Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners.
Add flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until evenly combined.
Add in applesauce, milk and water. Whisk until batter is smooth.
Stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate.
Divide batter evenly between the 12 muffin molds. Sprinkle tops with remaining chocolate. Bake for about 20-22 minutes. Tops of muffins should be slightly cracked. If you touch the surface of the muffins, they should not sink in. A toothpick inserted should not have any batter stuck on it.
Notes
If you want to make these dairy free, you can substitute whole milk with soy milk or almond milk.
Instead of whole milk you can also use low fat milk.
The muffins are not overly sweet. If you prefer sweeter muffins, increase sugar by 1/4 cup. If you are not using applesauce or chocolate, you may also want to increase the sugar amount.
You can use either dutch process or natural cocoa powder. I used dutch process for a richer chocolate flavor.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.