Chocolate Almond Flour Muffins (Paleo, gluten-free)

These Chocolate Almond Flour Muffins are an indulgent snack! They’re light, fluffy and moist, but not overly sweet. Plus they’re actually triple chocolate muffins from the cocoa powder, chocolate chips and chocolate drizzle.

And this one-bowl recipe is also gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and Paleo friendly!

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Why this recipe works

Sometimes you have a chocolate craving, but maybe you don’t want something as sweet as a cookie or cake. Chocolate muffins are the perfect answer – they scratch that chocolate itch but without loads of sugar.

Unfortunately, most recipes call for ingredients that some of us can’t tolerate or try to avoid: flour, butter, refined sugar, etc. So I wanted to create a version that tastes just as good as the real thing but without all the unwanted stuff.

So these Chocolate Almond Flour Muffins use – surprise! – almond flour instead of flour. Adding a bit of arrowroot flour/starch helps create the perfect light and fluffy texture.

Some gluten-free chocolate muffins using gluten-free flours can be kinda dry. But because almond flour retains all the natural oils from the almonds, these muffins don’t dry out. You don’t even need butter or a dairy-free butter substitute! Instead, honey (in place of sugar) and eggs add enough liquid to keep the muffins moist (<– sorry, I know some people hate that word but it applies here!).

Unsweetened cocoa powder adds the chocolate flavor, obviously, as well as a good handful of chocolate chips. I like to add a bit of espresso powder to deepen the flavor but you can leave it out. Because the muffins aren’t too sweet, I like to top each muffin with a few more chocolate chips and a drizzle of melted chocolate.

See the FAQ below for substitution ideas and make ahead info for these almond flour chocolate muffins.

What you need

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs, room temperature – If your eggs are still cold from the fridge, submerge them in very warm water for 5 minutes.
• ½ cup honey – This provides just enough sweetness without making them too sweet.
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar – This reacts with the baking soda to help the muffins rise but you can’t taste it!
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – This helps round out the flavor so it’s not so one-dimensional.
• ½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional) – I like to add this to give the chocolate flavor more depth.
• 1¾ cups superfine blanched almond flour – Do not use almond meal. Use the “scoop and level” method to measure, do not pack down.
• ½ cup arrowroot flour/starch – This balances the moisture in the almond flour to create a light, fluffy texture.
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt – Even sweet things need a bit of salt to bring out the flavor.
• ½ cup chocolate chips, plus more for the tops – I like Enjoy Life! for dairy-free chocolate chips or Hu for Paleo-friendly chocolate that you can chop into chip-sized pieces.
• Melted chocolate, for drizzling – Melt whichever chocolate chips you’re using for this. You’ll need about 2 tablespoons.

Equipment:

• a 12-cup muffin pan
• muffin cups
• a large mixing bowl
• measuring spoons (<– I like these because they fit into spice jars)
• measuring cups
• a measuring glass
• a whisk
• a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
• a 1/4 cup ice cream/cookie scoop or measuring cup
• a cooling rack (optional)

How to make Chocolate Almond Flour Muffins

Step 1: Heat the oven to 350° F.

Step 2: Line the muffin pan with the muffin cups.

Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, honey, lemon juice or vinegar, vanilla extract and espresso powder (if using; this will help it dissolve) until combined.

Step 4: Add the almond flour, arrowroot, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir with a spatula until fully combined, with no visible almond flour left. (If your almond flour is very clumpy, sift it into the bowl with a fine-mesh sieve, pushing through any larger clumps.)

Step 5: Stir in the ½ cup chocolate chips.

Step 6: Scoop ¼ cup portions into each muffin cup. (If you have any extra better left, you might be tempted to add more to the muffins. Do not do this! It’ll make the muffins rise too much and then collapse. Not the worst thing in the world but instead you can just make 1-2 extra muffins.) Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin.

Step 7: Bake for 16-18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the tops are puffed up and look dry.

Step 8: Cool completely (on a cooling rack, if using), then drizzle with the melted chocolate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Other recipes you might like:

1. Paleo Chunky Monkey Muffins (gluten-free)
2. Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins (Paleo)
3. Paleo Pumpkin Muffins (gluten-free)
4. Paleo Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (gluten-free)

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