Healthy Chocolate Muffins
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My healthy chocolate muffins are moist, fluffy, and loaded with chocolate flavor. They don’t need any oil or butter, and I love how fudgy they are!
Out of all the healthy muffin recipes out there, these chocolate muffins are my #1 favorite. They legit taste like brownies but are made with wholesome, good-for-you ingredients.
It did take a fair bit of recipe testing to get it right. I initially experimented using whole-wheat flour, but didn’t love the slightly dense center. So, I took inspiration from my healthy oatmeal muffins and tweaked the batter to be less oat-y, more fluffy, and, of course, packed with chocolate flavor.
The result? Bakery-style chocolate muffins that look and taste indulgent, but skip the refined sugar, oil, and butter altogether. My sister and niece both LOVED them, which is huge- my niece seems to be allergic to the word “healthy”.
Table of Contents
Why make my healthy chocolate muffins
- Perfect texture and flavor. They’re moist and fudgy in the center, with a subtle bite and the tender crumb, like all good muffins should be.
- Versatile. They make a healthy breakfast, snack, or late-night treat!
- Quick and easy. Just add all the ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth, then portion and bake. It’ll take you longer to wash the blender than it will to make the muffins.
- Works with tons of diets. Without even trying, these muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and loaded with fiber from the oats and flax seeds.
Key Ingredients
I’m including some notes on the main ones (not every ingredient), along with substitutions. For the complete list, jump to the printable recipe below.
- Old-fashioned Oats (rolled oats). Oats replace the need for any flour, as we’ll be blending them to make oat flour. If you already have oat flour, that is great! I regularly make these with gluten-free oats (Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to) as my nephew is celiac. None of us can taste the difference!
- Flax egg OR egg. My original recipe calls for a flax egg, as I wanted these muffins to be egg-free. I’ve since re-tested them using whole eggs, so if you don’t have an allergy or aren’t vegan, you can use that.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Be sure your cocoa powder is 100% unsweetened and Dutch-processed. For richer muffins, I sometimes swap this out for dark cocoa powder (shoutout to Hershey’s special dark).
- Baking soda. To leaven the muffins and give them some rise!
- Maple syrup. To sweeten the muffins. Don’t worry; you won’t be able to taste the maple flavor. I also had success with honey and agave.
- Chocolate chips. I like semi-sweet chocolate chips, but dark, milk, or even white chocolate chips work.
How to make healthy chocolate muffins
Step 1- Make the flax egg. In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 10 minutes for a gel to form.
Step 2- Make the batter. In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine all ingredients, including the flax egg, but minus the chocolate chips. Blend to combine, then gently stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the batter into the muffin liners. Top with extra chocolate chips and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 4- Cool. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe variations
- Skip the blender. You only need the blender if you don’t have oat flour. If you do, you can skip this and just mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Use regular flour instead. As mentioned earlier, I initially tested this recipe with whole wheat flour. Although the texture was a little different from that kind of flour, the muffins still turned out super moist in the middle when using all-purpose flour. So, feel free to use equal portions of flour instead.
- Make mini muffins. Pour the batter into a 32-count mini muffin pan and reduce the cooking time to 12 minutes.
Storage instructions
To store: I usually make a double batch of these for our snacks during the week. Because we eat them within that time frame, they keep well at room temperature, covered. You can also keep them in the fridge, too.
To freeze: Place muffins in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge.
To reheat: If your muffins are frozen or have been chilled in the fridge, I suggest microwaving the muffins for 20-30 seconds or until warm. The chocolate chips melt beautifully.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Healthy Chocolate Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup milk I used almond milk
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners and said aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit for 10 minutes, for a gel to form.
- In a high-speed blender or food processor, add the oats, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, vanilla, maple syrup, milk, and prepared flax egg, and blend until the batter is completely smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Distribute the batter amongst the muffin liners. Top with extra chocolate chips and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool in the muffin for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Using eggs: This recipe works using an egg instead of a flax egg. Add the egg when all the other ingredients are added to the food processor/blender.
- Baking time: I’m including a range (18-22 minutes) because oven models differ. My oven took precisely 18 minutes, but readers have said theirs can take up to 22 minutes (20 minutes was a standard time frame).
Nutrition
More healthy muffins
- Healthy pumpkin muffins
- Almond flour muffins
- Flourless muffins
- Healthy oatmeal muffins
- Healthy blueberry muffins
- Healthy zucchini muffins
Originally published April 2020
Too high carbs!
Hi Patricia- I didn’t develop these muffins to be a low carb muffin recipe. If that is what you are looking for, I’d suggest making my keto muffins instead.