These Vegan Whole Wheat Vegan Chocolate Muffins are super easy to make, just 8 ingredients and are so rich and decadent! Soft, fluffy and moist and oil-free!
HEALTHY VEGAN CHOCOLATE MUFFINS
If you love decadent chocolate treats, these are for you! These Vegan Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins and homemade chocolate sauce are no joke. They are made with whole wheat and have no oil in them, so they are more on the healthy side than ones made with refined sugar and oil.
This is reserved for serious chocolate lovers. They are oil-free, yet are very rich. While they aren’t fat-free, they are nearly half the fat than a traditional chocolate muffin made with eggs, oil or butter.
I love baking for all types of allergies and if you are gluten-free, then definitely check out these Vegan Gluten-free Double Chocolate Muffins!
However, for those who like to bake with wheat flour, they are the perfect oil-free vegan chocolate muffins! If you are trying to bake oil-free, then check out all of my tips on How to Cook and Bake Without Oil.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 8 main ingredients needed. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
- Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I use the Hershey’s brand.
- Baking soda
- Vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips: I use the Enjoy Life brand or the Sprouts or Heb brands.
- Full-fat coconut milk: This replaces the need for oil and butter. It also makes these muffins incredibly tender, soft and fluffy and so rich! I recommend the Thai Kitchen brand for the best results. Do not use the Polar brand, as it is mostly fillers and will ruin the texture.
- Maple syrup: Using unrefined maple syrup instead of white sugar keeps these muffins healthier since it is an unrefined sugar.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Using applesauce in place of oil helps to make these muffins stay moist and soft.
- Vanilla extract
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY VEGAN CHOCOLATE MUFFINS
Step 1. Combine the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms, being careful not to overmix.
Step 3: Bake for 22-25 minutes and let cool before eating.
Would you just look at how incredibly moist these Vegan Whole Wheat Chocolate Muffins are? I’m telling you…these are insanely chocolatey, rich and delicious! They are so soft and tender, making them the perfect texture.
We love to eat these vegan whole wheat chocolate muffins on their own. They are also incredible topped with this Vegan Homemade Chocolate Sauce for an extra decadent treat. I’ve made the sauce with both almond butter and peanut butter. Honestly though, the muffins are so rich, the sauce is just extra indulgence!
MORE VEGAN MUFFIN RECIPES
- Vegan Gluten-free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins
- The Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Gluten-free Cornbread Muffins
- Gluten-free Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- Vegan Chai Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Bakery Style Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
- Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffins
Healthy Vegan Chocolate Muffins (Oil-free)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (160g) whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (48g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (180g) dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup (180g) full-fat coconut milk (shake the can well first or whisk until smooth. See Notes for SUB.)
- 3/4 cup (240g) pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (8g) vanilla extract
NOTE
- I always recommend to use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed, since we all measure differently. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessons room for error. You never need cups or to compare them to the weights, just use the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient. My recipes are 100% tested specifically using my exact weights and your results will turn out as mine are pictured this way.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C and line a muffin pan with 12 nonstick liners. I use either parchment paper liners or Reynolds Stay-brite are best, as they never stick.
- Add the wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to a large bowl and whisk very well. Add the milk, applesauce, vanilla and chocolate chips and stir until the batter is smooth.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes. They are done when they have puffed up and a toothpick comes out basically clean. Don't be confused between wet batter and the melted chocolate chips though.
- Let them cool for 15 minutes, as they will finish cooking and be too tender to eat right away. Cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, drizzle Vegan Homemade Chocolate Sauce on top if feeling super indulgent.
Notes
Nutrition
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This recipe sounds delicious! Can I add fresh blueberries; if so, how much would you suggest?
Yes, probably half a cup!
I just made these and they are wonderful! My kids are autistic and can be a challenge to feed. And they loved these too! I used almond milk instead of coconut milk, regular whole wheat flour instead of pastry flour, and used only a 1/2 cup of maple syrup. I made these changes just because we don’t have the money for lots of special ingredients and it all turned out perfect. I think the pictures in the post look better than mine, maybe that is because of the substitutions I made… But it totally didn’t effect the taste 🙂 THANK YOU!
These muffins were definitely a hit in my home! I did alter the flour with 1 1/2 C of Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour and 1/2 C of almond flour and I used coconut oil. They turned out delicious! Just wished I added chocolate chunks!
Glad you enjoyed them Jenn!
Amazing. My daughter made these and subbed banana for the applesauce and did 1/2 cup maple syrup instead of 3/4 cup. They were delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
So happy you loved them, Amanda!!
I love this muffin recipe! Fluffy and they turn out perfect every time!
I want to make it into a cake for my kids’ birthday! Any guidance on adjustments for turning this recipe into a cake?
I made vegan 8 chocolate cake for the first time in the spring. The recipe required sugar rather than maple syrup. I can’t find that recipe and although maple syrup may be very tasty, it is much more expensive than sugar. Please can you tell me how much sugar I should substitute for the maple syrup.
Thanks
PS I have been amazed at how you an make cakes with no eggs and no oil. Vegan 8 has opened my eyes to a whole new way of cooking!
So happy to hear that! Recipes that use maple syrup can’t be substituted for sugar since it is a liquid and is needed for moisture for certain recipes. You could sub with agave though, it is much cheaper than maple syrup and works the same.
My whole family loves these!!
Yay!!
Hi Brandi, thanks for posting this terrific recipe. I made these and they turned out great! Very moist and so chocolatey. Will be making these again!
So very happy to hear that Joe!
I saw this recipe and was compelled to make it immediately! Unfortunately as I went I realized I was missing some ingredients. I only had light canned coconut milk so I added 180g and 1 Tbs grapeseed oil. I ran out of maple syrup so wound up using 200g agave and 40g maple syrup. I also ran out of applesauce and only had 113 g and used dark chocolate chips. They are to die for! thought I’d share my subs incase anyone else was in a pinch!
So glad to hear it was such a hit!!
Love, love, love these! I am new to eating vegan, and I’m so glad to have found your site! These muffins are soft and cakey, and just the right amount of sweetness. My youngest child, who is a VERY picky eater, said, “If I didn’t know these were vegan, I wouldn’t know they’re vegan.” Score!
Awww I love hearing that! Thank you for the feedback!
These muffins are àbsolutely delicious, so soft and moist! I used home made cashew milk since I did not have coconut milk. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
If I wanted to make it with granulated coconut sugar instead of liquid maple syrup would you add water or more coconut milk?
Maybe a bit more milk I would think
Nope, the liquid content ratio is perfect for these muffins. There is milk, syrup and applesauce and the muffins turn out extremely moist. They do not need any more milk. Make sure you are weighing the ingredients using the grams listed, so your measurements are correct. The amounts work perfectly.
These are decadent, moist, chocolatey goodness! They got an enthusiastic ‘wow!’ out of my other half (that’s unusual!). Do yourself a favor and follow the recipe using the weights given; it really does make a difference!
Yay, thanks so much Torunn! So glad these were a huge hit!
Made this past weekend and were delicious, moist and tasty! I did not have vegan chocolate chips however, used regular , not sure if that made a difference or not but I would definitely make these again as a sweet snack . Side.
These muffins were phenomenal!! My whole family was in heaven eating these. I actually preferred them without chocolate chips because the flavor was just so good.
So happy to hear that!
Another 5 star rating! If you have not tried these healthy chocolate muffins, you are definitely missing out. Truly a chocolate party in your mouth! Incredibly moist and delicious. Amazing how quick and easy these muffins are to make. I seriously can’t believe I didn’t try this recipe sooner.
I made these muffins yesterday. Honestly, they are the best chocolate muffins which I have ever made!
Woohoo, that is amazing to hear, thank you Elena!
Ive made these twice and we LOVE them. Both times I did half chocolate chips and only 180 grams of maple syrup and it was plenty sweet. My favorite is to sub the whole wheat flour for white kamut flour, they were amazing. Your recipes are always a hit in our house!
So glad you love these Stephanie, thank you for making them!
This is one of the best chocolate muffin recipes ever. Just follow the recipe exactly and perfect muffins will come out of your oven!
The chocolate chip muffins are so delicious and moist and full of yummy chocolate flavor! The recipe was very easy to follow too! I can’t even tell they are healthier muffins. The taste is just amazing! Will be making these a lot for different occasions!
Woohoo, thrilled to hear this Lorie! They looked absolutely beautiful on IG! Thank you for making them!