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Home » Tasty Oil-Free, Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins

Tasty Oil-Free, Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins

June 11, 2021 By Diane Smith 13 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Just because these chocolate muffins are oil-free and gluten-free doesn’t mean that they won’t be full of tasty, yummy deliciousness! I used gluten-free oat flour and applesauce instead of oil and these work quite well for this recipe.

  

I originally tried making these oil-free chocolate muffins with Lankanto Sugar-Free Monkfruit Baking Sweetener and they were quite tasty, but after reading more about monk fruit, I decided using date sugar would be the better option.

I understand if you don’t want to use any sugar substitutes, especially if you’re strictly whole food and plant-based. I do advise using the least processed foods plus little or no sugar except dates, date sugar, date syrup, maple syrup, and molasses.

If, however, you love baking and want a sugar-free treat once in a while this sugar substitute might work for you if you’re trying to cut calories. Lankanto also has a regular sugar substitute (Lankanto Monkfruit Sweetener) and this baking version.

Just be sure to leave out the mini chocolate chips because they are made with sugar and oil.

Alternatively, you could try using cacao nibs which have no oil or sugar. They are bitter by themselves, but when mixed with other ingredients, this bitterness doesn’t stand out quite as much. I’ve used cacao nibs in this Mint Chocolate Smoothie recipe.

What is Lankanto Sugar Substitute

Let’s dive into this sugar substitute a little more. It contains both monk fruit and erythritol. According to Dr. Michael Greger from nutritionfacts.org, erythritol used to be one he recommended, but it has now come under some scrutiny.

Here’s Dr. Greger’s recent video (April 2023) on erythritol sugar substitute. It may be better to use a sugar substitute that’s just monk fruit.

 

Tasty Oil-Free Chocolate Muffins pin.

Don’t expect miracles from monk fruit, though. It’s a better choice than most substitutes, however, Dr. Greger points out that while blood sugar does not spike initially after eating this sugar substitute (and others in the study he covers) it averages out at the end of the day to be the same when compared to those eating real sugar. Here’s Dr. Greger’s video, Is Monk Fruit Sweetener Safe? He wanders around a bit before getting to the nitty-gritty at minute 2:20 in the video.

If you’d like to read more about artificial sweeteners, here’s my article, Zero Calorie Sweeteners: Are they Healthy and Safe?

These vegan chocolate muffins are quick to put together. Once you’ve mixed the dry ingredients, the oat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt then you just need to add the wet ingredients, plant milk, apple cider vinegar (which helps baked goods rise), and vanilla.

I like my muffins a little larger so you can fill 10 muffin wells instead of the 12 if you’d like. Otherwise, divide the batter evenly among the 12 wells. I made a note about this in the recipe (and in the nutritional label).

Baked goods made without oil can be a little drier than those made with oil so keep that in mind. These chocolate muffins are best eaten right out of the oven. 

Other Muffin Recipes

Try one of these…

  • Oil-Free Cherry Almond Muffins
  • Banana Chip Almond Muffins
  • Chai-Spiced Apple Muffins

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for these Oil-Free Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins! If you have a photo, post it on my Instagram page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!

plant-based chocolate muffin
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4.27 from 15 votes
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Tasty Oil-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins

You won't miss the oil or sugar in these delicious gluten-free chocolate muffins that're perfect for a snack or dessert.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Servings: 12 muffins
US Customary - Metric

Equipment

  • Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Spatula Set
  • Muffin Pan - 12 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups oat flour gluten-free
  • 1/2 cup date sugar *or Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener
  • 1/2 cup cacao powder or cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt optional
  • 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips *optional or try cacao nibs
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. For medium-sized muffins, line pan with paper liners or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. For larger-sized muffins line or grease only 10 wells of a muffin pan.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
    2 cups oat flour, 1/2 cup date sugar, 1/2 cup cacao powder, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt
  • Add the plant-based milk, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla, and stir until just combined. Don't over mix! Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
    1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips
  • For larger muffins, divide the batter evenly among the 10 wells of the prepared muffin pan. For small, divide into 12. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins have cracks on the top. Test for doneness at 15 minutes.
    *12 muffins may take 20 minutes whereas 10 muffins may take 25 minutes.
    *If testing with a toothpick, you may touch melted chocolate chips. Instead, touch lightly with your finger and if they bounce back, they're probably done.

Notes

* Nutrition label is for 1 regular muffin with salt but without chocolate chips. The recipe makes 10 larger muffins or 12 regular muffins. 150 calories in 1 larger muffin vs 125 in the "regular" muffin size.
* Oat Flour - You can make your own oat flour using old-fashion oats blended in a blender for a few seconds.
* Sugar Substitute - Lakanto Monkfruit Sugar Substitute
* Cacao Nibs - Substitute cacao nibs for mini vegan chocolate chips if you don't want sugar or oil

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Tasty Oil-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free Chocolate Muffins
Serving Size
 
1 Regular Muffin
Amount per Serving
Calories
113
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
2.5
g
4
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.6
g
4
%
Cholesterol
 
0
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
56.7
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
20.6
g
7
%
Fiber
 
2.4
g
10
%
Sugar
 
5.5
g
6
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
The nutrition information is a rough estimate. Values will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it’s recommended that you calculate your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary

    June 20, 2021 at 11:39 pm

    I haven’t tried this yet, but plan to. I assume you meant unsweetened applesauce, not sweetened?

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      June 21, 2021 at 10:59 am

      Yes, unsweetened applesauce. I’ll update that on the recipe. Thanks.

      Reply
  2. Jamie Hilly

    July 6, 2021 at 9:50 pm

    5 stars
    I have to say it: I LOVE these muffins! So moist and fluffy, and I really love the amazing dark chocolate flavor. Definitely going to be making these again soon! 🙂

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      July 6, 2021 at 9:56 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Umesh

    August 8, 2021 at 9:23 pm

    I am on wfpb diet. Instead of Monkfruit Suger can I use date paste?

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      August 9, 2021 at 10:28 am

      I haven’t made these with date paste but it’s worth a try. I think they would add a little extra moisture so maybe they’d take a little longer to cook. I’d love to hear how it goes if you make them. I can add it in the notes as an option. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Bill

    March 29, 2022 at 8:18 am

    Yeah, this isn’t wfpb. None of your desserts are. This is false advertising. Sugar is not a whole food.

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      March 29, 2022 at 2:26 pm

      I admire your commitment to being a purist. If you’re completely truly eating whole food, you wouldn’t eat pasta, bread, tofu, whole wheat flour, tortillas, and so on. Because I want people to be successful with their plant-based diets, some minimally processed foods are included and acceptable on a WFPB diet.

      Now when it comes to sugar, some forms are more fully accepted on a whole-food, plant-based diet than others. Dates, date sugar, or date paste are the best. However, even Plant Pure Chef, Kim Campbell, part of the family who founded the plant-based movement uses coconut sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar, and even confectioners sugar in her recipes. Here’s an example, Fig Oat Bars.

      I’m doing my best to help people change their diets and get better. I hope they make progress and stick with it. Like other leaders in the movement, I make allowances for alternatives to white and brown sugar such as date syrup, date sugar, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and good sugar-free substitute if people care to try them or not if they’re being strict.

      Reply
    • Annie

      July 11, 2023 at 5:59 pm

      Hey Bill. Cool it bro. Date sugar is just dried dates ground up. It’s a whole food.

      Reply
  5. Diane

    July 9, 2022 at 2:14 am

    Thank you for your recipes and helpful tips. Have you heard anything about Purecane sweetener? You can find it on Amazon. I am new to WFPB and I used to be an avid saccharin user all my life in my ice tea. I wondered what your opinion is about Purecane. I just tried it and like it.

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      July 9, 2022 at 4:03 pm

      Hi Diane, This is the first I’ve heard of Purecane sweeteners. The ingredients look simple enough with erythritol and sugarcane Reb M, which refers to a rare molecule found on the sweetest part of the stevia plant. Dr. Michael Greger used to believe erythritol is one of the better sugar substitutes in this video. That’s why I’ve used the Lankanto brand Monk fruit containing erythritol in this recipe in the past. He’s changed his mind about this sugar substitute. I couldn’t find much about sugarcane Reb M, though. It appears to not spike blood sugar, at least initially, like other substitutes. It may take more investigating to understand if this sweetener has the same effect as monk fruit does, not spiking initially after eating but averaging out at the end of the day, as mentioned in this recipe post.
      UPDATE: Erythritol has come under some scrutiny with new testing and may not be as healthy as precious determined. Check out nutritinfacts.org’s new video (April, 2023) on this subject if you have concerns.

      Reply
  6. Jujube

    January 7, 2023 at 7:34 am

    Hi, the recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it out! But I don’t have apple sauce, will omitting apple sauce still work? Keep up the good work!

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      January 7, 2023 at 11:17 am

      You’ll need something to replace it, maybe a mashed banana or pumpkin puree. These may add some flavor. You could also substitute 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk since it’s thinner. That’s just a guess since I haven’t tried it. Hope something works for you. 👍 Let us know how it goes. Cheers.

      Reply
4.27 from 15 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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