These Healthy Chocolate Muffins taste like a brownie, with a sneaky veggie hidden inside. There’s no flour or oil required, so they are naturally gluten-free, and kids love them!
Why You’ll Love Them
They taste amazing. This muffin recipe tastes like a cross between a chocolate cake and a brownie. They are ultra-satisfying when your sweet tooth strikes, and are loaded with fiber to help avoid any drastic blood sugar spikes.
They are nourishing. Made with almond butter and eggs, these muffins are a good source of protein, and taste like dessert. You’d never know that there’s pumpkin puree hidden inside! (It’s for texture, not flavor.)
They are gluten-free. Instead of using dry ingredients, like white whole wheat flour or oat flour, this recipe is flourless, which means it’s also gluten-free. The almond butter and eggs work together to create a fluffy texture you’ll love, with no oil required.
They are an easy option on-the-go. These healthy muffins make a delicious breakfast or snack, when you need something quick to grab.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This pumpkin puree in this recipe adds extra nutrients and moisture, without adding a noticeable flavor. If you don’t have canned pumpkin on hand, you could swap it for mashed ripe banana or unsweetened applesauce, but keep in mind that both of those options will change the rich chocolate flavor.
You could also use Greek yogurt as a substitute, if you don’t need a dairy-free recipe.
How to Make Healthy Chocolate Muffins
1. Mix the wet ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, pumpkin puree, eggs, coconut sugar, maple syrup, cacao powder, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.
Mix well, until the batter looks smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips, if you want a double chocolate muffin.
2. Bake.
Line a muffin tin with 12 liners, then use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter into each spot. You should get 12 muffins from this recipe.
Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top, if you’d like.
Bake in the oven at 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins rise and look dry on top. If the center of the muffin sinks significantly, that means they probably didn’t cook quite long enough.
You can also test the center of the muffin with a toothpick, if you prefer.
3. Enjoy!
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Serve the muffins at room temperature, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can store the muffins in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place them in the fridge for up to 48 hours so they can soften again.
You can replace the maple syrup with honey, if you prefer, but the honey flavor will be slightly more noticeable. I don’t recommend replacing the granulated sugar with a liquid sweetener, or you might not achieve the same texture, but you can use another granulated sugar, if you need to.
If you grease the pan with cooking spray or coconut oil, the muffins will not release quite as nicely. (The muffin liners guarantee they’ll come of out the pan easily.) Without the liners, you’ll probably need to run a knife around the edges to help them release from the pan.
You can swap the cacao powder for cocoa powder, if that’s what you keep on hand, and you can also use peanut butter instead of almond butter, if you prefer. (The peanut butter creates a slightly drier texture.) If you want to try another veggie puree, you can toss raw zucchini in a blender to create a zucchini puree that could be used instead of the pumpkin.
You can add a teaspoon of espresso powder, if you keep it on hand, to emphasize the chocolate taste. For a less-sweet muffin, you can also cut back on the maple syrup, for a darker chocolate flavor.
Looking for more healthy muffin recipes? Try Blender Banana Oatmeal Muffins, Raspberry Chocolate Chip Almond Flour Muffins, or Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, for another variation.
Healthy Chocolate Muffins
Healthy Chocolate Muffins have a fluffy texture, without using flour or oil! They taste like a cross between chocolate cake and brownies, with a sneaky veggie hidden inside.
Servings:
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners. In a large bowl, stir together the almond butter, pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup, coconut sugar, cacao powder, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Once the batter looks smooth, fold in the chocolate chips.
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Use a ¼ cup measure to divide the batter between the 12 prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top, if you like.
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Bake at 350ºF until the muffins have risen, and the center looks dry, about 25 minutes.
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Let the muffins to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. You can serve them at room temperature, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
- Nutrition information is for 1 of 12 muffins, including the chocolate chips. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
- See the full post above for substitution tips. You can use any other nut butter or fruit/veggie puree in this recipe for a similar texture, but the flavor will change depending on what you use.
- I haven’t had the chance to test a vegan version of this recipe yet, but I’ve had great success lately using psyllium “eggs” which seem to be more effective than flax eggs. To make 1 egg replacement, mix together 1 tablespoon whole psyllium husk with a 1/4 cup water until they gel together.
Nutrition
Calories: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 122mg, Potassium: 282mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 1631IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 94mg, Iron: 2mg
Update Note: This recipe used to be called “Paleo Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins,” but was updated in January 2023 with a new name and updated photos. I think the “pumpkin” in the title scared people off from trying them, and they are too delicious to miss! The recipe has not changed, but you can see the original version here.
If you try these healthy chocolate muffins, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them.