By Wendy Stoltz / Last Modified On January 15, 2023
These Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins are scrumptious. They are also dairy-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free making them Paleo friendly as well.
You are going to love these Gluten Free Paleo Chocolate Muffins.
Do you love grabbing a quick muffin for breakfast? My Paleo Chocolate Chip Muffins are super tasty and healthy.
If you're more of a blueberry muffin person you'll want to make my gluten free blueberry muffins.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins
These Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins, that are also grain-free chocolate muffins, are my contribution to this fabulous and fun gluten-free muffin"equivalent" of the other March Madness events.
There will be 22 bloggers participating in MMM, so that means 22 delicious gluten-free muffin recipes. There will be daily giveaway throughout the event and an overall giveaway awarded at the end.
These paleo chocolate muffins are made with almond flour and a few other simple ingredients. One thing to note about using almond flour is that it is NOT a 1-to-1 for gluten-free flour.
It has a lot more protein and fat, and let starch, so it reacts differently in recipes.
It’s best stored in the refrigerator or freezer if you’re not going to use it up in a week or two. I talk about it more below in my tips for working with almond flour.
The almond flour is what gives these healthy chocolate muffins their amazing texture.
Can I use an egg replacer in these paleo chocolate muffins?
I haven’t tried using an egg replacer in this gluten-free chocolate muffin recipe because of the amount of eggs that it calls for.
I have had others comment on similar recipes that chia egg and flax egg worked well, but the almond flour muffins didn’t rise as much.
Their paleo chocolate muffins turned out to be more of a rich, fudgy brownie-muffin.
You might like to check the Recipe For Gluten Free Brownies.
What can I use instead of maple syrup in paleo muffins?
You can use honey, agave or a sugar free syrup in this paleo chocolate muffin recipe in place of the maple syrup.
Just note that the flavor will be different. Maple syrup tends to be mild in flavor while still adding a touch of sweetness.
Working with Almond Flour
These are essentially almond flour chocolate muffins. One thing to note about using almond flour is that it is NOT a 1-to-1 for gluten-free flour.
It has a lot more protein and fat, and less starch, so it reacts differently in recipes.
It’s best stored in the refrigerator or freezer if you’re not going to use it up in a week or two.
Always bring Almond meal or flour to room temperature before baking almond flour muffins with it. If you use it cold, it’ll absorb more of the liquid and your batter will be thicker than it should be.
And remember, because it’s made from almonds, it can go rancid, so keep track of when you opened the bag otherwise your paleo chocolate muffins will taste funny.
Do you like simple, chocolatey muffins that are healthy too? Then you'll love these Paleo Chocolate Muffins. They don't get any simpler than this.
There's a video showing you how easy these gluten-free chocolate muffins are to make.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk almond flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.
- Continue to mix until no lumps remain.
- Add the oil, maple syrup, and eggs.
- Mix until well combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter evenly into your paper liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the center is set.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes only. Please see the printable recipe card below.
It takes me about 5 minutes to whip up the batter for these gluten-free chocolate muffins.
These paleo chocolate muffins are easy enough that you can make them fresh in the morning before you get your day started. For the full recipe and instructions see below.
I am happy to say these gluten-free chocolate muffins are bursting with chocolate flavors making everyone in my house mmm and yummm as we selfishly devoured them (no, seriously, we didn't share with anyone).
These grain-free chocolate muffins are fluffy, tender, and perfectly palate-pleasing.
They were insanely delicious fresh out of the oven and just as enjoyable reheated the next day. My girls don't tend to like muffins with almond flour in them and they were so fluffy they couldn't tell the difference. Shhh, don't tell them!
If my girls know these gluten-free chocolate muffins are actually healthy they may turn their little noses up at them. I'm going to keep it a secret until they are ready to learn to make them. Just in case.
My Paleo Chocolate Chip Muffins also make great, filling breakfasts and they both use the same base ingredients. There really is no excuse not to make one of these yummy, healthy muffins for breakfast.
To top it all off, all of these paleo muffins freeze well! I often make up extra batches and freeze them for busy weeks, camping, or traveling and they are still tender and delightful.
For more camping food ideas, check my Gluten Free Camping Food.
Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes:
Gluten-Free Apple Spice Muffins
This recipe is so easy to make and scrumptious that I used it as a base for my Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes. Check them out.
Stop back by and let me know what you thought of these Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins
These Grain-Free, Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins are scrumptious. They are also dairy-free and refined sugar-free making them Paleo friendly.
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour (or almond meal)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup coconut oil (or oil of choice), melted and cooled
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup gluten-free, dairy-free dark chocolate baking morsel's
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk almond flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk coconut oil, maple syrup, and eggs.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter evenly into your paper liners.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the center is set.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Make sure to spoon the almond flour into the measuring cup and then level it.
- Let almond flour come to room temperature before using.
- If the batter is thick, add 2 tablespoons of water and mix.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 muffinAmount Per Serving: Calories: 334Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 234mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 4gSugar: 14gProtein: 8g
Angela Sommers
Great job on those muffins! Chocolate is always such a great treat!
chrystal
Thank you Angela. They were a huge hit!
Best,
Chrystal
Sarah V.
Wow, these look fantastic, and so easy!
chrystal
Thanks Sarah! They are super easy and my family loved them! I love easy things.
Chrystal
DJ
There are so many great prizes! I love the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. It would be perfect for summer.
Betty
Saw these lovely muffins last evening on GFE and made them this morning- delicious! 🙂
chrystal
Thank you for letting me know that you liked them 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
Andrea Wyckoff
These look fabulous!! Love the ingredients you used! And I love anything chocolate, especially double chocolate!!
chrystal
Thank you Andrea!
Sandi (@fearless_dining)
These muffins look absolutely wonderful. I love that you made these grain free 🙂
chrystal
Thank you Sandi! My girls eat muffins all the time. I was hoping to switch it up so they are not eating so much grain 😉
Best,
Chrystal
Bethany
These muffins look so good!
chrystal
Thank you Bethany! Can't wait for your to try them. Several people have made them already and they are getting rave reviews!
Best,
Chrystal
Shirley Braden
Bravo, my dear! Made these before we headed out for a few hours and then came home to them ready to eat. Delicious!! Thanks so much for the recipe and participating in MMM, Chrystal, as well as donating your wonderful cookbook to the prize listing!
Shirley
chrystal
Thank you Shirley! MMM is a fun event and I'm happy to participate.
Best,
Chrystal
[email protected] TessaDomesticDIva
yet another muffin to try!! I pinned to these to try soon...my kids are all about chocolate anything!! Thanks for sharing!
chrystal
Thank you Tessa. Your kids should love them! Mine did.
Best,
Chrystal
[email protected] TessaDomesticDIva
we loved these!! I used only 2 cups of almond flour and they were super thick, so I help off on adding more, and also only cooked them 20 minutes and they were almost over-done. We got 11 regular sized muffins, thanks for an easy and yummy recipe!
chrystal
I wonder if there is a difference in your Almond flour vs. mine that would cause it to be thicker? Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Steff
I made these with coconut flour and did two cups..it was a huge fail! They were so thick and the batter was horrible consistency. Oooops!
chrystal
I hope you get the chance to try it with almond flour (per the recipe)... They are super tasty. Coconut and Almond flour are not interchangeable in all recipes. I have not tried this recipe with coconut flour.
Best,
Chrystal
Cheryl Johnson
Can't wait to try these. They sound delicious!!!!!
Dee Fedor
Can't eat these at our house (Tree Nut allergy), but they LOOK awesome!
chrystal
Hi Dee! I have other donut recipes that are nut free, including two new recipes coming out this next month for donuts. Search Gingerbread Donuts, and Chocolate Donuts.
Best,
Chrystal
Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet
I could eat three of these for breakfast!! So good and I bet amazing with almond butter!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Everyone needs chocolate in the morning!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
Double chocolate?!! Yes please! These look delicious!
chrystal
Thank you!
Chrystal
Megan
I love double chocolate ANYTHING. Especially for breakfast.
chrystal
Me too 😉
Best,
Chrystal
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog
These look so goo, I love that they're grain free!
chrystal
Thank you!
Best,
Chrystal
Jennifer B
I definitely wanna try these muffins. They look absolutely delightful.
Amanda
Looks delicious! I haven't used almond flour yet, but I'll give it a try!
GiGi Eats
A PMSing girl's dream come true! LOL! But seriously... I wouldn't mind hanging out with some of those! 😉
Linda
Super yum! Looks like my ideal breakfast. Thanks for the healthy muffin recipe!
chrystal
Thank you Linda.
Best,
Chrystal
Abi
Definitely pinning to try soon . . . the recipe looks similar to almond flour brownies I've made. Put the batter in muffin cups is a great excuse to eat them for breakfast!
chrystal
I could use an Almond Flour Brownie right about now 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
These looks so yummy! Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Savoring Saturdays gluten free linky party. Hope you'll join us again this week.
Raia
Delicious! Thank you for sharing these at Savoring Saturdays, I'm going to feature them at this weekend's party! 🙂
Kasia
I replaced the maple syrup with pureed ripe bananas and only a splash of maple syrup to taste and added a couple of tablespoons of coconut flour to absorb the extra moisture and the muffins turned out amazing! Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
chrystal
Thanks for sharing!
Tonya Westmoreland
I'm wondering if I can skip the maple syrup and use stevia or swerve as a sweetener as I follow the Wheat Belly WOE.
Thanks
Tonya
chrystal
Hi Tonya,
I haven't tried yet. If you have experience subbing it out, then you can chose if you want to try. My only concern would be that the maple syrup adds some of the moisture.
Best,
Chrystal
Candy
I just needed an almond flour GF recipe for muffins so I substituted a few ingredients. Regardless, these muffins turned out wonderfully well. I don't like most GF flour mixes so I finally bought the expensive almond flour. I don't regret it one bit. Without needing to add things like xanthan gum, potato starch and other things I don't have on hand I was able to put this simple recipe together and get great results. Thanks for the recipe.
chrystal
Hi Candy,
So glad you like it! I just found almond flour at two places for less. Kroger has a 10oz bag of Simple Truth Almond Flour for $8 in my area (Kroger has lots of store brands) and Trader Joes had some for $7.50. Prices might vary in your area.
Best,
Chrystal
Candy
Thanks for the tip Crystal. I'll check at Kroger for the Simple Truth prices and also at Trader Joe's.
Candy
And I apologize for misspelling your name. Sorry Chrystal. And thanks again.
Leslie
For a special delicious surprise - Add in a raspberry to each muffin before you bake and these become dark chocolate muffins with a gooey raspberry center!
chrystal
Ooh! That sounds amazing! I'll have to try that.
Best,
Chrystal
Amy
We made these twice the last two days! They are AMAZING. We added in 2 tablespoons of all purpose GF flor from Trader Joe's just to add fluffiness and really feel like this recipe is a winner. Thank you!
chrystal
So glad you liked them! Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal