The BEST Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe (Gluten-Free & Paleo)! These muffins are SO easy to make and taste SO good you’d never guess they’re healthy!
When I was younger I had a serious weakness for Hostess mini chocolate chip muffins. In other words, I seriously loved them.
For many years, every Friday during summer swim season we would walk across the street to 711 after morning practice to get breakfast. And every Friday, my breakfast of choice was a Slurpee (always Pina Colada or Coke Flavored), and a bag of Hostess mini chocolate chip muffins.
Because I was a kid/teenager I had no idea what it meant to eat healthy (and I totally didn’t care). But now, as an adult, I’ve traded Slurpees for Green Smoothies, and I created this healthy chocolate chip muffin recipe that tastes just as yummy but is much more nutritious than it’s store-bought counterparts!
These Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins are gluten-free, Paleo-friendly and can easily be made dairy-free! They’re mixed up in one bowl and come together from start to finish in 30 minutes! Plus they have the taste and texture of a bakery chocolate chip muffin!
How do you make Chocolate Chip Muffins?
Let’s start by discussing how to make this paleo chocolate chip muffin recipe! It really is SO simple! It’s made in one bowl and comes together in a snap! Here are a few notes to ensure your muffin-making success!
Step 1: Mix together dry ingredients & set aside
The first step in making these gluten-free chocolate chip muffins is mixing the dry ingredients together and setting them aside to use later. ,
I often do this to avoid needing to clean and dry my measuring cups after measuring the wet ingredients (because you can’t measure flour in a vessel that just held almond butter)!
Alternatively, you can simply add all the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients individually (as shown in the video), if you want to make this recipe using only one bowl!Either way works great!
Step 2: Mix wet ingredients together
Next, mix together the wet ingredients. Start by melting the almond butter and butter together and stirring until smooth.
Doing this ensures that the other ingredients in this chocolate chip muffin recipe, which may be cold, (like applesauce or eggs), won’t cause the butter/almond butter to solidify again!
Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well! Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and then stir to combine. Once the mixture is smooth, add the chocolate chips and stir until they are evenly distributed.
Step 3: Fill a muffin pan with the chocolate chip muffin batter
Use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop to fill each well of a greased standard muffin pan about 3/4 of the way full. As you can see below, this particular batch only made 9 gluten-free chocolate chip muffins! I usually get 10 muffins out of this recipe, but I must’ve added a touch more batter to each well than I usually do this time around.
It’s important that the pan is well greased so the chocolate chip muffins are easy to remove! I use a nonstick spray, but you can also grease the wells with butter, coconut oil or shortening!
Step 4: Bake & Cool!
Bake the chocolate chip muffins for 20-25 minutes. You will know they are done when the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs.
Let the healthy chocolate chip muffins cool in the muffin pan for 5-10 minutes. Carefully remove them and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool the rest of the way (or eat them warm)!
How do you store Chocolate Chip Muffins?
These healthy chocolate chip muffins can be stored at room temperature for two-three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Can you freeze chocolate chip muffins?
YES!! I make these and freeze them all the time. To freeze:
- Let the muffins cool completely to room temperature.
- Transfer cooled muffins to an airtight container or plastic bag.
- Freeze!
To reheat: place frozen muffin in the microwave and heat for for 30-60 seconds per muffin!
Can you make Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins?
Yes! You can make these into mini chocolate chip muffins using a mini muffin tin! You will need to adjust the bake time. I recommend checking them after 12 minutes but they could take up to 18 minutes to bake depending on your oven!
Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins: Ingredients and substitutions
Let’s take a minute and chat about the ingredients used in this gluten-free chocolate chip muffin recipe, as well as possible substitutions! I must start by saying one thing…
Do not change the type/amount/ratio of flours in this recipe (I will explain more below)
- Coconut Flour. Coconut flour is a gluten-free baking pantry staple in my house. However, please listen carefully…you cannot make any substitutions for coconut flour. It is a very unique flour and absorbs significantly more liquid than other flours. If you try substituting the coconut flour your muffins will not turn out well! Don’t do it, ok?
- Almond Flour. I also do not recommend substituting the almond flour in this chocolate chip muffin recipe. Gluten-free/Paleo baking is a science and I tested this recipe extensively to ensure it was perfect.
- Sugar. Any granulated sugar works well in this recipe. I usually bake with organic cane sugar (I buy it from Costco). To make these Paleo chocolate chip muffins, use coconut sugar!
- Butter. Salted or unsalted butter works well in this paleo chocolate chip recipe (use grass-fed for Paleo baking). You can also substitute coconut oil or ghee for a dairy-free version!
- Almond Butter. I’m guessing any nut or seed butter would work well in this recipe. I have only tried almond butter and cashew butter (YUM) and had great results with both.
- Applesauce. To be sure there are no refined sugars in these chocolate chip muffins, use unsweetened applesauce!
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Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins (Gluten-Free & Paleo-Friendly)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of coconut flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup sugar coconut sugar for paleo
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup creamy almond butter
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ½ -1 Cup Chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, set aside.
- In a small bowl combine coconut flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- In a large, glass mixing bowl melt together butter and almond butter (for about 1 minute on high), stir until combined.
- Add applesauce, vanilla and eggs and stir until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
- Gently fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each muffin well (so it’s about ¾ of the way full).
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are set, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before gently removing each muffin from its well and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
- Enjoy!
- To freeze: let cool then place muffins in an airtight container and put in the freezer. To reheat microwave on high for about 30 seconds per muffin!
Video
Nutrition
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Britney McCullough
I mean, if we are being honest here, I am a complete sucker for chocolate chip muffins. They are by far my favorite but I don’t ever feel like it’s ok to make them when I can make blueberry or raspberry muffins instead. But hey! Laura does it again with her healthier recipe and I don’t feel alllll the guilt when I make these for my family. And, they are so simple, so tasty – there’s really no reason to atleast give them a try! Guilt free over here and devouring these any chance I get. They are SO good!!
Kamala
Thanks for this recipe! Will I be able to use maple syrup instead of coconut sugar? If so how much?
Emily Swanson
I really wish I had coconut flour now, because these look perfect. 🙂 I love how you were very specific about not making substitutions.