Wealthy Gluten Free Chocolate Muffins
11 min read

These gluten free chocolate muffins have the massive, bakery-style dome that everybody loves, plus tons of wealthy chocolate taste. They’re so satisfying for breakfast!

These gluten free chocolate muffins are tender and chocolatey, however clearly muffins and never cupcakes, so take pleasure in them very first thing within the morning, guilt-free! Since they’re made with out butter, they’re additionally simply made dairy free, too.

What makes these gluten free chocolate muffins particular?
Between the melted darkish chocolate within the batter, and the combination of a impartial oil and wealthy cocoa powder, these gluten free chocolate muffins are tremendous moist, tender, and richly satisfying. These are usually not the form of muffins you need to supply to somebody who would not love chocolate, although!
However assuming you could have an viewers of chocolate followers, these muffins is not going to disappoint. They’re made simply by mixing collectively all of the moist elements, from melted chocolate by means of to buttermilk, first, then mixing them into the few dry elements till simply mixed.
We begin the baking with some further warmth to coax that chocolate batter up right into a craggy dome with a lot of muffin-top texture, then cut back it virtually straight away so nothing burns. Since these muffins are so darkish and wealthy, you would not know your muffins have been burning in a too-hot oven till it was too late to avoid wasting them!

Notes on gluten free chocolate muffin elements
- Baking chocolate – The baking chocolate that’s melted and blended into this chocolate muffin batter will be darkish (which normally comprises between 50% and 90% cocoa solids, along with cocoa butter and sugar) or semi-sweet (a kind of darkish chocolate, one that’s normally towards the decrease finish of cocoa solids and fewer sugar than milk chocolate). No matter sort you select, you’ll want to soften it gently in a double boiler or in a microwave at lowered energy so it would not burn or seize.
- Impartial oil – Relatively than baking with butter, like we do in our traditional mix-in gluten free muffin recipe, we’re utilizing oil as fats right here because it has much less moisture and retains the muffins extra moist. You should use any plain oil with a impartial taste, like canola, vegetable, grapeseed, or peanut oil, so that you add tenderness and mouth really feel, however not taste.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Including the cocoa powder to the melted chocolate and oil combination, whereas the melted chocolate continues to be heat, helps to bloom the cocoa powder, which brings out its wealthy chocolate taste. I take advantage of Rodelle model Dutch-processed cocoa powder for its further richness, however pure cocoa powder works fantastic right here, too.
- Sugars – Utilizing half granulated sugar and half gentle brown sugar provides tenderness, further moisture, and naturally sweetness.
- Egg – Utilizing one single egg helps maintain these muffins moist and tender with out the dryness that an excessive amount of egg white within the batter can create.
- Buttermilk – Industrial buttermilk has thickness and richness that helps tenderize and moisten this chocolate muffin batter. Do not exchange it with plain milk that is been soured with slightly lemon juice or vinegar, which will not do the identical to your muffins.
- Gluten free flour mix – I normally use Higher Batter’s traditional mix right here, which is a very well-balanced, clean, dependable gluten free flour mix. It already comprises xanthan gum, so undoubtedly do not add extra should you use Higher Batter or one other of my advisable all function gluten free flour blends that already comprises it.
- Baking powder – Baking powder is double-acting, which signifies that it’s activated when it will get hydrated by being including to liquid within the recipe, and once more within the oven. It supplies rise and raise in these muffins.
- Baking soda – Baking soda additionally supplies some raise, but it surely’s additionally liable for serving to to brown your muffins within the oven. Plus, in case you are utilizing pure cocoa powder, it is going to neutralize the extra acid in your cocoa.
- Salt – Salt helps steadiness sweetness, and brings out the chocolate taste of those bakery-style chocolate muffins.
- Chocolate chips – I like to make use of semi-sweet chocolate chips, but when you understand that you just’re serving your muffins who can solely abide the darkest of chocolate, strive utilizing darkish chocolate chips. Or swap it up and use white chocolate chips and even peanut butter or butterscotch chips (simply be sure that they’re gluten free, although, since some are usually not!).

Suggestions for making the most effective chocolate muffins gluten free
Preserve your melted chocolate heat
Convey out the richest taste of your unsweetened cocoa powder by mixing the oil after which cocoa powder into your melted chocolate earlier than it is cooled down. That can assist bloom the cocoa powder, which reinforces its chocolate taste.
Use an oven thermometer throughout baking
Most ovens drift out of calibration, and relatively than paying to have them calibrated repeatedly, simply use a easy, cheap analog oven thermometer to gauge your oven’s temperature. In case your oven runs sizzling right here, these muffins are so darkish in coloration that you just will not know they’re starting to burn till it is too late.
Flip the oven temperature down after the primary 5 minutes
The explanation to start out baking at 375°F, which is greater than the same old cake-baking temperature of 350°F, is to encourage your muffins to rise shortly in the beginning. That is the way you get a pleasant, spherical dome on prime. After these first 5 minutes, although, flip the temperature down 25°F to 350°F to complete baking or your muffins might burn.
Fill these muffin wells all the way in which
All muffin tin wells have completely different sizes and even shapes. There’s simply no solution to know for certain precisely how a lot batter you will have to fill your muffin wells except we’re all utilizing my similar primary Wilton 12-cup customary muffin tin. So you’ll want to fill your wells all the way in which, and in case your muffin tin is bigger than most and you may’t make a full 12 muffins, it is price making fewer muffins to get these massive, lovely bakery-style gf chocolate muffins!


Gluten free chocolate muffins: elements and potential substitutions
Gluten free dairy free chocolate muffins
The dairy in these muffins is within the type of buttermilk, and probably chocolate. Most darkish and even semi-sweet baking chocolate might be dairy-free and gluten-free, however verify labels and make cellphone calls if crucial to make certain.
Instead of buttermilk, you need to use half non-dairy plain yogurt or bitter cream and half unsweetened nondairy milk. You can even use that mixture with dairy should you can have dairy, however do not occur to have buttermilk available.
Gluten free egg free chocolate muffins
Instead of the egg, strive utilizing one “chia eggs.” One “chia egg” is made by combining 1 tablespoon floor white chia seeds with 1 tablespoon lukewarm water. Combine in a small bowl and permit the combination to sit down till it gels.

FAQs
How are these gf chocolate muffins completely different from chocolate cupcakes?
Muffins and cupcakes are all baked in muffin tins, so that you’re naturally going to match them to at least one one other! These are muffins, not cupcakes, although, since they’ve a extra dense, considerably tighter crumb with an irregular prime with heaps extra texture than a clean, gluten free chocolate cupcake prime that is simply patiently ready for its frosting. Muffins are normally much less candy than cupcakes, since they’re for breakfast in any case!
Do you must use liners in your muffin tin to make these chocolate muffins?
No! You should use a cooking oil spray to grease the wells of your muffin tin as a substitute of utilizing liners. I normally choose to make use of greaseproof liners, although, since no muffin tin is ideal, and particularly as they age, they have an inclination to have spots to which the batter will stick irrespective of how nicely you grease the tin. And that may result in a muffin that is caught to the tin and easily cannot be eliminated with out breaking it into items.
Are you able to make these into gluten free chocolate zucchini muffins?
No, you may’t add zucchini to those muffins, however you may make our gluten free chocolate zucchini cake should you’re craving that form of deal with!
Are you able to add banana to those gluten free chocolate muffins?
I do not suggest that you just exchange any of the elements on this recipe with banana, as it is not a correct substitute for oil, which provides pure fats with none moisture. As an alternative, strive our gluten free chocolate banana bread.
Can I make these gluten free chocolate muffins with out chocolate chips?
Sure! You’ll be able to omit the chips solely, exchange them with one other taste of chips like gluten free peanut butter chips, or exchange them with an equal quantity, by weight, of chopped tender nuts. Uncooked walnuts or pecans could be nice!
Wealthy Gluten Free Chocolate Muffins
These gluten free chocolate muffins have the massive, bakery-style dome that everybody loves, plus tons of wealthy chocolate taste. They’re so satisfying for breakfast!
Yield: 12 muffins
Components
- 4 ounces darkish or semi-sweet baking chocolate chopped
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) impartial oil canola, grapeseed, vegetable, peanut oils all work
- ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder I choose Dutch-processed, however pure cocoa powder works, too
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (109 g) packed gentle brown sugar
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) buttermilk at heat room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all-purpose gluten free flour mix (I used Higher Batter; please click on through for full data on acceptable blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit in case your mix already comprises it)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
-
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease or line a normal 12-cup muffin tin, and set it apart.
-
In a medium-size, heat-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and place over a small pot of simmering water, ensuring the water within the pot doesn’t contact the bowl. Soften the chocolate, stirring often, till clean.
-
Take away the melted chocolate from the warmth, and add the oil, then the cocoa powder, whisking till clean after every addition.
-
To the chocolate combination, add the granulated sugar, then the brown sugar, whisking to mix after every addition. Break up any lumps within the brown sugar.
-
Crack the egg open into the chocolate combination, and whisk the egg into the combination till clean.
-
Subsequent, add the buttermilk and vanilla, and whisk once more till clean. The combination might be thick however very tender.
-
In a separate giant bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and whisk to mix nicely.
-
Create a nicely within the middle of the dry elements, add your entire chocolate combination, and blend till simply mixed. The batter might be thick however needs to be comparatively shiny and tender.
-
Combine within the chocolate chips. You’ll be able to reserving just a few chips to scatter on prime of the muffin batter within the wells of the muffin tin, should you choose.
-
Fill the ready wells of the muffin tin virtually fully with muffin batter. Shake the tin vigorously back and forth to assist distribute the batter evenly in every nicely. Prime with any reserved chocolate chips.
-
Place the tin within the middle of the preheated oven and bake for five minutes.
-
Scale back the oven temperature to 350°F, and proceed to bake for about 13 minutes, or till the muffin tops are agency to the contact. Don’t overbake or the muffins might burn.
-
Take away from the oven and permit to chill within the tin for five minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to chill fully.
Notes
Initially revealed on the weblog in 2014; in 2023, recipe modified to make muffins richer and extra tender, textual content assets, new images and video added.
Wealthy Gluten Free Chocolate Muffins
These gluten free chocolate muffins have the massive, bakery-style dome that everybody loves, plus tons of wealthy chocolate taste. They’re so satisfying for breakfast!
Yield: 12 muffins
Components
- 4 ounces darkish or semi-sweet baking chocolate chopped
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) impartial oil canola, grapeseed, vegetable, peanut oils all work
- ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder I choose Dutch-processed, however pure cocoa powder works, too
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (109 g) packed gentle brown sugar
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature
- 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) buttermilk at heat room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all-purpose gluten free flour mix (I used Higher Batter; please click on through for full data on acceptable blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit in case your mix already comprises it)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
-
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease or line a normal 12-cup muffin tin, and set it apart.
-
In a medium-size, heat-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and place over a small pot of simmering water, ensuring the water within the pot doesn’t contact the bowl. Soften the chocolate, stirring often, till clean.
-
Take away the melted chocolate from the warmth, and add the oil, then the cocoa powder, whisking till clean after every addition.
-
To the chocolate combination, add the granulated sugar, then the brown sugar, whisking to mix after every addition. Break up any lumps within the brown sugar.
-
Crack the egg open into the chocolate combination, and whisk the egg into the combination till clean.
-
Subsequent, add the buttermilk and vanilla, and whisk once more till clean. The combination might be thick however very tender.
-
In a separate giant bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and whisk to mix nicely.
-
Create a nicely within the middle of the dry elements, add your entire chocolate combination, and blend till simply mixed. The batter might be thick however needs to be comparatively shiny and tender.
-
Combine within the chocolate chips. You’ll be able to reserving just a few chips to scatter on prime of the muffin batter within the wells of the muffin tin, should you choose.
-
Fill the ready wells of the muffin tin virtually fully with muffin batter. Shake the tin vigorously back and forth to assist distribute the batter evenly in every nicely. Prime with any reserved chocolate chips.
-
Place the tin within the middle of the preheated oven and bake for five minutes.
-
Scale back the oven temperature to 350°F, and proceed to bake for about 13 minutes, or till the muffin tops are agency to the contact. Don’t overbake or the muffins might burn.
-
Take away from the oven and permit to chill within the tin for five minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to chill fully.
Notes
Initially revealed on the weblog in 2014; in 2023, recipe modified to make muffins richer and extra tender, textual content assets, new images and video added.