Curb a chocolate craving with these fudgy chocolate muffins. These gooey muffins are soft, moist, and the perfect mid-day snack. Made with cacao powder and chocolate chips these gluten-free muffins make a tasty snack or make-ahead breakfast!
A healthy alternative to traditional, store-bought muffins, these fudgy chocolate muffins are loaded with fuel.
Whipped up in just one bowl, as a Certified Nutrition Coach these muffins are a healthy indulgence.
- Dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free
- EASY to make
- Soft and moist
- A great after-school snack
Flavor: Deliciously chocolate! The cacao powder (not cocoa!) and chocolate chips result in the perfect blend of chocolatey goodness.
Texture: many fudgy chocolate muffins use sour cream to keep them soft and moist. This recipe though is dairy-free (so no full-fat sour cream or melted butter!). However, using steel-cup oats + mini chocolate chips makes it so the muffins come out just as indulgently gooey.
Ingredients You'll Need
Banana: overripe bananas help give these gooey, double chocolate muffins their texture and reduce processed sugar.
Unsweetened applesauce: any applesauce will work but the sweetened version adds a bit too much sugar and less decadent chocolate flavor.
Steel cut oats: these fudgy chocolate muffins are loaded with fiber and steel cut oats are what provide it! Use up the extra oats from breakfast and take plasure in knowing they're making these muffins as gooey as possible.
Cacao powder: one part of the double chocolate in this muffins recipe! Learn the difference between cacao powder and cocoa powder and why you'll want to opt for the nutrient perks of cacao powder.
Dairy-free chocolate chips: you want to choose mini chocolate chips because it evenly distributes the gooey chocolate flavor.
How To Make Them
- In a large bowl mash the banana and mix in the remaining wet ingredients.
- One by one mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
Step By Step Photos
Crucial Products
These fudgy chocolate muffins are made from one of my most used ingredients: cacao powder!
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, cacao powder is literally what makes all of my recipes chocolate-based (and combined with chocolate chips the combo is blissful).
It’s not that it just makes everything chocolate (though that IS a perk. Who doesn’t love chocolate!?). Cacao powder is also:
- High in antioxidants
- Contains a good amount of calcium
- High in magnesium
In a quick summary though this powder is one of the least processed forms of chocolate.
However, cacao powder and cocoa powder are not the same things. Cacao powder is chocolate in its purest form which means it’s as healthy as can be and cocoa powder is processed. Learn about the differences between cacao and cocoa here.
And because cacao powder is so nutrient-dense, you’ll want to make sure you buy yours from a quality brand. I personally love Sunfood Cacao Powder. It tastes great and they’re a brand I trust.
This means..chocolate, when it’s in a pure form is actually very good for you!
Important Teaching Tips
You want to make sure that the steel cut oats are cooked fully prior to using them in the chocolate chip muffins. It's okay if they were flavored a bit (though plain is best) but if they're not cooked it'll alter the texture.
Any nuts will work in place of the pecans, chop them finely so that they're evenly distributed.
The double chocolate muffins are soft but do firm up a bit in the fridge. Texture-wise, they're gooey and chewy thanks to the steel cut oats and mini chocolate chips melting throughout.
Baking powder helps the muffins rise slightly but they're not a "light and fluffy muffins".
Make sure to bake the gooey muffins in silicone muffin cups as they stick to paper cups.
Do not freeze the muffins as they'll lose their double chocolate texture!
Fast, crave-worthy snacks that hit your protein goals (without tracking or extra cooking time).
Frequently Asked Questions About Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
The secret to making moist muffins is ensuring your steel-cut oats are cooked but not too dried out and sticky. Those mixed with the mini chocolate chips that melt throughout the batter will keep the double chocolate muffins moist.
The muffins are best stored in the fridge and can be eaten right out of the fridge or at room temperature. Because they are gooey in nature they do not freeze well.
Other Recipes You'll Love
- Protein granola
- Chocolate chip granola
- Easy granola bars
- Make ahead breakfast recipes
- Peanut butter protein bars
- Overnight cookie dough protein oats
- Chocolate chia protein balls
- Peanut butter and jam protein balls
- Chocolate fudge protein balls
- Crunchy granola
- Sugar-free granola
- Fudgy protein brownies
- Chocolate chip granola bars
- Chocolate protein truffles
- High protein cookies
- Easy, no-bake vanilla protein bar
- Gluten-free pantry staples
- High protein snack recipes
Gluten-Free Fudgy Chocolate Muffins
Video
Equipment
- Muffin pan
Ingredients
- ½ ripe banana mashed
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 egg
- ¾ cups steel cut oats cooked and chilled*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup pecans chopped
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips dairy free
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
- In a small bowl mash the banana and combine remaining wet ingredients.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Line a muffin pan with silicone muffin cups and use a trigger ice cream scoop to portion out the chocolate muffins batter into 9 cups.
- Bake for 24 minutes.
- Remove the chocolate muffins from the oven and let cool in the pan for thirty minutes before removing from tray.
Notes
- You want to make sure that the steel-cut oats are cooked fully prior to using them in the chocolate muffins. You want most of the liquid to be absorbed.
- The muffins are soft but do firm up a bit in the fridge. Texture-wise, they're gooey and chewy thanks to the steel-cut oats and chocolate chips.
- Make sure to bake the gooey muffins in silicone muffin cups as they stick to paper cups.
- Do not freeze the muffins as they'll lose their double chocolate texture!
- If you're celiac, double check that your baking powder is completely gluten-free.
- Grab all the gluten-free pantry staples you need.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
If you’re looking for a healthy but delicious muffin- this one’s for you! This chocolate muffin recipe is the perfect blend of healthy indulgence.
These double chocolate muffins are packed with health benefits but most importantly- chocolate!
They're perfect on their own as a quick snack or they make a great addition to breakfast. Either way, you get your chocolate fix!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
O, loving all the hearty textures in there!
fitasamamabear says
Thanks! It makes them gooey 🙂
Eileen says
These look so good! My grandson would have the time of his life biting into those chocolate oatmeal muffins! I am saving the recipe and making this on the weekend when he visits. The granola bars look great too. My sports loving husband and sons will flip for this. They can take it with them when they go hiking for a quick energy fix.
fitasamamabear says
Aw so glad you found some recipes you're going to try! My daughter adores the muffins- she's foodie haha As for quick energy fixes, I also have some protein bars and balls coming out that your hubby/sons might like. I'm all about anything you can take with you!
Christina | From Under a Palm Tree says
This recipe looks so yummy! I will definitely have to try these!
fitasamamabear says
Thanks, it's a yummy one.. because, well, chocolate!
Suzanne Spiegoski says
These chocolate muffins look and sound really great!
fitasamamabear says
Thanks! My daughter loves them 🙂
Cori @ Sweet Coralice says
Ooh this looks so, so good! I wish we were neighbors ??
fitasamamabear says
Haha my neighbor totally gets bombarded with all my excess stuff!
Emily says
I just need you to live at my house and bake healthy things for us (; (;
fitasamamabear says
Haha it's funny because I have said this about SO MANY other people
Kurline Altes says
As I read through this, I literally found myself becoming extremely hungry (all of a sudden). I enjoyed learning about the benefita of using raw cocoa and was excited to know that this ia vegan and gluten free. Can eating muffins get any better? WOW!!!
fitasamamabear says
I am obsessed with cacao because I think everything should be chocolate flavored.. and healthy haha 😉