Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins (with Almond Flour)

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These gluten free chocolate chip muffins are light, fluffy and incredibly delicious! Made with almond flour and no refined sugar, these muffins are great for breakfast to kick start the day or a perfect snack!

birds eye view of chocolate chip muffins on wire rack, with chocolate chips in background.

Since I can remember I have loved enjoying chocolate chip muffins for breakfast!

… Except the muffins one gets from the store are filled with sugar, preservatives and quite unhealthy!

Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy fresh and healthy chocolate chip muffins? … Not to mention that warm bakery smell when they come out straight from the oven…

Cue these bakery-style gluten-free chocolate chip muffins - add to your collection of gluten-free recipes!

Healthy and Tasty Muffins

If you are looking for something fun, healthy and tasty – this recipe is perfect for you! These gluten-free muffins are a great way to incorporate some extra protein into your breakfast

I have perfected this recipe to make these muffins moist and fluffy with the perfect level of sweetness – so you can still enjoy bakery-style muffins only healthier!

gluten-free chocolate chip muffins made using almond flour.

Why Bake with Almond Flour?

Almond flour is made just from almonds and a healthier alternative to all-purpose flour (and wheat flour)!
Almond flour has a slightly sweet and nutty flavour which adds a great flavour to these muffins (or any baked goods)!
This flour is made from blanched almonds (almonds without skin) – which are ground and sifted into a flour. You can either buy store-bought or make it at home.
Almond flour is gluten-free, low in carbohydrates and packed with nutrients including protein, vitamin E (antioxidant) and magnesium.

Ingredients

To make these muffins you will need:

Almond flour: use blanched almond flour (this is without the skins) for a light and fluffy muffin. I don’t recommend using almond meal (with the skin) as this will affect the muffin texture (denser muffins!).
Eggs: eggs add moisture and act as a binder in this recipe to give the muffins structure (as almond flour does not contain “gluten” which typically gives structure to baked goods). The eggs are separated in this recipe – whip the egg whites separately to give these muffins a fluffier and lighter texture.
Baking powder: this is a raising agent which helps the muffins rise.
Maple syrup: for sweetness and moisture, use grade A maple syrup (with no added sugar).
Oil and Butter: use a combination of oil (olive oil or coconut oil) and butter (unsalted) for richness, flavor and moisture in these muffins (if you prefer to use one over the other you can for this recipe). I prefer not to use vegetable oil.
Pure vanilla extract: this adds a warm flavor to these muffins (look for vanilla with no added sugar).
Salt: you just need a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness of these muffins.
Cinnamon: this gives these muffins a warm flavor (resembling bakery-style muffins).
Milk: use any milk you prefer, dairy or non-dairy will work (adds moisture to the crumb).
Yogurt: this makes the muffins extra moist.
Chocolate chips: use either semi-sweet or regular milk chocolate chips (I use Mrs Keto chocolate chips which are refined sugar-free).

Optional - Unrefined sugar for sprinkling: this is optional, I recommend using organic maple sugar or coconut sugar. Sprinkle a pinch on top of each muffin before baking (to add crunchy muffin top that resembles bakery-style muffins).

These gluten free muffins are made with simple ingredients and do not need xanthan gum to make and have no white or brown sugar.

How to make these muffins

Mix dry ingredients. Preheat oven to 175°C/347°F (fan) and prepare a muffin tin/tray with 10-12 muffin cups/liners. In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients (almond flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon) and whisk until combined.
Whisk wet ingredients. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks, then add the remaining wet ingredients (except the egg whites) and whisk until all the ingredients are combined, forming a yellow mixture.
Whip egg whites. Using an electric whisk, whip the egg whites in a clean bowl until fluffy, soft/medium peaks (approx. 2-4 mins).
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and using a spatula gently mix until the dry and wet ingredients are just combined.

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numbered collage showing steps to make gluten-free chocolate chip muffins.

Fold in half of the egg whites. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold the half of the egg whites into the batter until combined.
Gently fold in the other half of egg whites into the batter and combine.
Add in the chocolate chips.
Fill the liners and bake. Using a large ladle spoon or a ¼ cup, transfer the muffin batter mixture into each muffin liner/tray. Optional but recommended – sprinkle a few chocolate chips and maple/coconut (or other unrefined) sugar on the top of each muffin. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly golden. Use a skewer to test the center of the muffin, it should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the muffin tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack/wire rack to let the muffins cool completely.

numbered collage showing steps to make gluten-free chocolate chip muffins including adding whipped egg whites to batter.

Tips to make the Best Bakery-Style Muffins

Room temperature ingredients: make sure all ingredients are at room temperature to evenly mix in the batter. Many of the wet ingredients come from the fridge, you may also need to bring your almond flour to room temperature if it is refrigerated.
Whip the egg whites to soft/medium peaks: this is one of the biggest secrets to moist, light and fluffy muffins. The egg whites are whipped to soft/medium peaks and this contributes to the delicious moist crumb in these muffins. By whipping the egg whites, this adds extra air in the batter whilst retaining the moisture. We don’t whip for too long (i.e. stiff peaks) - just enough to add some air to the batter.
Use a clean bowl when whipping egg whites: make sure your bowl is dry and clean from any residue – this will help the egg whites whip to desired consistency.
Sprinkle sugar and chocolate chips for the top of muffins: this makes each muffin top have a crunch and sweetness that is so irresistible!
Weigh your ingredients: I recommend weighing your almond flour (instead of using cup measures) to give the best results.

delicious chocolate chip muffin - bitten into to reveal a soft, moist and fluffy crumb.

Shortcuts

If you are in a rush or forget to leave out some of the ingredients at room temperature – here are a few shortcuts:

Maple syrup, butter and milk:
1. Microwave: in a microwave-safe bowl, gently warm each ingredient separately (maple syrup, butter, milk) in a bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until warm.
2. Stovetop: alternatively, place the butter in a pan and heat on low until just melted, add the milk and maple syrup and heat for a few minutes until warm. Switch off the heat and allow to come to room temperature. Slowly add the yoghurt (bit by bit) and whisk until combined.
Eggs: place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for few minutes to help them come to room temperature
Yogurt: avoid heating the yogurt or it will split. Instead vigorously whisk in a bowl and slowly add the warm milk (bit by bit) to help the yoghurt come to room temperature.

How to Store

These bakery style muffins will most likely be demolished!... but on the off chance you have some left (or want to make in advance) you can store in the fridge or freezer.

Fridge: You can store these muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze these muffins for up to 4 months. Once cooled, wrap each muffin in cling film/plastic wrap and transfer to an airtight container/zip-lock bag (freezer-friendly) and label.
To reheat: from fridge, bring the muffins to room temperature. If preferred, heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or warm in the oven for a few minutes. From freezer, remove from wrapping and place muffin(s) on a plate and cover. Allow the muffins to thaw at room temperature for a few hours or defrost in the microwave (defrost setting) until warm.

How to Serve these Muffins

These muffins can be served with a drizzle of healthy chocolate, chocolate cream frosting and a large helping of fresh strawberries or blueberries!

Enjoy these muffins with a glass of milk, a fresh cup of coffee, iced coffee or masala chai!

Does almond flour bake the same way as all-purpose flour?

Almond flour has a different texture to plain/all-purpose flour. It is more dense, therefore we add eggs (including whipped egg whites) to help give the batter structure and help make these lighter and fluffier. Batters with almond flour also bake faster than if you were to use all-purpose flour, which is why we bake at a slightly lower temperature – this helps to evenly bake the muffin (so we don’t overbake as this will make the muffin dry).

Can I substitute coconut flour for almond flour?

No - Although both of these flours are gluten-free, they have different properties – so avoid substituting the same amount of each. Coconut flour is very absorbent so you will require less coconut flour compared with almond flour (you only need ¼ cup of coconut flour for every cup of almond flour). For muffins using coconut flour check out our coconut flour chocolate chip muffins.