Chocolate Almond Flour Oat Muffins {vegan, oil-free, GF}

Decadent (but healthy!) chocolate almond flour oat muffins that are vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, fast & easy to make, & perfect for breakfast, snack-time, or dessert.

January was my birthday month (I observe the whole month :)). So, while testing recipes for the website, I was making sweet treats behind the scenes, too. That’s what one does during a month-long celebration, right?

I made several rounds of my 3-ingredient almond flour cookies (with various add-ins, drizzles, and toppings), as well as my cashew cheesecake, for my actual birthday day.

And then I decided it wouldn’t be a birthday month without a double dose of chocolate. For breakfast. So I concocted these: Chocolate Almond Flour Oat Muffins. They are crowned with melty chocolate chips, because birthday months are made better with melty chocolate chips on top.

Healthy Benefits

As mentioned, I made these muffins as a breakfast bake. But seriously, they taste decadent enough for dessert! And, of course, they are just the thing for an afternoon coffee break. 

But don’t let their deliciousness fool you: these muffins are seriously good for you, too. Loaded with empowering ingredients, they just so happen to be:

• Vegan {no eggs, no dairy)
• Gluten-free
• Oil-free (the healthy fat comes from the almond flour)
• High in fiber
• Refined sugar-free

I should also note that, with regard to mental health, they are very fast and easy to make (who needs the stress of a complicated recipe when a chocolate craving strikes?).

The Ingredients You Will Need

I’ve kept the ingredients for these beauties humble and familiar (humble & familiar is the way I like to cook). You will need the following: 

• Rolled oats (certified GF, as needed)
• Almond flour
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Baking powder
• Mashed very ripe banana (or applesauce)
• Coconut sugar (or the sweetener of your choice)
• Vanilla extract
• A few dark chocolate chips or chunks

You will also need a small amount of water and salt (the latter is optional/adjustable according to your preferences and needs). 

Mashed banana provides both sweetness and moisture to the recipe. You will need about 1 large to get the 1/2cup of mashed banana needed for the recipe, but I recommend measuring the mashed banana (what constitutes a large banana can be subjective).

The finished muffins do not taste like banana. Still, if you are anti-banana (or do not have a ripe banana handy), an equal amount of applesauce can be used in its place.

Step By Step Instructions

These muffins are very easy, and virtually foolproof to make.  If you have a few minutes, you will have a batch in the oven in no time. That’s a very good thing.

Step One: Prep the Oven and Muffin Tin

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line 6 cups of a standard size muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

Step Two: Grind the Oats 

In a food processor or blender, grind the oats into a fine powder. It is easier to grind a larger quantity of oats than the quantity called for in this recipe. Any extra oat flour can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several months (or the freezer for up to 1 year).

You will need 33 grams of oat flour (the same weight as the equired amount of rolled oats). In dry cups measurements, this is about  1/4 cup (plus a pinch more). You can also skip the grinding and substitute ready-to-use oat flour. 

Step Three: Whisk the Dry Ingredients

Place the oat flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to the bowl and whisk until blended. 

Step Four: Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the mashed banana, water, coconut sugar and vanilla until blended,

Step Five: Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until completley combined.

Now you have a choice: add the chocolate chips now, or sprinkle them on top later. Stir them in at this point if you do not want to place them on top.

Step Six: Fill the Muffin Cups

Evenly portion the batter between the six prepared muffin cups. The batter will come close to the top of each cup.

If you did not stir in the chocolate chips in step 5, add them now by dotting the tops of each cup full of batter with the chips.

I like adding the chips on top because it ensures that each muffin has about the same amount of chocolate chips. The recipe only calls for 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips, but it tastes like far more when every bite has some melty goodness. I also like the visual appeal of chocolate chip-studded muffins :).

Step Seven: Bake!

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes until they are risen and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.

Pretty easy, right? And just look at the results…

Cool the muffins in the tin, on a wire rack, for at least 15 minutes before removing from the tin. Let them cool, completely, on a cooling rack  before eating. Admittedly, it is a challenging wait. I advise completing some chores and errands for ample distraction.

The wait is so worth it.

How to Store the Muffins

The cooled muffins will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day. For longer storage, I recommend storing in the refrigerator, mostly because of the high moisture content of the muffins. The muffins can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

Do not wait until it is your birthday month to give these a try. Happy Baking!

More Chocolate Muffins (Vegan & GF) to Try:

• Vegan Chocolate Oat Mini Muffins {oil-free, gluten-free}
• Chocolate Fudge Teff Muffins {Flourless, Vegan, Date-Sweetened}
• Chocolate Chickpea Flour Muffins {vegan, grain-free}
• Chocolate-Banana Teff Muffins {Gluten-Free + Vegan}
• Chocolate Chip Banana Quinoa Muffins {vegan, GF, flourless}