Paleo Chocolate Muffins {Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, No Refined Sugar}
Mar 18, 2018
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Grain-free never tasted better! These easy and super moist Paleo chocolate muffins will satisfy your chocolate cake cravings. Made with simple and healthy ingredients. Gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free and no refined sugar.
Paleo and grain-free baking.
I have been doing a lot of grain-free baking because my husband and I have been eating more Paleo to help with his migraines and autoimmune inflammation and my thyroid and adrenal issues.
Paleo simply means gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and no refined sugar.
Paleo muffins are a favorite of my family. I have been baking a lot of Paleo muffins in a variety of flavor combinations because they are my husband’s go to for breakfast, snacks, and dessert.
Seriously, I am baking Paleo muffins every other day. My husband and my kids love them and eat them so quickly that they usually don’t last but one day.
I love how easy they are to make and that they are a healthier version of your traditional gluten-free muffin. They are made with simple and healthy ingredients like almond flour, no sugar added applesauce and honey.
If you are new to grain-free baking, there are a few differences to traditional gluten-free baking with rice flour. Paleo grain-free baking is different than gluten-free baking, especially the texture.
The texture of almond flour is much denser than baking with rice flour. Even though it’s different from your traditional gluten-free baking, it’s a tasty different.
These Paleo chocolate muffins are super easy to make. They are a one-bowl wonder that can be made in less than 40 minutes. They are moist and chocolatey.
I don’t feel guilty about eating more than just one of these healthy Paleo chocolate muffins. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I do.
Also, check out my other Paleo muffin recipes.
- Paleo Banana Blueberry Muffins {Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, No Refined Sugar}
- Paleo Carrot Cake Muffins
- Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Muffins
Paleo Chocolate Muffins {Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, No Refined Sugar}
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, I buy the snack sizes they are 1/2 cup servings and keep them in my pantry for baking.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
- gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl add the wet ingredients first (eggs, applesauce, pure vanilla extract, pure almond extract and honey) and stir tother until fully combined.
- Then add the dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda, gluten-free baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder). Mix until fully combined.
- Scoop batter into a lined muffin pan. The batter will be thick. (I like to use an ice cream scoop.)
- Bake for 23-26 minutes. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different.
- Remove and check centers with a toothpick to see if they are done.
- Add chocolate chips to the top of hot muffins (optional).
- Allow muffins to cool before serving.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love the taste of these but I’ve made them twice and they sink in the middle every time…what am I doing wrong???
Hi Ange, we recommend getting an oven thermometer and checking your oven temperature. Did you know that ovens can vary by up to 50°F from the stated temperature on the dial?
Mama Know Gluten Free has done it again! Absolutely delicious! I could eat all if these in one day. Swapped honey for maple syrup since that is what I had, and I always measure chocolate chips with my heart. I plan on freezing some for a quick snack option. Thank you!
These are so delicious! My family absolutely loves them!! So moist and a deep chocolate flavor. Delicious with a cup of coffee. My daughter in law is GF and I am always looking for new recipes without gluten. My son is looking to cut back on processed sugar and this recipe covers it all. Definitely a recipe I will make again and again!!
They turned out perfect! Thank you!
These are so good! They taste just like chocolate muffins! These are very moist so if you keep them longer than a couple days I recommend freezing or they can mold quickly. Mine froze just fine: 30 seconds to heat up and they’re ready to eat. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I just made these. I added a splash of maple syrup and did not use the baking powder (to keep it truly paleo). I also replaced the vanilla and almond extract with a splash of amaretto. These muffins are FANTASTIC. They grew in the oven, were incredibly moist and fluffy. They are the perfect amount of chocolate and perfectly sweet for a muffin. I would recommend these even if you aren’t watching your gluten.
I’ve been paleo baking for a while and these are some of my favorite muffins! I didn’t have enough almond flour, so I used a half cup oat flour in it’s place and it was great. I added my chocolate chips to the batter before cooking instead of sprinkling on top.
My husband loves them! He said they are super chocolatey and are very cake like. I’m curious how you got yours to have 97 calories? My calculator came out to 274 per muffin for 12 muffins.
I tried these out for my no sugar- less than 1g diet. since I couldn’t do the honey I replaced it with a single medium banana. Took the chance it would turn out and wohoo! did it ever! Im here to say I’d like to eat the whole dozen I cooked at once! Finally a recipe without any added “real” sugars (like honey, maple, agave, stevia) that tastes like something good! this is a keeper!
Thank you so much Eileen for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the Paleo muffins. Thank you for sharing that you used a banana as a sweetener, as I know t will help others. Thanks again!
Sooo delicious!!
Thank you so much Estella for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the Paleo chocolate muffins. Thanks again!
Well done! This recipe is just awesome, easy and tasty! Not even mentioning how moist they stay even after a few days (I keep them at room temperature). Thank you Audrey ?
Thank you so much Lilie for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the muffins and that they stayed moist even after a few days. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family.
Can applesauce be substituted with a ripe banana?
Hi Desiree! I have not tried the recipe with a banana. If you try it could you please let me know how they turn out? I hope you enjoy the muffins!
Very happy with this recipe. The best part of it is the moisture of those muffins. I did substitute the applesauce (because I had nothing at home) with almond milk and a bit of apple cider vinegar for the acidity. It worked well too. Many thanks.
Thank you so much Heike for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoy the muffins. Thank you fo shairng your substitutions, as I know it will help others. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my fmaily. Thanks again!
These are the BEST! Super easy to make and DELICIOUS!
Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you so much Jan for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoy the Paleo chocolate muffins and that they are the best and super easy to make. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
Hi! I am looking forward to trying these when I have people over later this month. It would be great to be able to make these in advance. Do you know if they be frozen? Thanks so much! I can’t wait to try them!!
Hi Fran! I have never frozen them before. When I make them they never last longer than 24 hours with my family. If you decide to try freezing them can you please let me know how they turn out? I hope you enjoy the muffins!
Great recipe! I made these tonight after a chocolate craving hit (I’m 6 months pregnant), and wanted to feel good about my dessert. These were so easy, I love the one bowl mixing. Oh, and I subbed regular, full fat yogurt for the applesauce (1cup) as I didn’t have any applesauce, and added chocolate chips. Worked like a charm! Super moist, chocolatey but not too sweet. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the muffins. I am glad to hear that the yogurt worked in place of the apple sauce. Congratulations on your baby! Thank you again!
Can I substitute coconut oil for applesauce? I dont have any applesauce on hand!
Hi Lizard! I have never tired anything other than the applesauce. If you try it with the oil, please let me know how it turns out. I hoep you enjoy the muffins!
When I saw this recipe posted on FB, I sent my boyfriend to the store for a couple of ingredients that I needed because I had to make these muffins. I was not disappointed. This is by far the best chocolate muffin recipe I’ve ever tried. Thank you for giving me a nice chocolate fix! They aren’t overly sweet, which was a nice surprise. They are also very moist, which was also a surprise because I don’t always have the best of luck with muffins. I’m new to gluten free and I am still getting used to almond flour but I will say, you cannot tell that anything other than regular flour is used in this recipe. This will definitely be added to my favorites and I look forward to trying more of Mama Knows Gluten Free recipes.
Thank you so much Tracy for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! It makes my heart so happy to hear that you enjoyed the chocolate muffins. They are definitely one of my favorites. Almond flour can be tricky to bake with for sure. Let me know if I can help in any way. I hope you enjoy any of the other recipes of mine that you might try. Thanks again!
Are these the little or big muffin tins?
Hi Pam! I made these muffins in a regular muffin pan, but you could use a mini muffin pan also.
Just made these chocolate muffins. I cut the recipe in half just in case something went wrong. Well, it didn’t! These are delicious……..very moist. They won’t be around very long! This is the first Paleo recipe I’ve ever tried. I’m thrilled with the outcome. Thanks once again, Audrey!
Thank you so much Susan for the lovely 5-star review! It makes my heart so happy when I hear that others are enjoying my recipes. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family.
I had to try these as I love chocolate chocolate chip muffins and as much as I love your bread these seemed a given. They did not disappoint! They are fabulous! A lot of Paleo muffins are dry or just not tasty and these were moist and tasted just as good as the regular version. Now I can have them as a treat and not feel guilty. I will definitely be trying more of your other muffins etc.
Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star review Judy! You just made my night! I make Paleo muffins for my husband several times a week and I know how important it is to make sure they taste good. I am so happy that you enjoyed them and I hope you enjoy other recipes you try on the blog. My husband’s favorite flavor is the honey vanilla ones I make him. Sounds like I need to get them up on the blog too. Thanks again for the wonderful review. My heart is very happy and I have a huge smile on my face!
I would love to see the recipe for the honey vanilla muffins too! Sounds delicious. I’m eyeing some more of your recipes to try very soon too.
I will try and get the recipe up this week Judy!????