Healthy Chocolate Muffins No Butter Or Oil

Want more healthy muffin recipes? Try my almond flour muffins, healthy oatmeal muffins, healthy blueberry muffins, and healthy zucchini muffins next. 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.

Why I love this recipe

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 in 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. Super healthy. Without even trying, these muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and loaded with fiber from the oats and flax seeds.

Ingredients needed

Old fashioned Oats (rolled oats). Oats replace the need for any flour, as we’ll be blending it to make oat flour. If you already have oat flour, that is great! Flax egg OR egg. A flax egg replaces the need for any eggs in this recipe. To prepare a flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 10 minutes for a gel to form. If not strictly vegan, you can use an egg instead. Unsweetened cocoa powder. Be sure your cocoa powder is 100% unsweetened and Dutch-processed. Baking soda. To leaven the muffins and give them some rise! Salt. Brings out the sweetness of the muffins. Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk works. Maple syrup. To sweeten the muffins. Don’t worry; you won’t be able to taste the maple flavor. Vanilla extract. A must for any baking recipe. Chocolate chips. To amp up the chocolate flavor, of course!

How to make healthy chocolate muffins

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Make the flax egg. In a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let 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. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe tips and 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. I tested this recipe with white whole wheat flour, and while the texture was different, the muffins still turned out super moist and fudgy, so feel free to use equal portions of wheat or all-purpose flour instead. Swap the maple syrup. For naturally sweetened muffins, use equal portions of unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas. 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: Store extra chocolate muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Honestly, these muffins are perfect on their own, but I’ve been enjoying them in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas:

Warm and topped with a homemade spread, like Nutella, protein cookie butter, or honey peanut butter. Crumbled on top of a yogurt bowl or alongside some healthy granola with milk. Paired with something savory, like an egg white omelette and some air fryer turkey bacon.

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: Microwave the muffins for 20-30 seconds or until warm.