Vegan Gluten-free Double Chocolate Muffins made with almond flour and oat flour and are so rich, decadent and delicious! You would never know they are dairy-free and oil-free!
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VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS
I love the sounds of the words double chocolate muffins, don’t you?? Even better when they are vegan, gluten-free and oil-free and only 8 ingredients. Oh yes, I just made your day, right? I love chocolate recipes that have both cocoa powder and chocolate chips, kind of like in this Vegan Chocolate Mug Cake and these Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins.
Simple. Classic. Super chocolatey. There are a lot of amazing, interesting flavor combos out there in muffins. Sometimes, though, I just want the classic flavor of chocolate. Simple and quick to whip up, with just 8 purchase ingredients (+ salt & water). These are for those who love chocolate big time.
GLUTEN-FREE AND OIL-FREE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS
Nailing both gluten-free and oil-free, as well as vegan, isn’t always an easy feat. Getting the right ratios of ingredients used can make or break the perfect muffin. Too moist of a muffin can be wet and soggy, which is yuck. Not enough moisture will have you smacking the roof of your mouth and running for some water just to swallow it. But these vegan double chocolate muffins are fluffy, light, moist and absolute perfection.
These are so good that I’ve made probably 12 batches already before even posting this recipe.
Have I sold you on these yet?? Ok, GOOD. Drop me some feedback below after you’ve stuffed your face with these Vegan Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Muffins! I’d love to hear about it.
OTHER VEGAN MUFFINS TO TRY:
- Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Bakery Style Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Vegan Double Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (168g) superfine blanched almond flour
- 1 cup (128g) superfine oat flour
- 3 tablespoons (24g) tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (36g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup (160g) pure maple syrup
- 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (180g) semi-sweet dairy-free chocolate chips (Plus more for topping. If using the mini chips, use a heaping 1/2 cup instead since there will be more)
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 12 cup muffin pan with foil liners. I use stay-brite foil liners by Reynolds. These work the best and do not stick whatsoever. They will stick to paper liners.
- To a large bowl, add the almond flour, oat flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt and whisk very well until there is no lumps remaining.
- Make a well in the center and add the water, syrup and vanilla and stir those gently before mixing in with the rest of the ingredients. Stir for a couple of minutes until it's very smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide the batter into 12 lined muffin cups, they will be filled basically to the top. Using a large ice cream scooper makes it easy and mess-free. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top, if desired.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the tops are slightly cracked and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. The toothpick will not come out clean. Since these contain starch, they will still cook a bit after coming out of the oven, so the toothpick should still have some sticky crumbs on it and then they are done. Mine are always perfect at 20 minutes. Let them cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to cool completely on a wire rack. They will fall apart if you try to eat them immediately....although I don't blame you for trying! For parties or presentation, I like to drizzle some melted chocolate on top as well. Store them in an airtight container or plastic wrap at room temperature and they will stay soft and moist.
Those muffins do look incredibly moist and chocolatey. What gives them that wonderful moistness? The water? There is is no oil or applesauce, I am amazed. Your sweet little one looks absolutely mesmerized with that muffin.
Thank you Suzanne! It is the almond flour! That is pretty much all I use…I use a large amount of almond flour that takes care of moisture, then balance it with some oat flour and starch, so it’s not too wet. Perfecting that combo gives a really moist and light muffin. It’s pretty much all I use to bake with the majority of the time now. It seriously needs no oil! 🙂
What can you use to substitute the oat flour?
Omg Brandi!!!!! These look AMAZING. I love that first photo!! Your kid is soooo cute and the insides of these muffins look so moist and amazing! Another miraculous recipe from you 🙂
Aww thanks so much Erika!!
Your daughter is adorable!! You should have taken the pic of her “after muffin” face! Again and again, your baking amazes me! along with all that you ‘no bake’! Family and friends must love stopping my your home! These looks so good!!
Haha! Yes, I should have….I will next time. You are are so sweet…thank you so much! I really enjoy it!
Your daughter is soooo stinkin adorable!! These muffins look so sinful, but so good! I would eat them for breakfast AND dessert..so..basically I would have two at breakfast haha.
Sounds good to me!
WOW THOSE LOOK CRAZY amazing and moist!! I am thinking about looking into tapioca starch!
Thank you!! Tapioca is awesome because it works as a binder and leaves no weird flavor to baked goods. I prefer it over using flaxseed or chia seeds in general. It also adds springiness to baking, like eggs do.
You turned me onto almond flour and hazelnut butter so anything you make with these gets put on my list to try 🙂
Aww thanks Cindy!
These sure look good, Brandi, but, to be honest, you didn’t need to use one word to describe them. That photo of your adorable daughter gazing at her next bite says it all. 🙂
Haha! I agree…she loves these muffins 🙂
Oh my gosh Brandi, these look amazing! I found a similar recipe on Pinterest a while back, but haven’t had a change to make it yet. NOW, yours look even better, so I can’t wait to make them! YUM!
Oh they are so good and easy! Thanks girl 🙂
Ah, these look so SO good!!! Can’t wait to try the recipe! Question: will old fashioned oats work?
Thank you! Yes, just make sure you grind them really well into a fine flour. That’s why I used quick oats because I get a smoother, softer result. But it will still technically work 🙂
I can’t wait to bake a batch of these lovely muffins, Brandi! And your daughter is just precious – what a sweet photo.
Thank you so much Hannah! 🙂
Omg!!! Your a genious girl!!! We luv the Double Chocolate Chip muffins! They are super moist delucious and healthy!! My sister has asked me to make more for her birthday in January. You Rock!!!
Thank you so much Tiffany! I’m super thrilled to hear you all loved them!
These muffins are awesome….i am the one who doesn’t eat anything unless it is loaded with sugar…since i am trying to do better, i thought i would make these muffins. They are very rich in chocolate flavor….crunchy on the outside and very moist on the inside…Thank you Brandi…very genius!
Elilta-I don’t know how I missed this comment, but I know we talked about them on Facebook. Anyways, thank you so much for your comment. I know how much you love them and how many times you’ve made them, so thank you so much for the feedback and making my recipe!
These look amazing! While I’m very health conscious, I’m not vegan and have never used/don’t have any tapioca starch. Can I substitute egg whites, regular eggs, or even a flax egg? If so, how many or how much should I use? Thanks!
Hi Meredith! I actually wouldn’t use an egg or flax egg because that would be extra liquid and the tapioca serves 2 purposes, it acts as a binder and also is a dry starch, so it gives lift and lightness to the muffins. If you don’t want to buy tapioca, I would use cornstarn instead. It will be the best substitute. Tapicoa works best, but cornstarch should be a decent sub, I would just make sure to let them completely cool before eating one, as they will be too tender while warm. Please, please let me know how they turn out after you make them! 🙂
These caught my eye bc we love chocolate and we love muffins. They were very easy to make, and the ingredients are things I keep on hand. Hot out of the oven they are just like brownies! And we couldn’t keep the kids off of them. Very moist, and flavorful in all the right ways! Thanks Brandi!
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Brooke and for sharing your gorgeous photo of your muffins on Facebook! I’m so thrilled you and the kiddos loved them so much and I love that you added strawberries to them! YUM!
Made these and we couldn’t stop! Delicious, moist, chocolatey and easy to make! I love that the recipe is super healthy and yet you can enjoy a great treat! Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear that Ana!! Thanks so much for making them and taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it!
could agave be used in place of maple syrup?
Hi Miriam! Yes, of course! Let me know how you like them 🙂
Everybody needs to try these muffins – they are OUT of this WORLD delicious! I made them yesterday morning for breakfast and two quickly “disappeared” within 30 minutes of them coming out of the oven and none were left by the end of the day! We had people over and they got completely devoured after dinner! These muffins are everything you want out of a muffin – they are SO rich, decadent, moist and soft! It was my first time baking with tapioca starch and I’m so happy I did!!
The only changes I made were that I used almond meal instead of blanched almond flour (what I had on hand) and was just shy of the amount of maple syrup needed in this recipe so substituted the last tablespoon for blackstrap molasses. I also followed the gram measurements and will be measuring all my GF baking from now on – it’s crazy what a difference it makes to the final result 🙂 Thanks for the amazing recipe, Brandi!!
I’m soooo happy you loved these so much Ceara! You feel the way I do about them! I’m thrilled to hear everybody else loved them so much as well, that makes my day!! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback girl!!
I have a nut allergy and was wondering if there’s anything I could use besides almond flour?
Hi Grace! Yes, you can grind up raw unsalted sunflower kernels into a flour and use that instead. Since blanched almond flour helps to make these fluffy, then I would add a bit more of sunflower “flour” maybe a couple of tablespoons? All the chocolate flavor should help mask the taste. Let me know how they turn out please!
I just made this and holy moly these are OMG good! The only difference was instead of maple syrup I found some chocolate no-bee honey and used that. Everything on your blog looks delicious but this was the first thing I have tried…can’t want to try more!
Thank you so much Cassandra for the wonderful feedback! I’m so happy to hear you loved these so much and thank you!
FINALLYYYY, a GF muffin recipe that actually tastes as amazing as it looks! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you for your precise measurements. They turned out exactly as described!
Yay Anne! I’m so happy to hear this wonderful feedback! Thank you so much for letting me know and I know exactly what you mean about gluten-free recipes, haha! My goal is always to make them Just as delicious, if not better, than traditional ones! Thanks again!
I have an allergy to oats, do you have a recommendation on an alternative to the oat flour?
Hi Katlyn! Hmmm, the oats are pretty important here for the texture of the muffins. Does it need to be gluten-free?
Don’t know if you ever saw my other comment, but you could also try brown rice flour, but since it’s more finely ground than oat flour, I would use less, try 3/4 cup. That’s a guess, but worth a shot. Let me know if you try that.
Is there a substitution for almond flour for those of us allergic to nuts? Will unbleached all purpose flour work?
Hi Lauren! No, regular flour won’t work at all in place of almond flour, they behave completely different in baking. Almond flour is used to give all the moisture to a recipe, since I don’t use oils in my baking. My suggestion, which is the best option that I tell readers to do, is to sub out the almond flour for sunflower “flour”, which is grinding up raw, unsalted sunflower kernels in a food processor into a flour. Grind it as fine as possible before it starts getting damp and turning into a seed “butter”. Then make sure to measure out the “flour” to the correct weight amount as listed for the almond flour, using a small kitchen scale (place the bowl on the scale and make sure it’s zero before you add the flours/ingredients to the bowl). Do that for each ingredient, as it will help to ensure accurate results. Let me know if you try them. Keep in mind that the flavor will change some and you may or may not taste the sunflower (although the chocolate will camouflage it well) and they won’t be quite as fluffy as blanched almond flour, but should still be good.
My all time fav chocolate muffin mm especially in waffles lol!!!
Thank you so much Tiffany, I’m so happy to hear that!
Brandi these are amazing! I just made them and we tried our best to let them cool down. My son loved them and I did too! Thank you!!! Will be a regular for sure 🙂
Thank you so very much Silvi! I’m so happy you and your son loved them so much, thank you for the feedback!
Brandi these are amazing! I just made them and we tried our best to let them cool down. My son loved them and I did too! Thank you!!! Will be a regular for sure 🙂
Yay! So so happy to hear that Silvi, thank you so much for the feedback!!
If you love chocolate you’ll love these muffins. They are amazing! Moist, quick and easy to make. These muffins were devoured by the end of the day.
I just wanted to add that these muffins are a 5 star plus. For someone reason my star rating did not show up. Maybe this time it will
Thank you so much Janet, I’m so happy you loved them, thank you for the feedback!
The whole family enjoyed these muffins. I only had dark chocolate chips on hand, so they probably weren’t quite sweet enough for the kids…but then more for me!😄 Thanks for the great recipe.
Oh Wonderful Marlene! So happy to hear you all loved these, thank you so much for the feedback!
omg this are sooo good! I just baked them and my bf love them! thanks a lot for the recipe 🤗🤘🏻.. I used tapioca flour is that the same as tapioca starch?
So happy to hear they were such a hit Diana, thank you very much for the feedback!
I need to take something to a little dessert social and am wondering if you have ever tried these in mini muffin pans. I’m thinking bigger muffins might be too much with all the other choices that will be there. They look really good!
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried it, but it should definitely work, they will just cook much faster, maybe by 5 mins or more? Just keep an eye on them for a clean toothpick.
Yum!!!!!! First batch devoured.
I just made these tonight and they are incredible.
I had my doubts as I’ve been trying a lot of gluten free recipes and they seem to fall short, but
this is an excellent recipe…not only gluten free but vegan!
I’m impressed. Perfectly sweet without powdered sugar as well as moist.
Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
Thank you!!
Yay! That thrills me to hear that Jean! So happy these gluten-free muffins are so much better than previous gluten-free recipes you’ve tried. Thank you so much for the feedback!
It’s soooooo moist!! Love it!
Can’t believe there is no oil, really really tasty.
Thank you for this recipe.
So awesome to hear you loved these so much Natasha! Yes, no need for oil! The almond flour does all the magic, haha!
Thank you so much for this recipe Brandi! Made it today and it was soooo melt in your mouth delicious! Definitely hit the spot!
So what would I do different if I wanted moist blueberry muffins? All the other ones I have tried are either too dry or dense as can be heavy and bla!!!!
Hi Jenee! Make these! They are a huge reader favorite. They are fluffy, moist and delicious! https://thevegan8.com/2014/06/03/fluffy-vegan-blueberry-vanilla-muffins/
Delicious just made them …proof vegan goodies are not second best
Yay! Haha, I agree, thank you Rebecca!
These muffins were amazing. It was hard to wait 10 for them cool off . When eaten still on the warm side they reminded us do molten lava cakes.
Thank you so much Lisa for taking the time to leave a lovely review! So glad these were a hit!
Made this muffins for the first time yesterday and boy are they amazing! They are truly light and fluffy and moist at the same time. My husband kept asking if this was truly a wfpb recipe, he couldn’t believe it. The muffins got two big thumbs up from the entire family and it won’t be the last time I’m making them. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Great recipe and a real keeper! I made them with Bob’s Red Mill almond flour and they were good but will try them next time with one of the recommended brands. Very rich and moist!
I saw you instagram post on these muffins and got a craving for them kind of late at night. Good thing the recipe is so simple and I had everything on hand. I halved the recipe because I knew I would eat it all. I also used a glass container as a baking dish. It needed extra 10-15 min of baking time and even then it was still ooey gooey, but oh my it is so delicious! Nobody will know this cake does not have any oil or egg in it, it is so good! I read a comment where someone said it tasted like lava cake, and that is exactly right. Thank you for this simple and gluten free recipe.
Can you tell me where you buy cute foil cupcake liners from? I can only find plain silver or paper inside/foil outside, which won’t prevent sticking. Thanks!
Hi Christine! You can find them at most grocery chains. Kroger sells them, HEB, Walmart, Target, Randalls, etc. They are by Reynolds and are called “stay-brite” and are fantastic and never stick!
These are absolutely amazing !!! The only healthy dessert recipes that I’ve tried and are worthy to feed anyone are from this blog and The Vegan 8 cookbook ! Perfectly fluffy, sweet and moist 🙂
These are amazing! Perfectly moist, soft chocolately and sweet 😍 the only healthy baked goods I’ve made that taste just like something you would get in a bakery are from this blog and the vegan 8 cookbook! My family loves them all too
Obsessed
Thank you for the amazing recipes !!!
These muffins are amazing! Perfectly moist and sweet. I love all the recipes from this blog and the vegan 8 cookbook, the only healthy baked goods recipes that I’ve baked that turn out perfect. My whole family lovesssss
Thanks for the awesome recipes !!
These muffins are amazing ! Turned out perfectly moist and sweet .. my whole family has loved all the things I’ve baked from this blog and the vegan 8 cookbook.
Thanks for the awesome recipes.
These muffins are amazing ! Turned out perfectly moist and sweet .. my whole family has loved all the things I’ve baked from this blog and the vegan 8 cookbook. Thanks for the awesome recipes.
Thank you so much Anna for making them and your amazing review!!
Can one substitute tapioca starch with potato starch? If not what can I use please as it’s hard to find here thanks
I would use cornstarch over potato starch, that is the easiest starch to find and it will work closest to tapioca starch here.
I made these yesterday and they are amazing. So moist and decadent. The flavor is just amazing. My whole family enjoyed. Definitely a keeper!
I’m so happy to hear your whole family loved these Jess, thank you so much for letting me know!