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These are the best vegan chocolate muffins with simple ingredients, made in one bowl, in about 30 minutes! The recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, and super easy to make. You don’t want to miss this fudgy, moist, and rich deliciousness!
Raise your right hand if you love chocolate and raise your left hand if you love muffins. I notice we are on the same wavelength! 🙌 Making these easy homemade chocolate oatmeal muffins was seriously a breeze. You don’t even need a blender or food processor to whip up this tasty vegan dessert.
You can enjoy the muffins for breakfast or grab one in the afternoon when you need some energy. They’re also great for your kid’s lunch box and healthier than store-bought chocolate muffins. Furthermore, free of eggs, cow’s milk, and butter! Let’s do this!
I love creating (and eating!!!) healthy vegan and gluten-free treats and beside brownies muffins are my go-to dessert. They have the perfect size to satisfy any sweet cravings and the best part is that they are so easy to make. You can bake them with your kids, I am sure they would love to get involved.
Simple Ingredients
There are only 12 simple ingredients in total and I bet you have them all at home.
Oats or oat flour – If you have store-bought oat flour at home, you are all set. If you have oats, simply use an electric coffee/spice grinder or a regular blender to make oat flour. Blend for 10 seconds and voilà, you have oat flour. Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats/oat flour, if you are a celiac.
Coconut sugar – You can use brown sugar, white sugar, date sugar or any other granulated sweetener. I only used 1/3 of a cup because the vegan chocolate chips also contain sugar, however, if you have a sweet tooth, feel free to add 1/2 cup sugar.
Cocoa powder – I always use unsweetened cocoa powder. Please note that natural cacao powder has a slightly bitter taste. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is probably not the healthiest option but it still works in this recipe.
Dairy-free chocolate chips – I use these vegan mini chocolate chips but you can use regular-sized chocolate chips.
Plant-based milk – Any plant-based milk is fine. Some examples are almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, etc. The higher the fat content of the milk is, the richer and tastier the chocolate muffins will be.
Applesauce – Lately, I have been experimenting more often with applesauce and I love baking with it. Not a fan? Simply, use mashed banana instead.
Nut butter – I used peanut butter because that’s what I had on hand. You can also use almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version!
Apple cider vinegar – In combination with the baking powder and baking soda, it helps the muffins to rise. You can use white vinegar or lemon juice instead.
All ingredients AND measurements are listed in the recipe card BELOW!
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Muffins?
STEP 1: First, you should line a muffin pan with paper liners (or grease the pan). Preheat oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
STEP 2: Add all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) to a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk.
STEP 3: Now add the wet ingredients and stir until combined (you can use a whisk or a hand mixer). Stir in the vegan chocolate chips.
STEP 4: Divide the batter among the wells of the muffin pan. I had enough batter to make 8 muffins.
STEP 5: Bake for 24 to 27 minutes or until you spot cracks on top of the muffins. Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. It should come out almost clean (it’s ok if the toothpick is crumbly/slightly sticky but it shouldn’t come out wet).
STEP 6: Let the vegan double chocolate chip muffins cool and enjoy!
How To Store?
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in zip-lock bags for up to 3 months.
These Flourless Chocolate Muffins Are:
- Vegan (dairy-free, egg-free)
- Gluten-free
- Can be made nut-free
- Can be made refined sugar-free
- Moist
- Fudgy
- Delicious
- Easy to make in one bowl
- Healthier than most chocolate muffins
If you love chocolate, make sure to check out my other delicious vegan & gluten-free desserts:
- Vegan Lava Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Pie
- Chocolate Crepes
- Vegan Zucchini Brownies
- Best Vegan Brownies
- Flourless Brownies
- Sweet Potato Brownies
- Healthy No-Bake Brownies
Should you give these healthy vegan double chocolate muffins a try, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with #elavegan and @elavegan.
Vegan Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cup (120 g) oat flour gluten-free if needed (*see notes)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (70-100 g) coconut sugar (*see notes)
- 1/2 cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (90 g) chocolate chips (dairy-free) + more for the top
Wet ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) almond milk
- 2/3 cup (160 g) applesauce unsweetened (*see notes)
- 1/4 cup (65 g) nut butter (*see notes)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- I recommend measuring the ingredients in grams on a kitchen scale.
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners (or grease the pan) and preheat oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
- Add all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) to a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk.
- Now add the wet ingredients and stir to combine. You can also use a hand mixer.
- Finally, stir in the vegan chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter among the wells of the muffin pan. I had enough batter to make 8 muffins.
- Bake for 24 to 27 minutes or until you spot cracks on top of the muffins. I also recommend making a toothpick test. Insert the toothpick into the center of a muffin. It should come out almost clean (it's ok if the toothpick is crumbly/slightly sticky but it shouldn't come out wet).
- Let the muffins cool and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Oat flour: If you don't have oat flour, simply process oats (regular or certified gluten-free oats) in a blender or electric spice/coffee grinder until you have oat flour.
- Sweetener: Any granulated sweetener can be used. Some examples are coconut sugar, Xylitol*, Erythritol, regular sugar or date sugar. I used 1/3 cup, however, if you have a sweet tooth, I recommend using 1/2 cup. *Desserts with Xylitol should be never given to dogs.
- Applesauce - You can use mashed banana instead.
- Nut butter: You can use almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version. If you don't have nut butter, you could use oil instead. Please note that I never made this recipe with oil, however, I would suggest about 1/8 to 1/4 of a cup (please report back if you give it a try).
- Recipe makes 7-8 muffins (depending on muffin size). Nutrition facts are for one muffin.
- Do you want to make cupcakes? Try out this sweet potato frosting!
Equipment
If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Hello Ela,
I have a little question, been making these these muffins for the second time now and both of the times they have risen perfectly while being in the oven for 10 minutes yet once I have to get them out (at around 25 minutes) they’ve all stagnated. Do have any idea how I can fix this problem?
Also the taste is magnificent, thank you for this recipe!
Hi Violet, I am glad you loved the taste! How was the consistency of the batter? I had this happen with another recipe I was testing and noticed this can happen in gluten-free recipes if the batter isn’t thick enough. Some flours from different brands can be finer than from other brands which will affect the batter. Therefore, I would suggest using less plant-based milk or a little more flour the next time. Once the batter is thicker, it shouldn’t happen again. Hope this helps! 🙂
Ela, Thank you for another great recipe! <3 I made the muffins using erythritol instead of sugar and they came out soo good- moist, fluffy and very chocolaty 🙂
Love from Poland!
So happy you enjoyed them, Sylwia! I also made them once with Erythritol and loved the result. Thanks for your great feedback! 🙂
Hi Ela, these were amaziiiing, I want to make them again tomorrow but I ran out of almond milk. Would oat milk or coconut milk work the same?
Thanks thanks thanks!!!
Hello Ximena! Yes, absolutely! I love using coconut milk. Glad you love the muffins! 🙂
Hey Ella,
I’ve been looking for the perfect recipe for vegan muffins, and found different ones on the internet, baked them all for me and my bf, and we both found yours the best!! They turned out sooo delicious, I can’t wait to bake them again ! I have to say i ‘ve never used apple sauce before in baking. I was almost afraid it would taste of Apple. 😂 However, as you have written, it doesn’t! 🙂
Only thing I kind of wonder, I didn’t have soda so I left the soda and apple cider vinegar out. However I still used baking powder. Will it make a big difference adding the soda and vinegar for rising ? And how about flavour with/without vinegar?
Best regards Tea
Hi Tea! I am so glad they turned out amazing! They turned out slightly fluffier with the addition of baking soda and vinegar. Flavor-wise I do not really notice a difference. 🙂
These were amazing! I didn’t have peanut butter on hand so I did as Ela suggested and used 1/4 cup olive oil instead and worked perfectly. The muffins were so moist and delicious.
I am glad they turned out delicious and moist! Thanks for your comment, Heather. 🙂
Hi Ela! Am I able to use self-raising flour instead of oat flour?
Hi Jesse, I think that should be fine! You might need a little less plant-based milk though. 🙂
Unfortunately my muffins failed. What did I do wrong? I am a beginner in the ‘vegan (baking) world’. I carefully weighed everything up and put it together. I just used lime juice instead of the apple cider vinegar. And I used 50 gram sugar instead of 70-100grams. Is this the reason? Can you give any tips? Thanks!
Hello, what exactly means “failed”? Did they not taste yummy or was the texture not good (over baked, under baked)? Elevation and oven (gas oven/electric oven) also play a big role, so it’s really hard to give advice.
My best muffins! They came out so so perfect and delish! Thanks
So happy you loved them, Samira! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
What if I wanted to use cacao? Would I just use a little less than the cocoa? Thanks
Yes, Raschel, I would use a little less. 🙂
Omg! I made these and stuffed them with peanut butter. Even my 4 year old son enjoyed them! And he’s veryyyy picky about vegan desserts lol. You have my approval and my son’s too! Can’t wait to try out your other recipes
Aww, that’s awesome! So glad you and your 4-year old loved the muffins. Stuffed with peanut butter? I have to try that!!! 😀
Thanks for your kind comment.
Vynikající, moc děkuji 🙂 povedly se skvěle – místo jablečné přesnídávky jsem dala jedno jablko a nasekala 85 % Lindt. Doporučuji!
Excellent, thank you very much 🙂 delicious muffins! – instead of an apple sauce I gave one apple and chopped 85% Lindt. I recommend!
Ahoj Daný! I am so glad you loved the muffins. Thanks for your great comment! Děkuji! 🙂
these were delicious! I used kodiak cakes since that is a blend of oat flour and whole wheat and it gave a little extra protein. I also used swerve sweetener and less cocoa (30g instead of 50 g). They were delicious!
I am so glad they turned out delicious! Thanks for letting us know about the modifications you made. 🙂
Dear Ela, thank you for this lovely recipe. I’m trying to avoid added sugars – do you think I could just cut the granulated sugars out of the recipe and rely on the bananas for sweetness, or add more mashed banana? How do you think this would affect the texture? Thank you!
Hi Alison, no, I wouldn’t recommend it. The bananas aren’t sweet enough, so I would rather recommend a keto-friendly sweetener (like Erythritol) or you could use dates to taste. 🙂
I just tried this and qua.rantine stockpiling meant i had to go without some ingredients. I didnt have baking powder. I also used coconut milk as thats more widely available here in Singapore. And i mixed applesauce with mashed banana cos i didnt have enough applesauce. The muffins taste so good! They’re a bit dense I’m assuming cos of my lack of baking soda, but god they’re so chocolatey and imdulgent! Thank you for your detailed, simple to follow recipes! Cant wait to try more!
Awesome! I am glad they still turned out very delicious. 🙂
Amazing. I cannot wait to bake it again!!! Thank you.
Hello Dilyara! I am so glad you liked the muffins. 🙂
Can I use plain wite flour
Yes, that should be fine. You might need less plant-based milk though. 🙂
Can date paste be used instead of sugar. If so how much. I try to avoid added sugars and uze fruit as much as possible to sweeten.
Thanks
Dagmar
Hi Dagmar, I never baked with date paste, so this is difficult for me to answer. Maybe use 100 grams and see if it’s sweet enough. The texture of the muffins will be most likely different. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Thank you so much for this muffins! Is it possible to make them with gluten free mixture (rice flour, tapioka and maize straches, amarant and flax seeds flour, xanthan Gum?
I never tried it but I think it should work. 🙂
Hallo Ella,
ich habe die Muffins schon mehrmals gebacken und sie schmecken wunderbar! Mein Mann ist auch verliebt! 🙂 ich habe statt Nussmuss Öl benutzt (1/4 Glass) und es hat super geklappt. Vielen Dank für deine Rezepte. Wir kommen aus der Slowakei und Tschechien und deine Rezepte ersetzen uns geschmacklich sehr oft unsere Heimatrezepte 🙂 Danke
Das freut mich sehr liebe Erika! Meine Eltern kommen übrigens auch aus Tschechien. 🙂
Hello, can I use almond flour or coconut flour or spelt flour instead of oat flour?
Spelt flour should be fine! 🙂
Hi Ela! Thank you for the recipe. Can I use cassava flour or rice four instead of oat flour?
Hi Vickie, I haven’t tried it. I think cassava flour might work but you would need to experiment. I don’t think rice flour would be the best choice. 🙂
Excellent recipe Michaela, the 5th one I try from your recipes and they are always delish! I really like the way you structure the recipe instructions and your notes and measures both in cups and grams. Just to make sure I am baking everything properly, I miss in your recipes what position to place the tray in the oven, do you place it in the middle rack or on the bottom? Thanks in advance.
Hello Katia! Thanks for your compliments, I appreciate it a lot. I am using the middle rack of my oven. 🙂
Much love, Ela
Hello Ela,
The recipe turned out to be SO SO good! One of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever had! I made it with banana instead cause I didn’t have applesauce!
I love alll your recipes but I did this one in specific because i already had all ingredients in the kitchen! Thanks!
You are very welcome, Dina! I am so glad it turned out amazing! 🙂
I love Your recipes! Even my husband follows you now on Instagram hahaha can i use flax eggs ínstead of Apple sauce ?
Hi Claudia, I am glad you and your husband like my recipes. 🙂
I think flax eggs might work in this recipe but I haven’t tried it yet. Mashed banana works fine. 🙂
Made these with my niece last night and they came out perfectly. They are so rich and decadent. No one would know they were vegan. I accidentally picked up chunky peanut butter, but it was a nice textural addition. We’ll be making these again. We had enough for 8 muffins. Thank you for sharing!!!
That’s awesome, Lyniel! I am so glad you guys enjoyed the muffins. 🙂
Hey Ela. These muffins look great!! I just have one question… when substituting mashed banana for apple sauce, do I use the whole banana or 2/3 cup of mashed banana??
Hi Christine, you should use 160 grams of banana, which is about 2 small bananas. 🙂
Done ! Excellent recipe ! Tanks !
Very welcome, Sandie. 🙂
Hello Ela! Can I make a cake (instead of muffins) from the batter? Which size of pan will I need?
Hi Anna, I never tried making a cake from the batter, so I am not sure about the size of the pan. Maybe a round cake pan with 8 inches (ca. 20 cm) diameter would work. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Hi I tried making a loaf cake, but even after baking a whole hour, it’s still too wet .. the batter itself tastes great but the texture of the cake doesn’t seem right so I cut into slices (to the best o fb my ability) and rebake another 15 mins .. it’ works but I think best to do small cupcakes ..
Hi Claire! Yes, it won’t work in a loaf pan, because it’s too deep, therefore, I recommended an 8-inch cake pan, so the batter will be less heigh and therefore bake quicker. This recipe is best suited for muffins though. 🙂
I did it today, and I’m thrilled!!! So soft and juicy, I used coconut oil instead of nut butter. Thanks Ela for the wonderful recipe ❤️
You are welcome, Suzana! I am glad the muffins turned out amazing. 🙂
Hi. How much coconut oil did you use?
Many people on my German site commented that they used 40-50 grams of oil and it worked perfectly! I hope this helps! 🙂
Can I use Chickpea flour instead if Oat flour?
I wouldn’t recommend that because I don’t like the taste of chickpea flour in desserts. 🙂
Love this Recipe dear Ela!
Since I had all the ingredients at home, I thought I’m going for a lovely Sunday treat. They were whipped up in a whim.
They are soft and chocolate without being to sweet!
Will make them soon again❤️
Hugs Heike
Thanks so much, my dear Heike! I am so glad you enjoyed the muffins. 🙂
Much love, Ela
Hi Ela,
Thank you for this recipe, I think I will be making this for my birthday. I was wondering if sugar could be substituted with maple syrup.
Thank you!
Hi Molly, that should be fine, however, I would use slightly less plant-based milk. 🙂
Hallo Ela,
Ich möchte gern wissen wo ich diese kleine Schokoladenstückchen kaufen kann?
Sind sie auch ohne zucher? Ich habe sie gefunden aber nicht vegan und mit zucker.
Ich bin ganz neugierig und möchte gern diese muffins probieren.
Grüße aus die Niederlande😉
Hallo Ilona, ich habe sie online in USA gekauft, aber sie enthalten Zucker. Im deutschen Rezept verlinke ich allerdings zuckerfreie Schokodrops.
LG, Ela
I’ll try to bake them and tell you after
Great! I hope you will like them. 🙂
These look so delicious, Ela! 😍 I love anything with chocolate 🍫 Would love to grab some!❤️❤️❤️
I wish I could share them with you, they’re so yummy! 🙂
Once again, really delicious and easy to make!!
Thank you Ela 🙂
Fantastic, Eve! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Could you use regular all purpose flour in place of the oat flour?
Yes, that should be fine. You might need less plant-based milk though. 🙂
I made them with 1/8 cup of oil instead of nut butter and they turned out great!! Thanks so much for this quick, yummy and easy recipe! 😊🤗
You are very welcome, Crismar! I am pleased the muffins turned out great with 1/8 cup of oil. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
My husband made these for us for Valentine’s Day and it was so good! We used carob powder instead of cacao since I’m pregnant (chocolate is toxic to fetus), and it was so delicious! We also used lemon juice instead of ACV, worked well! We topped it off with an avocado-based carob sauce as we didn’t use the chocolate chips. Everything came out so well. It was also very moist. One of the best gluten free, egg free and oil free recipes we’ve ever had when it comes to a chocolatey treat! ♥️
Wow, that’s incredible, Amy! Thanks for your thorough feedback. Using carob instead of cocoa is a smart idea. Very pleased you loved the muffins! 🙂
Really good recipe!! I tried them today and they were delicious!!! Perfect ratio of the ingredients! Thank you ☺️
I am so glad you loved the recipe, Caro! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
These are in the oven right now! The batter tasted great (don’t ask how I know 😜). Thanks for this recipe! Simple and nice ingredients as well as healthy!
Haha, I always eat the batter too, it’s so yummy. I hope you will love the muffins, Katerina. 😀
They were amazing! We may or may not have eaten all 12 that I made in 24 hours and we are 2 in the house!) Second batch is coming up tomorrow! Thank you for this great recipe!
Hahaha, love it! Thanks so much for reporting back, Katerina. 🙂
Einen gesegneten Tag 🙂
Danke, ebenso! 🙂
Hi Ela, thank you for your recipes, I often find inspiration on your website. You make vegan+gluten free food so much more comforting than I ever imagined it could be 🙂
I have a question : I cannot eat oats (GF or not). What could I replace it with ? (Knowing that I am gluten intolerant too…)
Thanks againt
Clémence from Paris
Hi Clémence, I just answered the same question in my previous comment. 🙂 I will copy and paste my answer for you:
I am so glad you like my recipes! 🙂
Hi Ela. Is there another flour I can use instead? I have trouble even with GF oats. Thanks. Love your recipes!
Hi Diane! I assume you need another gluten-free flour? You could probably also use buckwheat flour which is also gluten-free. Hope this helps! 🙂
it has been so hard to find a gluten free and vegan recipe for muffins . Thank you Ella. i love your recipes and i find them easy to make and tasy! you are amazing !
Thanks so much, Teddy! I am glad you like my recipes. 🙂 You can check out my other vegan & gluten-free muffin recipes here:
Apple Crumble Muffins
Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Muffins
Have these in the oven now! So excited to try! Thank you!
Awesome! Please report back how they turned out. 🙂
Hy Ela, first of all congratulations for being such a good inspiration,I want to please you just to pus also in grams the measurements,because sometimes i don’t find the exactly recipient for measurements.thank you and good luck 🍀
Hey Alexandra, ALL my recipes are also in grams. 🙂
Hi Ela, I am a long time follower and just has to comment today. First of all, these muffins look delicious and I will be trying these IMMEDIATELY!! But the real reason I feel compelled to say “great job” and “thank you” is because I truly appreciate the way you structure your recipes for the average cook. Everyday ingredients, minimal at that so as not to overwhelm, substitutions for every recipe and ingredient to make this work in anyone’s kitchen, and of course, your commitment to vegan, healthy, and TASTY food!! Please keep up this beautiful work and service to the world. Best wishes to you 🙂
Awww, thank you so much for your beautiful comment, Tiffany! I really appreciate your support and your kind feedback. 💖💖💖
Sending you lots of love,
Ela
Ditto to everything Tiffany wrote! I LOVE Ela’s recipes for the simplicity, substitute suggestions and high quality taste. My go-to for everything vegan and delicious. And truly a great contribution to the world of healthy, good eating,
Just to clarify… when I say simplicity, I mean minimal ingredients. The recipes are so approachable and with limited hours in the day, it’s nice to have clean, straightforward recipes that are “simply” yummy.
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Lia! I really appreciate it. 🙂