas, and applesauce. Mix in raw sugar, non-dairy milk, vanilla, and chocolate chips.

Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.

Fill paper liners evenly. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of muffins comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

(Inspired by recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Muffins from The Happy Herbivore, by Lindsay Nixon.)

Vicki Brett-Gach is an artist, writer, wife, mom, and enthusiastic vegan, and loves to help family and friends discover that you do not have to be vegan to enjoy delicious vegan food. Vicki understands the challenges a new vegan can face, and welcomes your questions and comments at a2vegankitchen@gmail.com. To find more of Vicki's recipes, visit her Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen blog at annarborvegankitchen.wordpress.com.