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.
- Other flours: Buckwheat flour or millet flour works too. You can use regular all-purpose flour or spelt flour if you aren’t gluten-free.
- Sweetener: Any granulated sweetener can be used. Some examples are coconut sugar, Erythritol, regular sugar, or date sugar. I used 1/3 cup, however, if you have a sweet tooth, I recommend using 1/2 cup.
- 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!
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Christine
Hi Ela! I’ve made these muffins a few times now, and my sons and I love them! However, my husband does not like fudgey, he prefers a more cake-like texture. Do you have any suggestions on how I could achieve that? Thank you : )
Ela
Hi Christine, if you aren’t gluten-free, you can use regular flour and the result will be more cakey. 🙂
Christine
These days, when I make these muffins, I always do a double batch: one with AP flour for my husband, and the other batch with oat flour for me and my kids. This time my nut butter was too firm, so I used Tahini instead, and we like it even better : )
Ela
That’s so good to hear, Christine! Thanks for sharing, I am happy they turned out great with tahini. 🙂
Gloria
Ela, que buenas recetas tienes !!! todas se ven deliciosas, muchas gracias por compartirlas.
Hoy voy a hacer estos muffins de chocolate. Ya te platicare como me fue, pero me los imagino deliciosos.
Gracias por tu tiempo y el cariño con el que haces las cosas.
Saludos !
Gloria
Ela
Hola, Gloria, muchas gracias por tu amable comentario. Espero que hayas disfrutado de las muffins. Te deseo todo lo mejor, Ela.
PS: I hope you understand my Spanish. 😀
Andrea
Dear Ela , you are so talent!!! We just eat the chocolate muffins ???? , o.m.g!! Amazing !!!your recipes, the instructions, everything, I didn’t see a site so good as yours !! I’m a big fan!! Thank you so much for your dedication to teach people all this goodness ????????????????
Ela
Aww, you are a sweetheart! Thanks for your kind comment. 🙂
Denise Halligan
Hi ya. I’ve just come across your recipe and it sounds yummy.
Can you please tell me can I make this into a 18cm cake instead of the muffins.
If so how long would I bake this for, would like to make this for my granddaughter’s cake this week.
Cheers ????
Ela
I never tried it but I think it might work. I would bake it until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, maybe 30 minutes. But check earlier. 🙂
Keta
These were SO good! And super easy to make. Although I have a question: the instructions say that they may be done when you start seeing cracks on top. I saw cracks at about 17 minutes but they weren’t nearly ready to come out of the oven. Also my final product had much deeper cracks than what I see in your pictures. Any idea why this may be? Thanks!
Ela
Hi Keta, I believe this might depend on the oven. I have a gas oven and baked goods turn out rather “moist” in the gas oven compared to when I bake them in an electric oven (which is much dryer). I hope this helps. 🙂
I am so glad you liked the muffins. 🙂
Pau
The texture was amazing – not dry at all – and it was superquick & easy to make. My muffins were smaller so I was able to make about 12 of them, which is great. I baked them 22 minutes 🙂
However I think that they don’t taste enough of chocolate – i could feel the apple and the peanut butter more than the cocoa (i think it was dutch-processed cocoa but i’m not 100% sure). Could I add more of it if I remove some flour ? What do think ?
Ela
Yes, you could add a little more cocoa powder, or simply melt some dairy-free chocolate and add it to the batter. 🙂
Wendy
Let me start by saying I am really bad at cooking and baking in general. Everything I bake needs to have the word ‘easy’ in it somewhere. I stumbled through the recipe for these muffins and they turned out to be delicious. They don’t have the grainy texture I’ve found in muffins that I’ve ordered in the past and they don’t have that odd taste that sometimes comes with gluten free baked goods. I definitely recommend them, even for people like me who aren’t great at baking.
Ela
Yay, that’s amazing, Wendy! I am so glad you love the recipe. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Gaby li
Can I use almond flour?
Thanks for the recipe!
Ela
Hello! I never used almond flour in this recipe, so I am not sure. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Anais
These taste amazing !! im never buying chocolate muffins again these are the best ones i’ve tasted and so easy to make. Thank you for the recipe!!
Ela
Yay, that makes me so happy! Thanks for your great feedback Anais. 🙂
Jill Canning
Hi Ela!
I loved the taste of these muffins and am excited to try them again, along with your other recipes! Question for you: I used little liners inside my muffin tray, and the muffin sticks to the paper. Should I cook them longer in order to fix that next time? I took them out at about 24 – 25 minutes. I also set my oven at 375 F (I am in the US) because I cannot set it at 360. It’s either 350 or 375, no in-between! I used all ingredients as written in your recipe. What do you think? Thanks so much!! Jill
Ela
Hi Jill, I am so glad you liked the taste! I think 375 F and 24-25 minutes is fine. 🙂
You could line your muffin tin with the liners and give them a quick spritz of nonstick cooking spray. That should solve the issue. 🙂
Divya
Hi ,how can I make applesauce at home,and instead of plant based milk can I use normal milk because I’m not vegan but I wanna make gluten free
Ela
Yes, you can use normal milk. To make applesauce, combine chopped and peeled apples, a little water, and sweetener to taste in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the apples are soft (adding more water if needed). Blend applesauce until smooth with an immersion blender.
Divya
Hi tried your recipe I was good but little sticky while eating,I fallow every step,while eating sticky in mouth,what’s wrong in my recipe
Ela
Hello Divya, oat flour does tend to leave a slightly sticky feeling in the mouth. If you aren’t gluten-free, you could use regular flour or spelt flour next time. 🙂
Divya
Thanku so much,iam not gluten free but I don’t like all purpose flour,I will try with wheat flour,is same quantity of flour??and other doubt can I skip but butter ??or instead of it what can I replace
Thanku
Ela
Divya, please check the recipe notes regarding the nut butter, everything is explained there. Wheat flour should be fine (same quantity).
Landrey
Update *** if you put them in the refrigerator it gives the coconut oil a chance to set and they are delicious!
Ela
Thanks a lot for your feedback, Landrey. 🙂
Landrey
Will make again, I tried it using coconut oil in place of the but butter. I used 3 Tbs. although the flavor is there the texture is not. I think you need the thickness of the nut butter to get that spongy texture
D-Rae
These muffins turned out de-lish! I’m not totally gluten free but I should be. I tend to turn to your recipes for gluten free or vegan options and you never disappoint. I never tell my husband that it’s gluten free or vegan until after he finish eating it, and he ends up loving them more than I do. I used almond butter and it turned out great. I also made your vegan scalloped potatoes…yummy!
Thanks again.
Ela
Yay, that’s wonderful! I am super happy you and your husband love my recipes. Thanks for your kind feedback. 🙂
Rhonda
These muffins are absolutely delicious!! Definitely the best gluten free dessert I have made thus far. Thanks so much Ela!!
Ela
You are very welcome, Rhonda! Thanks for your great comment. 🙂
Nikita
@elavegan #elavegan
I tried this recipe today. I m very satisfied with the recipe ingredients. The taste was also good but it’s was not as spongy as it seems to be in the picture of yours. FOR SUGAR I used Dates paste.
Thanks looking forward for such more healthy recipes.
Ela
Hi Nikita, I am glad you liked the taste. I think the texture was different because you used date paste. 🙂
Violet
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!
Ela
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! 🙂
Sylwia
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!
Ela
So happy you enjoyed them, Sylwia! I also made them once with Erythritol and loved the result. Thanks for your great feedback! 🙂
Ximena
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!!!
Ela
Hello Ximena! Yes, absolutely! I love using coconut milk. Glad you love the muffins! 🙂
Tea
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
Ela
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. 🙂
Heather
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.
Ela
I am glad they turned out delicious and moist! Thanks for your comment, Heather. 🙂