These Easy Chocolate Chip Orange Pecan Muffins came together in a pinch when I was looking for quick make-ahead breakfast and snack ideas for the school year!

Back to School means I gotta stay on top of my game and try not to decide what’s for dinner at actual dinner time. During the Summer days I tend to get pretty laid back, so laid back that sometimes dinner looks like carrot sticks, a pouch of tuna, and a frozen bag of peas. And honestly, I’m ok with that too, but for my own peace of mind, I try to stay a little more on top of things during the school year because without something that resembles a schedule, it seems everything else unravels quickly. So having a dinner plan gives me a false sense of control that I cling to and I’m good with that. 

Yesterday I got a wild hair to go on a little cooking spree while the kids were at school. I made a giant Cobb Salad from Down South Paleo with my favorite Maple Vinaigrette (page 112 if you have the book). And then I decided to make some egg salad ahead for the next day as well as Legit Pancakes for the week. And since I had everything out, I decided to have a little fun with a bag of Legit Pancake Mix and some dried Valencia orange zest I picked up from the store this week. A hint of citrus sounded exactly like what I wanted. 

You can use an immersion or vertical blender to zhush these up and in half an hour, warm gooey muffins are yours for the devouring. Having Legit mixes on hand makes these that much easier, since you don’t have to spend time measuring but a couple ingredients! You can easily freeze these or leave them covered in foil at room temperature if you plan to consume them in a few days. Feel free to omit the nuts or add in other mix ins if you desire and slathering a little ghee or dairy free butter is always a good idea too. 

Easy Chocolate Chip Orange Pecan Muffins

Print Recipe

• Author: Jennifer Robins

Ingredients

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• 1 bag Legit Pancake Mix
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried orange zest (or more if you want extra orange undertones)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups dairy free milk
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 6 teaspoons olive or avocado oil
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup pecan pieces (or omit for nut free option)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine all ingredients in a vertical blender except for the chocolate chips and pecans
3. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender and mix all wet ingredients first, then slowly add the dry mix
4. After the batter is smooth and blended, add in the chocolate chips and pecans and spoon the batter into a greased muffin tin or into a muffin tin lined with muffin cups
5. You can spoon the batter up to almost the top of each muffin cavity before baking at 350 for around 25-30 minutes
6. They are done with an inserted toothpick comes out clean