We love Paleo Muffins and these Paleo Chocolate Chip Muffins are no exception! Muffins are such a great breakfast side, lunchbox staple, or add-on to dinner. These are easy to make and kid-approved.
Why we love these Paleo Chocolate Chip Muffins
We love that these muffins are Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, with nut-free options. They are great in meeting a variety of dietary needs! Plus, the are simple to make in under 30 minutes.
Though, my favorite part of these muffins? The CHEWY texture. We had a lot of dense, dry Paleo muffins when we first switched to Paleo as a family. I thought that was just our sad lot in our new food vocabulary. But, I’m here to say YES, you can have soft, chewy muffins within a Paleo or gluten-free + dairy-free diet.
Muffins are a go-to for us in keeping up with feeding the masses in that they are great for breakfast, lunch boxes, after-school snack, or even as an add-on to dinner. They freeze great, so we almost always make a double batch for extras. We store them in individual reusable containers in the freezer (like THIS ONE from Target, pictured below). This allows you pop them into a lunch box or for a trip without worry of them getting smushed! Pull them out of the freezer and put them in a lunch box and they are perfectly thawed by lunchtime. You’re gonna love these!
Other Paleo Muffins you might love:
- Chocolate Paleo Muffins
- Paleo Birthday Muffins
- Paleo Cinnamon Roll Muffins
- Paleo Blueberry Lemon Scones or Muffins
- Flourless Chunky Monkey Muffins
Ingredients
These are the ingredients for the muffins as written, but please see the note if you are looking for a nut-free, as those ingredients will vary!
- Almond flour – I use “super-fine” almond flour to get the best texture. I like this one from Blue Diamond I can get at Sam’s Club or Amazon.
- Lemon juice – I just use bottled lemon juice from the juice aisle. You can also use freshly squeezed.
- Almond milk – I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk. We usually buy Silk brand. You can also use another dairy-free milk that works for you, especially if nut-free is needed.
- Tapioca flour – Tapioca is what gives these muffins their nice stretch. I recommend it over arrowroot, if you can, as arrowroot doesn’t have the same “stretch” result. But, arrowroot can sub in if needed. I get mine from the bulk bins at Winco. You can also find it easily on Amazon here.
- Baking powder
- Salt – Just basic iodized salt here!
- Extra light-tasting olive oil – This is olive oil that doesn’t have the heavy “olive” flavor. Be sure to look for “extra light tasting” on the bottle. I can find it at most of my local grocery stores. Or you can use melted coconut oil, melted first then measured.
- Maple syrup – Use 100% pure maple syrup to keep this paleo.
- Egg
- Vanilla – We often can’t afford pure vanilla extract, though that’s ideal. If it’s not accessible to you, vanilla extract is fine.
- Chocolate chips – There are a variety of options here. If you want to keep these paleo, use Hu chocolate chips or Hu gems (I chop these up smaller) which are only sweetened by coconut sugar. If you just need gluten-free + dairy-free, we love Enjoy Life mini chips.
Paleo Chocolate Chip Muffin
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour* see notes for substitutions
- 1/2 cup tapioca or arrowroot flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup oil extra light olive or melted coconut
- 1/4 cup maple syrup*
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk*
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup almond milk with 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. Set aside while you combine other ingredients. This creates a faux "buttermilk" that really makes a difference in the texture of these, don't skip it!
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (almond flour through salt).
- In a small mixing bowl, combine oil, vanilla, syrup, and egg, whisking to combine.
- Add wet ingredients and the almond milk/lemon mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir gently, just until combined (overmixing your muffins will make them flat and dense!). Then add in chocolate chips, again stirring gently.
- Prepare your muffin tin with 12 muffin wrappers or spray with cooking oil to prevent sticking.
- Divide batter evenly between the 12 prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, until tops of the muffins bounce back when touched. Note: due to the flours in these muffins, they turn out very "light" (i.e. not super browned on top). Resist the urge to leave them in the oven too long, as that will result in dry muffins.
- Cool on cooling rack for 5 minutes, then enjoy! Stay good on the counter for 3-4 days, in the fridge for about 1 1/2 weeks, or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- You can use 1 cup cassava flour instead of the almond + tapioca flour in this recipe. This is the amount that will give you the best texture result, but keep in mind using 1 cup cassava flour will only make 8 muffins instead of the 12, so double as needed.
- You can sub honey for maple syrup
- You can use coconut milk or other non-dairy milk for the almond milk.
The best paleo muffins!! They’re fluffy and light 🙌🏼Thank you!! All your recipes are a hit!
These muffins are so light and fluffy! A delicious recipe to keep handy. Even my picky eaters love them.
Just made these for our treats this week & they’re delicious. The texture is perfect & just the right amount of sweetness!
Didn’t have plain almond milk, so used what I had, chocolate almond milk mixed with lemon juice. It was amazing!
Ooo, I bet that was delicious! So happy you enjoyed, thank you!
can you use apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice?
Good question and yes, you can, as they are both acidic and will have a similar effect. Not sure if there will be a slight vinegar taste however. If you try it, let me know!
Followed recipe exactly and my 3 girls LOVED them! Thank you!
I just made these and they were so delicious! The texture is amazing and not your typical “paleo” texture. A quick and easy recipe! Thanks for sharing this.
YES, the texture on these is so good. Thank you!
So easy to make and a family favorite! I agree with the directions – careful not to over cook them because you can’t really tell by their color if they’re finished. I want to try them with blueberries too!
I’m so happy they are a family favorite and great idea with the blueberries! Thank you!
Delicious, simple, easy to whip together muffin. Made to the recipe this time but I think they’d be delicious with a blueberry swap with some extra lemon juice and zest. Thanks for a great treat!
I’m so happy you loved them! And YES, the base is super versatile – play around with it!
The whole family LOVES these chocolate chip muffins (we like to make them mini muffins). I love all the substitutions making these something I can whip up anytime!
Wahoo for a family favorite! Thank you!
Delish! I’m trying to mix up my kids lunches beyond peanut butter & jelly or ham sandwiches, so we tried these out today. My oven runs hot so the edges got a bit too brown. My kids still love them! Will definitely make again.
I’m so happy your family enjoyed them, thank you!
My girls LOOOOOOOVE these muffins! I make a double batch and use a mini muffin tin. They’re the perfect snack size for my 3 year old and 6 year old’s lunch boxes.
I’m so thrilled this recipe is a winner with your kiddos! Thank you!
Absolutely amazing! I made these tonight for on the go breakfast for the kids and me! These are super easy to make, taste delicious, and store well!
I’m so happy these were a delicious win for your family! Thank you!
5 stars! These chocolate chip muffins were so delicious! My husband and I ate them all weekend. He can be picky with paleo treats I make sometimes, but enjoyed these so much that he said to add them to the rotation. 😀
My kids devoured these. They are incredible. Highly recommend !!
Delicious!! My kids love these for a fun after school treat.
So happy your kiddos love these, thank you!
These are my FAVORITE recipe I’ve tried from Autumn so far. I’ve re-made them multiple times and have started making a double batch so I can have some in the freezer too. You’ll never believe that they don’t have regular flour in them. The almond flour gives them an awesome texture but they’re still moist and delicious.
Hooray! We always double batch these too. I’m thrilled they are a favorite for you, thank you!
We really enjoyed these as a breakfast treat and sweet snack.
Thank you, so happy these were a win for your family!
O my word these muffins are absolutely delicious!!! Our kids inhaled them. Knew good things were ahead when I saw the almond milk + lemon juice. Totally takes paleo baked goods to the next level! Absolutely fabulous recipe – thank you so much 🙂
YES – that faux buttermilk makes for such an amazing texture. So happy this is a new favorite, thank you!
My kids love these!
These were so good! Mine only made 10 muffins. I filled them 2/3 full and they were cooked in the same amount of time. At first I thought that maybe they were supposed to be mini muffins or maybe I just filled cups too full.
So thrilled you enjoyed these! They make 12 medium sized muffins, but my kids often make them larger which only makes 9 muffins. Thank you!