Remember those Vegan Banana Nut Muffins I made recently? If not, you should make them. Like, STAT.
Well, as I was writing the post, I realized I had yet to make my second favorite flavor of muffin in gluten-free form. That had to change, obviously.
Spoiler alert: It totally worked and they’re totally delicious.
This is another 1-bowl recipe! It also requires simple ingredients you likely have on hand right now.
The base of the batter is flax eggs, applesauce, coconut oil, and almond milk. Good news! These muffins are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar.
To keep them gluten-free, I used a mixture of gluten-free oat flour, almond flour, and my DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend. This is my go-to blend in most baked goods for keeping them light, airy, and tender.
The chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder and vegan dark chocolate chips (my favorites being Enjoy Life or Trader Joe’s). I suggest a modest amount of chocolate chips in the recipe, but then I went ahead and topped them with another hefty handful before baking. Because chocolate is life.
These muffins rise beautifully and then fall a bit when they’re cooling. But not to worry! That doesn’t mean they’re not perfectly fluffy, tender, and crumbly on the inside.
And I love how the top forms a bit of a crust while the inside remains super moist and chocolaty. Total swoon-fest. You’re gonna want, like, three of these with a glass of almond milk immediately. Trust me.
I hope you all LOVE these muffins! They’re:
Chocolaty
Tender
Moist on the inside
Crumbly on the outside
Perfectly sweet
Easy to make
Naturally sweetened (!!)
& So delicious
These would make the perfect healthier treat to accompany a breakfast such as a scramble or a smoothie. They would also make a lovely afternoon snack or dessert.
If you’re not gluten-free, I’ve got you covered with my Fudgy Double Chocolate Chip Beet Muffins. And you can see more of my muffins here:
Vegan Blueberry Muffins for 2
Banana Almond Meal Muffins
Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins (GF)
Vegan Banana Crumb Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
1-Bowl Pumpkin Muffins (GF)
Vegan Carrot Apple Muffins (GF)
1-Bowl Blackberry Cornmeal Muffins
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
1-Bowl Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins (GF)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 5 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or sub another neutral oil)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend
- 1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour (finely ground rolled oats)
- 1/3 cup almond flour (or almond meal, though I haven’t tested it this way)
- 1/3 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips (plus more for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line 9-10 muffins (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) with paper liners (I prefer these, as they don’t stick to the muffins).
- Prepare flax eggs by mixing flaxseed meal and water in a large mixing bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Add applesauce, maple syrup, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk again. Then stir in the melted coconut oil and almond milk and whisk to combine.
- Add cocoa powder, gluten-free flour, oat flour, and almond flour and whisk until just combined. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk. But it should be quite thick and NOT pourable – rather scoopable.
- Lastly, stir in chocolate chips. Then divide batter evenly between muffin tins, filling all the way full (should be enough for 9-10 // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), and top with a few more chocolate chips (optional).
- Bake for 22-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges appear dry. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then remove from tins and let cool on a cooling rack. Texture is best when cooled completely.
- Will keep covered at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
*Recipe adapted from my Fudgy Beet Double Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Beverly says
I just made these for tonight’s dessert. They are so delicious and easy to make. We are going to have them with vanilla ice cream yum! I used two eggs since I’m not vegan, and I used coconut milk (not canned) because I didn’t have almond milk. I made these with almond meal and the are so moist. Perfect! Thanks, you are the BEST! (I make at least two of your recipes every week). When I tell my family which recipe it is….I always say, “ you know the girl that has all the vegan gluten free stuff but knows how to make things taste good😂”
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed them, Beverly! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Lisa Ward says
These are SO yummy! Made them for a GF/DF friend and I and our other friends even thought they were good!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Lisa! Thanks so much for sharing. xo
Alessandra says
These muffins turned out great! I followed the recipe almost exactly, although I didn’t have enough gluten free flour, so I used a little whole wheat flour. These muffins were the perfect amount of sweetness. I will definitely make them again!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Alessandra! xo
Lisa says
Hello! We have nut allergies. Do you have any suggestions for what to replace the almond flour with?
Hi Lisa! Almond flour is key for the texture in this recipe, if you can have cashews or tigernuts their flours will work. You could also try adding a bit more gluten-free flour and oat flour, the texture will just be slightly different. Hope this helps!
Jess says
I substituted bobs red mill 1:1 for all the flours. They turned out ok! I’m sure they could have been better. But they were great for my young kids – not too sweet and still fun for them.
We’re so glad your family enjoyed them overall, Jess! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Lily says
Hi! I don’t have access to applesauce where I live so could I use vegan yogurt instead? Also could I replace the flaxseeds with chia? Thanks in advance.
Hi Lily, we think those modifications would work well, but haven’t tried them ourselves. For the chia, we’d suggest grinding it first. Let us know how it goes!
Kristin says
I just discovered this recipe a few weeks ago and already have made it countless times. These are the fluffiest, most delicious muffins. They truly taste like chocolate cupcakes. I use spelt flour instead of the gluten blend and they turn out great. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Kristin! Thank you for sharing! xo
Jessica says
These are SO GOOD! Downright irresistible! Thanks so much for sharing another great recipe.
Yay! Thanks, Jessica!
Natalie says
These muffins are so delicious! We added shredded coconut to the mix, just because we’re big coconut fans. But definitely a recipe we will be making again!
Thank you !!
Yay! Love that idea. Thanks so much for sharing, Natalie!
Samantha says
Do you think I could use these as cupcakes with peanut butter icing?
Yes! Let us know how it goes =)
Vaibhavi Patel says
Hello! Is it possible to make this without the GF flour blend?
Hi, do you mean making it with all purpose flour? That should work, but we’d suggest reducing the amount. As for other gluten-free options, we’d suggest searching the comments to see what others have tried. Let us know how it goes!
Uzhmaa says
I just made these and they turned out wonderful! Soft, moist and not crumbly or dry at all :)
Slight tweaks:
I added a shot of coffee, used Doves farm GF plain flour in place of the 3/4 cup flour blend, and grated apple in place of apple sauce, and 2 chia eggs in place of 2 flax eggs. Would definitely recommend and make again, thank you!
Great! Thanks so much for sharing, Uzhmaa!
Elisa Pellegrino says
We loved these muffins so much!! I didn’t have all the ingredients at hand so I exchanged:
GF flour -> all purpose flour
Coconut sugar -> brown sugar
Almond flour -> blended real almonds
Still gorgeous and delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe! :)
So great! Thanks for sharing!
Kathryn Lloyd says
A follow up question – I’ve made them again and we enjoyed them just as much as the first time – which is a Lot! :-) This recipe and your Chana Masala are 2 of my very-best-favourites! ;-)
I’m sharing this recipe with friends, and wanted to ask you – for those who want to use an egg, do you have any thoughts on whether they should use 1 egg or 2? I don’t have a clue because it’s been many many decades since I used eggs.
Thanks for your wonderful recipes and website. It’s my favourite food website ever. :-)
Aw, thanks Kathryn! We’d suggest 2 eggs.
Sarah says
Seriously show stopping. A true chocolate cake without any notice of it being vegan.
Even with my substitutes, as I use what we grow that’s in season and available, as well as local ingredients as possible, these turned out phenomenal.
Mods:
– subbed puréed zucchini for applesauce
– subbed panela for maple syrup
– subbed all-purpose flour for GF blend
– added chocolate frosting made from whipped coconut cream, coconut oil, melted dark chocolate, powdered sugar, and orange zest
The cake was so moist and fluffy with deep chocolate flavor. Adding the frosting took it over the top and impressed non-vegans & vegans alike! In fact, I served this alongside a rich, classic non-vegan chocolate cake and this was even better received.
We’re so glad it turned out well! And love all your creative modifications. Thanks so much for sharing, Sarah!
Kathryn Lloyd says
Oh – Heavenly !!!! These are So so wonderful! They look, smell, and taste just great. So light and moist and not the last bit gummy, and not crumbly either!!
I’ll tell about my slight variations in ingredients. I used almond meal instead of flour. I also substituted that in the place of oat flour.
I used cacao powder instead of unsweetened cocoa powder.
They are absolutely perfect. Thanks Dana. I was so delighted I took photos, and posted them along with the link to your recipe on my FB page.
(((((((Dana)))))))
Thanks, Kathryn
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Kathryn. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Toni Curtis says
These are FANTASTIC! I made a couple substitutions based on what I had on hand…date sugar for coconut sugar, cocoa nibs for chocolate chips, homemade peach jam for the maple syrup, grated apple in place of applesauce, and I added 1T of instant coffee to intensify the chocolate. These are so moist, fluffy, and flavorful!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Toni. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Sue says
These were surprisingly wonderful! Not too many things I have made that are both vegan and gluten free….but these are awesome. Thanks!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Sue!
Zuzana says
Top!! 😄 These muffins are so delicious! I cut down the sugar and syrup, but they still turned our great. And added sour cherries (I was inspired by another recipe of yours :) ) and now I just need to stop myself from eating half the tray at once!! Will definitely do them again :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Zuzana! And we love the cherry idea =) Thanks so much for sharing!
Kerry says
These were delicious and my picky kids loved them, too! I used 1/2 cup club soda as my egg substitute since I was out of flax seed. Because of that, my batter was runnier and definitely pourable, but they puffed up nicely when baked and were super moist. Thank you for the recipe.
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing, Kerry!
Juliane Glinski says
Hi, I would like to make these and I have gluten free flour based on maize flour and corn starch left and would like to use this (since I am not gluten free anymore and it´ll go bad…) so I was wondering if that should work since your flour is based on rice and mine is mainly maize but also some rice and tapioka. It is called “cake and cookie flour” so I suppose yes? Thanks ahead!
Hi Juliane, we haven’t tried that, so we’re not sure whether it would work. But it might? Let us know if you try it!