These Healthy Chocolate Muffins taste like a brownie, with a sneaky veggie hidden inside. There’s no flour or oil required, so they are naturally gluten-free, and kids love them!
Why You’ll Love Them
They taste amazing. This muffin recipe tastes like a cross between a chocolate cake and a brownie. They are ultra-satisfying when your sweet tooth strikes, and are loaded with fiber to help avoid any drastic blood sugar spikes.
They are nourishing. Made with almond butter and eggs, these muffins are a good source of protein, and taste like dessert. You’d never know that there’s pumpkin puree hidden inside! (It’s for texture, not flavor.)
They are gluten-free. Instead of using dry ingredients, like white whole wheat flour or oat flour, this recipe is flourless, which means it’s also gluten-free. The almond butter and eggs work together to create a fluffy texture you’ll love, with no oil required.
They are an easy option on-the-go. These healthy muffins make a delicious breakfast or snack, when you need something quick to grab.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This pumpkin puree in this recipe adds extra nutrients and moisture, without adding a noticeable flavor. If you don’t have canned pumpkin on hand, you could swap it for mashed ripe banana or unsweetened applesauce, but keep in mind that both of those options will change the rich chocolate flavor.
You could also use Greek yogurt as a substitute, if you don’t need a dairy-free recipe.
How to Make Healthy Chocolate Muffins
1. Mix the wet ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, pumpkin puree, eggs, coconut sugar, maple syrup, cacao powder, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.
Mix well, until the batter looks smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips, if you want a double chocolate muffin.
2. Bake.
Line a muffin tin with 12 liners, then use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter into each spot. You should get 12 muffins from this recipe.
Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top, if you’d like.
Bake in the oven at 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins rise and look dry on top. If the center of the muffin sinks significantly, that means they probably didn’t cook quite long enough.
You can also test the center of the muffin with a toothpick, if you prefer.
3. Enjoy!
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Serve the muffins at room temperature, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can store the muffins in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place them in the fridge for up to 48 hours so they can soften again.
You can replace the maple syrup with honey, if you prefer, but the honey flavor will be slightly more noticeable. I don’t recommend replacing the granulated sugar with a liquid sweetener, or you might not achieve the same texture, but you can use another granulated sugar, if you need to.
If you grease the pan with cooking spray or coconut oil, the muffins will not release quite as nicely. (The muffin liners guarantee they’ll come of out the pan easily.) Without the liners, you’ll probably need to run a knife around the edges to help them release from the pan.
You can swap the cacao powder for cocoa powder, if that’s what you keep on hand, and you can also use peanut butter instead of almond butter, if you prefer. (The peanut butter creates a slightly drier texture.) If you want to try another veggie puree, you can toss raw zucchini in a blender to create a zucchini puree that could be used instead of the pumpkin.
You can add a teaspoon of espresso powder, if you keep it on hand, to emphasize the chocolate taste. For a less-sweet muffin, you can also cut back on the maple syrup, for a darker chocolate flavor.
Looking for more healthy muffin recipes? Try Blender Banana Oatmeal Muffins, Raspberry Chocolate Chip Almond Flour Muffins, or Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, for another variation.
Healthy Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy almond butter
- ½ cup pumpkin pumpkin puree
- 2 whole eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips , plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners. In a large bowl, stir together the almond butter, pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup, coconut sugar, cacao powder, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Once the batter looks smooth, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Use a ¼ cup measure to divide the batter between the 12 prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top, if you like.
- Bake at 350ºF until the muffins have risen, and the center looks dry, about 25 minutes.
- Let the muffins to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. You can serve them at room temperature, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition information is for 1 of 12 muffins, including the chocolate chips. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
- See the full post above for substitution tips. You can use any other nut butter or fruit/veggie puree in this recipe for a similar texture, but the flavor will change depending on what you use.
- I haven’t had the chance to test a vegan version of this recipe yet, but I’ve had great success lately using psyllium “eggs” which seem to be more effective than flax eggs. To make 1 egg replacement, mix together 1 tablespoon whole psyllium husk with a 1/4 cup water until they gel together.
Nutrition
Update Note: This recipe used to be called “Paleo Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins,” but was updated in January 2023 with a new name and updated photos. I think the “pumpkin” in the title scared people off from trying them, and they are too delicious to miss! The recipe has not changed, but you can see the original version here.
If you try these healthy chocolate muffins, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them.
What could be a substitute for egg yolk. Child is allergic to egg yolk.
I’ve heard that 2 egg whites is the equivalent of a whole egg, if you want to try that! Please report back and let me know how it works out.
I’ve read that 2 egg whites = 1 whole egg, if you want to try that swap.
My first time baking without flour… Blame it on my southern roots.
Hands down the BEST chocolate cupcake ever! Super easy to make, very moist, guilt free dessert! I’m so excited and looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
I’ve made these once a week for the last month! Delicious. Ran out of almond butter on last batch so replaced with more pumpkin and they still turned out Fab.
Are these chocolate muffins considered gluten free too?
Yes!
Love these! Made them 3 times already!
Amazing! Can’t wait to try your Tuscan Pumpkin spaghetti sauce with my leftover pumpkin purée.
Made these muffins with leftover pumpkin pure (from making Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal muffins). Yummy!! Another great recipe! Thank you!!
This is an excellent recipe. Time to make it again
Do you think this would come out with flax eggs?
Is there a keto option for these? I LOVED them when we were strictly paleo … thank you
These are amazing and I make them all the time! Even my husband who doesn’t like “healthy food” loves it!
These were delicious! Definitely adding this to my favorite fall recipes!
I made these with sunflower seed(only-no sweetness or oils) butter as we have a nut allergy in our home and they came out incredible! I also used my duck eggs which I think contributed to that.I will be keeping this recipe on hand and making it again, it was a big hit! Thank you!
These are amazing, and I’ve made them many times. It doesn’t say that they are gluten free. Are they?
Yes, they are!
Wow, Megan, these were delicious! I added about 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Fantastic! They tasted like brownies, seriously so good!
Wow, these were phenomenal!! I added about 1/2 a T pumpkin pie spice. Sooooo good!
Made these at least 100 times. They are moist and fudgey. Everyone loves them!
These look delicious! Quick question- if you leave them out for few days, do they have to be uncovered? They won’t go stale? thanks!
This is hands down one of my all time favourite muffin recipes! I always make a double batch so I can put half in the freezer to have on hand. Was thinking about baking this in a cake pan for a birthday and am wondering what size pan you’d recommend and cooking time? And also which of your frosting recipes would you pair with it? Thank you and I can’t say enough good things about this recipe 🙂
Have you tried her Chocolate Zucchini Muffins? I found that recipe first and have been making them all the time. Peanut butter makes them like a pb brownie, and they are great with almond butter and walnut butter, too. 😍🍫
I made it as written and it worked out great! I might have overfilled mine because it only yielded 9 but I got a lot of compliments on how yummy they were.
Always impressed and surprised with the beautiful texture of grain free muffins!!! It is like a science experiment that I repeat every week in amazement when it continues to work beautifully. 👏 This is the first pumpkin recipe I have made this Fall and I will absolutely make these muffins again… Probably when I try the Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew Recipe with Cashew Cream. 🍫 🎃 ☕️
Moist and so tasty!! Everyone can’t believe it’s actually made with healthy ingredients.
Awesome muffins! I reduced the coconut sugar to 1/4 cup but otherwise followed the recipe exact. The whole family loves them!
I started making these two and a half years ago and haven’t stopped making them! They are a staple in our house, and I keep the grandkids stocked with mini-muffins. Still a fave with everyone! (Since I make so many, I switched to peanut butter to reduce the cost. And use mini chocolate chips in the mini-muffins.)
These are so yummy! A keeper for sure!
These muffins are amazing!! I could not believe they are flourless and free from refined sugar! I made them twice, and they are delicious!!
Do you make the pumpkin purée yourself or buy? I was thinking to steam pumpkin and mash ??
Made this instantly after seeing the story. Omg, I’m in love! Had to use a bar of dark chocolate with almonds instead of chocolate chips (yum), and had to top off the coconut sugar with a little granulated sugar to get to 1/2 cup. AMAZING results! Will definitely be making these often.
This was yummy! So easy and so delicious!! will be making again and again.
These are absolutely delicious!!!! There is no trace of pumpkin actually…it’s just fluffy, moist, chocolatey goodness-that’s GOOD for you!!! This is definitely going to be on repeat at our home!
These are amazing! My kids loved them and I recently found out I can’t have Gluten, so I am happy to have this delicious recipe! I used Lilly’s chocolate chips sweetened with stevia.
These muffins are delicious!!!
Fabulous muffin recipe! I can’t wait to try with espresso powder.
I saw this recipe in the email this week and had baking pumpkins I needed to use. They turned out beautifully and delicious. I will enjoy them as a coffee snack.
Delicious! I used butternut squash instead of pumpkin and you would never even know the veggie was in there. Even without the chocolate chips, they were devoured as fast as my children got their hands on them.
The whole family loved this recipe! And I love that it sneaks in a veggie that the kids cannot find. I still cannot sneak zucchini into my muffins because they sniff it out…but pumpkin, it’s the perfect veggie to hide in there!
These were delicious and so easy! I am not one to make substitutions generally as I trust your testing however I did make a few substitutions based on what I had on hand – I used Greek yogurt and instead of the almond butter I used 1/2c runny tahini and 1/2 cup peanut butter. And only 1/4c coconut sugar just as a preference for less sweet. I will definitely make these again!
My family and I loved this recipe!! Thank you 🙂
These are sooooo good!! I ran out of almond butter so I substituted 1/2 cup with sunbutter. My son thinks they are good enough to count as a treat☺️
My husband is for sure his week will not go well if there are not Detoxinista Chocolate Muffins baked in bulk for him to grab throughout the week. Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ve been making these l-o-n-g before the update! D
These are so chocolatey and the perfect texture. Amazing!
My whole family loves this muffin! I made it with the almond butter the first time around and it was great. My 4 year old tried to eat the whole batch in one sitting. The next time I made it I used pecan butter as I had a lot of pecans on hand and no almond butter. ( I made the pecan butter with 4 cups pecans, 1/4 c maple syrup, 1/2tsp cinnamon and pinch of salt blended in a food processor) It really made these muffins so freaking good! I highly recommend trying the pecan butter!!! This recipe is amazing and so easy
These are amazing! So easy and fast to make (though mine had to bake longer, that’s mostly just how my oven is but I also didn’t want them to deflate in the middle.) Basically brownies, but a little healthier.
Love this. The texture and flavor are both great, which I’ve found to be uncommon with gluten free muffins. They’re also reasonably filling as a snack, which makes me less inclined to eat two in a go. Great recipe. Thank you!
These are outstanding! Thank you for this exceptional recipe. My kids devoured these. You are truly a magician, Megan!
Aw, thank you! I’m glad they were a hit!
This is the best recipe! Two toddler girls are begging for another batch to be made this week. Now I just have to keep my husband from eating all of them first! Thanks!!
Made this recipe two different times for some friends & everyone loved it! The second time I changed the pumpkin for banana- everyone still loved it! I will say the banana ones turned out a little sweeter than the pumpkin batch. Love so many recipes on this site and they’re soo good 😋
These muffins turned out great and are very delicious!! 😋 Yum!!
I’ve made this recipe a couple times already and it is a hit! So good!!
Like all Detoxinista recipes, absolutely fabulous! Quick question though – just curious why the nutritional information says they contain trans fat? I didn’t realize any of these ingredients had trans fat in them and, as that is something we try to avoid, I would love to know where it is coming from. THANK YOU!!!!
Hi Deanna! My guess is that the almond butter that the nutrition calculator used was NOT an all-natural version, made with only almonds. That’s why the nutrition information isn’t always 100% accurate, because I don’t choose which brands of ingredients it uses for its automated calculations. I can’t imagine any ingredient in this recipe would have trans fat as long as you’re using an all natural nut butter.
Thank you so much for your reply! I can honestly say that your recipes are truly among the best. I find myself turning to them on repeat time and time again because they’re so healthy and delicious. I also have so much trust that anything you share will be great, and it always is. Thank you so much!