I set out to make a cafe-style muffin using almond flour that would be on par with my 100% Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Chip Muffins, you know the type, the ones with the sort of crusty domed top and dense-crumb inside.
But as I began trying to alter my own recipe I somehow managed to get sidetracked between batches and ended up making the opposite of what I intended.
💕 Nonetheless, here’s why you’ll love these muffins:
- They are incredibly decadent, rich, and moist.
- They contain no gluten or dairy.
- They are clean eating.
- They are ovo-vegetarian friendly.
- They are high in protein and fiber (with each muffin having 6g of protein and 3g of fiber)
- They contain half the amount of carbs than most wheat-flour based chocolate muffins
- They are unquestionably DELICIOUS and dare I say, healthy??
- They are a great breakfast option and they pair well with a cup of coffee!
To get started you’ll need to gather the following ingredients:
- Blanched almond flour: you can also use unblanched (known as almond meal) if you prefer. Opt for a super-fine grind.
- Coconut flour: if you don’t want to use coconut flour you can sub with 4x the amount of almond flour (but note that you will get more muffins…that’s not a bad thing!).
- Baking powder: Our main rising agent.
- Espresso Powder: This is an optional ingredient but it really helps to amplify and complement the chocolate flavor.
- Eggs: Large whole eggs are what I used.
- Vanilla Extract: This adds a depth of flavor you can’t skip out on.
- Salt: You can use a Pink Himalayan salt or a sea salt.
- Extra Light Olive Oil: Or any neutral oil of your choosing (just be sure it’s clean!).
- Maple Syrup: This is our sweetener but it also adds flavor and moistness to our muffins.
- Cocoa powder: Be sure to use a clean label and high quality cocoa powder for the best results. (I’m a big fan of Ghirardelli 100% Unsweetened Cocoa Powder).
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Much like the cocoa powder, be sure to use a clean label and good quality brand you like for the best results.
Now, here’s how to make these delectable muffins:
To make your muffins it’s as simple as adding your dry ingredients (almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, and espresso powder) into a bowl…
…And your wet ingredients (maple syrup, eggs, oil, and vanilla) into another (larger) bowl.
Thoroughly mix both…
…And add all of your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients.
Mix until both wet and dry are combined.
And then fold in your dark chocolate chips.
Scoop your batter into lined or greased muffin tins, and, if you like, top each muffin with a few extra chocolate chips.
Bake your muffins in your preheated oven at 350F for 20 minutes until they are done. You can also do the toothpick test by inserting a toothpick into the middle of a muffin and testing to see if the toothpick comes out clean. Note that if you hit a coveted pocket of melted chocolate your toothpick won’t come out clean so be careful to not mistake melty chocolate for undercooked muffin batter!
The tops cracking are a really good sign of your muffins being cooked though so look out for that as well (though I’ve made a few batches that didn’t have cracked tops).
As far as “failures” go, I’d say this one was excellent! That being said, I’m off to once again try to attain my initial goal of creating a legitimate almond flour-based cafe style muffin…I’ll keep you guys posted so be sure to look out for it and in the meantime, I hope you enjoy these decadent double chocolate muffins!
Insanely moist Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup blanched almond flour or unblanched (super fine)
- ¼ cup organic coconut flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup extra light olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease or line muffin cups with coconut oil or paper liners.
- Mix all dry ingredients together in one bowl (except chocolate chips).
- Mix all wet ingredients together in another bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Reserve a few to top your muffins with if you like.
- Scoop or pour the batter into your prepared muffin tins (top with reserved chocolate chips if you like) and bake at 350°F for 20 min or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (not counting any residue from the melted chocolate chips).
- Allow muffins to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from the tins. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Video
Notes
- The use of the espresso powder is entirely optional but serves to boost the depth of the chocolate flavor.
- Using melted coconut oil in place of the light olive oil will cause the batter to be slightly thicker. This is normal.
- You can reserve 2-3 tbsp of chocolate chips to be placed onto the muffins after you've spooned the batter into the muffin tin.
